Contrary to popular belief, capitalism was born in the Middle Ages and spread widely from the 13th to the 15th century. in various forms: cash loans and speculation (the word "exchange," from the name of a family from Bruges, appeared just then), active trading and financial companies. All sectors of society were involved in it. It was practiced not only by Jews and Lombards, local burghers as capitalists were much more numerous than foreigners, and even the poorest contributed to it by buying shares. In this sense, talking about "popular capitalism" does not mean falling into exaggeration. If the church again and again banned loans and usury, this shows how poorly its prohibitions were respected. As for the real strongmen, they were not big merchants, but moneylenders. In the cities, they set the tone and imposed their power, which is most clearly personified by the Medici clan. Jacques Ers, as always, once again talentedly refutes traditional ideas, offering us a new look at the Middle Ages.