Capetian France 987-1328 / Edition 3

by Elizabeth M Hallam, Charles West

Overview

Capetian France 987–1328 is an authoritative overview of the country’s development across four centuries, with a focus on changes to the political, religious, social and cultural climate during this period.

When Hugh Capet took the throne of France in 987, his powers were weak and insignificant, but from an inauspicious beginning he founded a dynasty that was to last over 300 years and that came to dominate western Europe. This carefully updated third edition draws extensively on new scholarship that has emerged since the previous edition. It contains images, maps, family trees and a discussion of key sources, allowing the reader to develop a strong contextual knowledge as well as a greater connection with the material world of the period.

Maintaining a balance between a compelling narrative and an in-depth examination of central themes of the age, Capetian France 987–1328 provides a comprehensive account of this significant era within France’s history and is essential reading for all students of medieval France and Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138887688
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/17/2019
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	508
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Elizabeth M. Hallam holds honorary academic appointments at the University of East Anglia, UK, and the University of York, UK. Until 2016 she held the position of Director of Information Services and Librarian at the House of Lords, and she is now a Leverhulme Trust Emeritus Research Fellow, currently working on the architectural history of the Palace of Westminster.

Charles West has been teaching and researching at the University of Sheffield, UK, since 2008, where he is a Reader in Medieval History. He has published widely on medieval European history and sits on the editorial boards for Early Medieval History and the History Workshop Journal.

Table of Contents

List of figures vii

List of maps viii

List of images ix

List of sources xii

Preface xiii

Acknowledgements xv

1 French society in the tenth and eleventh centuries 1

Introduction 1

The French economy and society 6

The structure of power 14

Political developments of the tenth century 23

2 Politics and society: a regional view 33

Introduction 33

The principalities: north 36

The principalities: south 67

3 The early Capetians, 987-1108 80

Introduction 80

The kings and their reigns 83

The foundations of royal power 97

The kings and the church 121

4 The revival of royal power, 1108-1226 139

Introduction 139

The kings and their reigns 141

French society, 1108-1226 172

The growth in royal power, 1108-1226 192

The kings and the church 232

5 Louis IX: the consolidation of royal power, 1226-70 247

Introduction 247

The reign of Louis IX 255

French society in the thirteenth century 281

Louis IX and the church 292

The consolidation of royal power 302

6 The last Capetians, 1270-1328: the apogee of royal power 354

Introduction 354

The kings and their reigns 356

The French economy and society 372

The nature of royal power 384

The kings and the church 409

7 Epilogue 433

The succession and the Hundred Years War 433

Capetian kingship: some general perspectives 434

Art, culture and religious life in the French kingdom 438

Select bibliography 441

Index 464