/ Avignon's medieval communal palaceThe expansion of Mediterranean trade encouraged commercial links with Italy and the eastern Mediterranean. Ports and overland routes benefited from this recovery, while the Crusades created further opportunities.
Marseille increased its maritime trade, while more goods moved along the Rhône Valley. Arles and Avignon benefited from these exchanges. In the countryside, woodland clearance and the draining of some marshes expanded cultivated land.
Towns took advantage of rivalries among lords to gain more autonomy and organise themselves as communes. They were often governed by a consulate, a council of leading citizens drawn from dominant families. Some enjoyed considerable independence, comparable to that of Italian communes. Avignon extended its influence beyond its walls. Arles also experienced a period of communal government, while Aix-en-Provence emerged as the seat of comital power.