In today’s post, I’ll look at another part of worldbuilding, closely related to the real world: capital cities. Just as in reality, they’re important elements in fiction, and they can indirectly tell a lot about the nation and its history, as well as its values. lifestyle, and other aspects.

Location

The location of a capital city is often quite similar, for practical reasons. A large populace needs the vicinity of fresh water as well as a source of sustenance. Thus, many capital cities are built near major rivers, or even the junction of several rivers, and typically in lowlands, which are easier to facilitate agriculture.

At the same time, the heart of such a town, if it has a truly historical origin, is typically on an elevated position – both to protect the settlement from potential floods, as well as to make it easier to defend. These two aspects became less important in our history because of technical advancement and population growth combined, but will be quite important in a fantasy setting, especially if it depicts a world with a lot of conflict between individual nations.

Structure

A city’s structure will depend a lot on its history and the speed of its growth. The core area, typically the original fortress or castle and its surroundings, will often feature narrow streets and stone buildings. As the city expands, various areas will have different histories. There might be areas settled by the weatlhy, and areas settled by the common folk, each with a different appearance. Larger towns will attract business, and thus, public spaces large enough to hold markets will emerge. With a growing populace, public infrastructure, such as schools and parks, might emerge. In a religious culture, places of worship will emerge. The faster a change comes, the more chaotic it will be – and the more hazardous. Many large cities in Europe’s history were ravaged by fires – some more than once – as wooden buildings with narrow streets between them provided easily available fuel.

Natural disasters, such as fires, floods, or plagues might end up altering a city’s appearance significantly if large-scale rebuilding is necessary afterwards. For example, most towns rebuilt after a major fire took the appropriate precautions and widened their streets. Floods might lead to leaving a wider area around the riverbanks empty, or, in more modern times, building dams and reservoirs in suitable locations. Those can then become an area where people gather in their free time. The same can be caused by wars, if a major part of the town is destroyed. Those will lead to a new, and often safer, appearance of the town, but elements of the old will stay. Memorials of such tragedies can then become landmarks and places of remembrance.

Such tragic events can be an inspiration for writing – not only to be displayed directly, but to be a part of a backstory a character notices as they walk through the town, giving a fictional world more depth. In such cases, these events don’t need to be very developed.

The seat of a ruler

The most dominant aspect will typically be the seat of the ultimate power – whichever form it takes. This is an aspect that is very affected by the society and the way it’s ruled, and will differ significantly in stories. An imposing castle is a frequent sight in fantasy stories, but it only works for a monarchy where the power is limited to a chosen few. Once the power becomes more spread out, and more representatives are in positions to be present for the lawmaking process, it’ll be reflected in the infrastructure – housing a royal family will have different needs than a building to house parliamentary meetings with possibly hundreds of representatives.

Whichever way a nation is ruled, the governmental buildings are often an iconic part of the capital city. Many will easily recognize some aspects of it, be it the silhouette of a castle or some element of the ruler’s office. In monarchies, the throne room itself might be a strong and iconic centerpiece, used for audiences and public proclamations, but it’s unlikely to be used for true negotiations, which will take place in an office equipped appropriately for such proceedings. That said, throne room scenes have their place and charm, as well as a dramatic flair.

The nature of a monarch will also determine the layout – from welcoming and comfortable to threatening and inhospitable, and anything between, something we can still see in the present world. The nature of a ruler will reflect even details, such as decorations. Such can add a lot of depth to a story if there’s a fitting time and place for such a scene.

A brand new town

While quite rare, there are situations when a new town is built as the capital. The reasons might vary – it could be a sign of wealth and power, it could be forced by a natural disaster, or a major political change. Such cities will have a much more streamlined appearance, reflecting the thorough planning before construction at the cost of the depth, variety, and history of a traditional capital.

I have chosen such an approach for my own writing, and described some aspects of it quite a while ago.

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So, that’s a wrap on another bunch of my random thoughts, taking inspiration for worldbuilding from history. I’ll welcome your thoughts, and maybe examples about things that inspired you in such a way, or things you’ve seen done well in books you’ve read.

Footnote: this was supposed to go live on Sunday, but I forgot to confirm scheduling the post. Mistakes were made.