Supplemental 5: Christine de Pizan and the Body Politic

01/08/24 • 33 min

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Grand Dukes of the West: A History of Valois Burgundy

Christine de Pizan was the favorite court writer of many of the most important Lords and Ladies of France in the early 1400s. She started her career writing Love Poetry before expanding to writing treatises on Politics, History, Gender, and Theology. In this episode I'll trace her political thought as the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war rages by focusing on three of her writings: The Book of the Body Politic, The Lament on the Evils of Civil War, and The Book of Peace.

Check out this episode's page on granddukesofthewest.com for a list of my sources and to read De Pizan's writings for yourself.

Check out this episode's page on granddukesofthewest.com for a list of my sources and to read De Pizan's writings for yourself.

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Supplemental 4: The Civil War of Words - Burgundian Propaganda and Symbolism

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I've been saying for a while that the Burgundians used propaganda and public relations much more effectively than their opponents. In this episode I'll explore how they did that and what it meant.

For more on Burgundian Propaganda check out the work of Dr. Emily J. Hutchison.

Time Period Covered: 1401-1419

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Supplemental 6: The Rapondi Company and Ducal Finance

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The Rapondi were Philip the Bold and John the Fearless' favorite bankers. They funded everything from the day-to-day operations of the Burgundian Court to the Nicopolis Crusade to John's armies in the Civil War.

For more on the Rapondi Company check out Bart Lambert's Book The City, The Duke, and Their Banker.