The Triumph of an Accursed Lineage analyses kingship in Castile
between 1252 and 1350, with a particular focus on the pivotal reign of
Alfonso XI (r. 1312-1350).
This century witnessed significant changes in the ways in which the
Castilian monarchy constructed and represented its power in this period.
The ideas and motifs used to extoll royal authority, the territorial
conceptualisation of the kingdom, the role queens and the royal family
played, and the interpersonal relationship between the kings and the
nobility were all integral to this process. Ultimately, this book
addresses how Alfonso XI, a member of an accursed lineage who rose to
the throne when he was an infant, was able to end the internal turmoil
which plagued Castile since the 1270s and become a paradigm of
successful kingship.
This book will appeal to scholars and students of medieval Spain, as
well as those interested in the history of kingship.