Splendour in life, humility in death

Queen Leonor de Lencastre (1458–1525) and the women around her

Bibliographic Data

ID12921967
AuthorsAna María S A Rodrigues (0000-0002-6539-8801, University of Lisbon, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume16
Issue1
Pages65-82
Publication date2023-12-21
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Medieval Iberian Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1754-6559 • E-ISSN: 1754-6567
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17546559.2023.2292595
OpenAlexW4390062597
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited9

Leonor de Lencastre was the wife of King João II of Portugal and the sister of his successor, Manuel I. Both she and her mother Beatriz participated in high politics and the government of the realm, administered vast territories, and managed considerable fortunes. They also founded convents of Poor Clares –one of Colettines, the other of Observants of the First Rule– where they chose to be buried in graves dug into the ground covered by stone slabs over which the nuns passed in their daily tasks as a sign of humility. In this article, I analyse the demanding religious practice and pious works of Leonor and Beatriz which inspired other women of their entourage, including Leonor's sister Isabel and Justa Rodrigues. The exemplary dedication of Leonor and Beatriz led these other women to found female religious houses or join those founded by them, and to lead austere lives that contrasted with their privileged social origins. This demanding practice was not shared by all, however, and I also analyse the case of Isabel de Sousa, another noblewoman of Beatriz's household, who opted for a different way to be commemorated and attain salvation

Biology · Humility · Queen (butterfly · Sociology · Theology · Zoology · Demography · Early Modern Women Writers · History · Philosophy · Spanish Literature and Culture Studies

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