The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church was a big part of medieval society. Village peasants and townspeople alike believed in God. It was believed if you were not Catholic, you would go to hell. The whole village revolved around the church, from paying tithes to going to mass services, everyone did their bit in hope of a good afterlife. The church had a number of ways to earn money. They introduced a tax called a tithe, which was 10% of the peasants earnings. Tithes could be paid in goods(crops, seeds, animals) or money, but because the peasants were so poor, it was usually paid in goods. All the tithes were stored in a tithe barn. If the church got lots of grain crops, much would have been wasted, as rats usually invaded the barns, eating the crops and poisoning it with their urine. Sometimes, the church would even promise a place in heaven, in return for expensive jewelry, silverware, money or even more crops. This shows their wealth was due to the large involvement in medieval society.
Photo 1: Tithe Barn Photo 2: Medieval Church