Town air makes free
Topic: Medieval Europe: Feudalism and the Three Orders · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "The Three Orders"
Meaning
'Town air makes free' was a saying in medieval Europe. It meant that a serf (a peasant tied to his lord's land) could become free by escaping to a town. To win his freedom, he had to stay hidden there for one year and one day without his lord finding him. This rule drew runaway serfs and other peasants into towns. It helped towns grow and weakened the lords' hold over their workers.
Example
Suppose a serf in thirteenth-century France ran away from his lord's estate to a nearby town. If he stayed there unfound for a year and a day, he became a free townsman. He could then earn a living as a worker or shopkeeper.