This highly-illustrated volume, by bestselling author Richard Barber,
shows how medieval princes proclaimed their special status through
displays of magnificence.
The book is stunning, in every respect, and will be the gold standard in
its subject for years to come. ALISON WEIR
"This is glorious! It's a peach-and-peacock of a book, as befits its
subject: scholarly, always accessible, with a wealth of fabulous
illustrations, superbly designed." KEVIN CROSSLEY-HOLLAND
How do you recognise a king when you see one?
By the thirteenth century, the special status, which had evolved over
thecenturies, was matched by the display of kingly grandeur. This was
enshrined in the idea of "magnificence". Magnificence was seen as the
king's duty, was applied to everything: his person, the garments he
wore, his courtiers, the artists, the musicians and architects he
employed. Above all, it was on show in his public appearances, his
feasts and ceremonies. The "magnificent" collections of jewels,
manuscripts and holy relics were displayed to a handfulof favoured
visitors. Those visitors also had to be entertained, and royal feasts
developed into an amazing form of performance art.
This book is not only about objects and occasions, but also about the
people who created them, from the kings themselves and their court
servants to the artists, craftsmen and musicians of all kinds, down to
the scribes and clerks, the showmen, dancers and acrobats, and the
servants at table.
All this is explored in this wide-ranging survey, covering the whole of
western Europe, but centring on France, the wealthiest of the kingdoms,
members of whose extended royal family were at different times kings of
Poland, Hungary, Naples, Jerusalem, England, and, most spectacularly,
dukes of Burgundy.
Pageantry and displays of splendour always catch our attention, and
medieval feasts and tournaments are among the most popular forms of
historical re-enactment today. Magnificence celebrates many of the high
points of the medieval world, drawing them together in a sumptuous
volume.
