Stories of women in the Middle Ages / Maria Teresa Brolis ; forewords by Franco Cardini and Giles Constable ; translated by Joyce Myerson
- Author
- Brolis, Maria Teresa, 1959-
- Uniform Title
- Storie di donne nel Medioevo. English
- Published
- Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2018]
- Copyright Date
- ©2018
- Edition
- English edition.
- Physical Description
- xviii, 187 pages ; 22 cm
- Language Note
- Translated from the Italian.
- Contents
- Hildegard, the genius -- Raingarde, the mother -- Heloise, the love-struck -- Eleanor, the queen -- Clare, the founder -- Bridget, the pilgrim -- Christine, the writer -- Joan, the rebel -- Flora and business -- Agnesina and poverty -- Ottebona and marriage -- Grazia and the religious life -- Gigliola and fashion -- Bettina and her potions -- Margherita and care-giving -- Belfiore on the road.
- Summary
- "Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries in Europe, not all women fit the stereotype of passive housewife and mother. Many led bold and dynamic lives. In this collection of historical portraits, Maria Teresa Brolis tells the fascinating tales of fashion icons, art clients, businesswomen, saints, healers, lovers, and pilgrims--both famous and little known--who challenge conventional understandings of the medieval female experience. Drawing on evidence from literary works and archival documents that include letters, chronicles, trials, testimonials, notary registers, contracts, and wills, Brolis pieces together an intricate overview of sixteen women's lives. With zest and compassion, she describes the mysterious visionary Hildegard of Bingen, the cultured Heloisa, the powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine, Saint Clare of Assisi, the rebel Joan of Arc, as well as lesser-known women such as Flora, the penitent moneylender, Bettina the healer, and Belfiore the pilgrim, among others. Following the trajectories and divergences of their lives from wealth to poverty, from conjugal love to the love of community, from the bedroom to life on the streets of Paris, London, Mainz, Rome and Bergamo, each portrait offers a riveting glimpse into the often complex and surprising world of the medieval woman. Combining the rigor of research with the thrill and empathy of narrative, Stories of Women in the Middle Ages is a provocative investigation into the biographies of sixteen incredible medieval heroines."--
- Subject(s)
- ISBN
- 0773554793 (paperback)
9780773554795 (paperback)
9780773554788
0773554785 - Note
- Edition statement from Foreword, page ix.
- Bibliography Note
- Includes bibliographical references.
View MARC record | catkey: 25378972