Making of a Court Society

This 2003 book is an important 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 organized, 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 the specific ways the different parts and the individuals were bonded to each other. These bonds are discussed in light of later medieval concepts and theories. The book also describes the constant displacement of this complex community within Portugal, and how life at court was shaped by ceremonial duties and common activities.

'The Making of a Court Society is of great importance to scholars of the political culture of medieval and early modern Europe. [The book] is impressive in terms of its scope of research and the depth of examination of both documentary and narrative sources. … a profound academic work and one which has much to offer scholars of royal courts.' English Historical Review

Rita Costa Gomes is Professor of History at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.