The Princely Court Medieval Courts and Culture in North-West Europe, 1270-1380

by Vale, Malcolm

• ISBN13: 9780199269938
• ISBN10: 0199269939
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-04-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

In this fascinating new book, Malcolm Vale sets out to recapture the splendour of the court culture of western Europe in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Exploring the century or so between the death of St Louis and the rise of Burgundian power in the Low Countries, he illuminates aperiod in the history of princes and court life previously overshadowed by that of the courts of the dukes of Burgundy. Taking in subjects as diverse as art patronage and gambling, hunting and devotional religion, Malcolm Vale rediscovers a richness and abundance of artistic, literary, and musicallife. He shows how, despite the pressures of political fragmentation, unrest, and a nascent awareness of national identity, a common culture emerged in English, French, and Dutch court societies at this time. The result is a ground-breaking re-evaluation of the nature and role of the court inEuropean history and a celebration of a forgotten age.

Author Biography

Malcolm Vale is Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at St. John's College, Oxford.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Material Foundation of Court Life Court and Household

Organization and Structures

Consumption and Expenditure

The Travelling Court

Court Life and Court Culture

Art at Court: Investment in Culture?

Conclusion

Appendices

Maps

Bibliography

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.