The Princely Court
Medieval Courts and Culture in North-West Europe, 1270-1380
Published on 20. December 2001
Book
Hardback
440 pages
978-0-19-820529-6 (ISBN)
Description
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 a period 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 musical life. 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 in European history and a celebration of a forgotten age.
Reviews / Votes
...a highly accomplished book that has a wide scope both geographically and culturally. * Maria Hayward, Costume * An important book ... so much more than just a study of expenditure. This is a sophisticated, vividly illustrated and rigorously researched probing of the relationship between the material and the mental in the noble life and the political structures of the 'long' fourteenth century. It is abrim with original ideas and perceptions which look to have significant implications for students of other periods too. * English Historical Review * Fascinating study. * BBC History Magazine * Vale knows this territory well, perhaps better than anyone, and his book resembles one of the muniment chests that would have accompanied an itinerant court on its journeys; it is a treasure-trove of information, on the hoof ... an essential contribution to the study of court life. * Carol Symes, The Medieval Review * Refreshing views on the subject of definitions of culture ... Remarkable new book, which will be the point of departure for studies of the late medieval court for a long time to come. * Nigel Saul, Times Literary Supplement *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
33 pp halftone plates 3 maps, numerous tables and figures
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
825 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-820529-6 (9780198205296)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
01/2004
Oxford University Press
€64.38
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Content
THE MATERIAL FOUNDATION OF COURT LIFE ; COURT LIFE AND COURT CULTURE