In this text, the author sets out to recapture the court culture of western Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. He shows how, despite the pressures of political fragmentation and a nascent awareness of national identity, a common culture emerged in court societies at the time.
In this engaging work, Malcolm Vale sets out to recapture the splendor of court culture in Western Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Exploring the time 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. The result is a fascinating evaluation of the nature and role of the court in European history, and a celebration of a forgotten age.
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.
