Monastic Women and Secular Economy in Later Medieval Europe, ca. 1200 to 1500

This book explores the role of women in medieval society, focusing on four powerful convents in France, Germany, and Switzerland. It reveals that these convents were central and economically able agents, with feudal prerogatives derived from landed possessions. They adapted to economic changes and acted as urban landlords, giving credits and playing a major economic role in the rising cities. The book challenges the traditional image of the "male" feudal Middle Ages and the medieval monetary economy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 196 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book aims to rewrite the narrative of women and power in medieval society. Based on a rich corpus of sources – systematically collected for the first time – it reveals female monasteries as central and economically able agents in feudal society.

With a chronological focus on the late Middle Ages, this book focuses on four powerful convents located in modern-day France, Germany, and Switzerland. Three of these institutions were aristocratic convents founded in the early Middle Ages. They were endowed with far-ranging feudal prerogatives that were largely, but not exclusively, derived from landed possessions. The fourth convent originated in the thirteenth century and disposed of a primarily monetary economy.

Observed from a longue-durée perspective, Monastic Women and Secular Economy in Later Medieval Europe reveals strategies of adaptations that allowed these different institutions to weather the significant economic changes of the late Middle Ages. Within the context of medieval feudal society, these abbesses and prioresses were authoritative figures. They ruled over territories, dispensed justice, appointed priests, and even sent soldiers to war. Late medieval convents acted as urban landlords and gave credits – they were thus major economic players in the rising cities. These observations of this monograph will force medievalists to reconsider the traditional image of both the "male" feudal Middle Ages and medieval monetary economy.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032290706