The making of a court society : kings and nobles in late medieval Portugal
"This is the first full-length study of the Portuguese royal court in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It describes the fundamental importance of the court in defining the social position of kings, and shows how kings and nobles redefined one another, despite many celebrated political rivalries within the broader Iberian context." "The book contains a detailed comparative analysis of the way royal courts were organised, and of the status, professional and gender groups inside the Portuguese court. The characteristics of the court society as a whole, however, were rooted mostly in the dynamics of hierarchy and interdependence - in other words, in the specific ways the different parts and the individuals were bonded to each other. These bonds are discussed in light of late medieval concepts and theories. The book also describes the constant displacement of this complex community in the geographical space of Portugal, and how life at court was shaped by ceremonial duties and common activities." "First published in 1995 as A Corte Dos Reis de Portugal do Final da Idade Media, the book has been extensively revised and updated for publication in English."--BOOK JACKET
Print Book, English, 2003
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003