Book cover of Isabel Rules: Constructing Queenship, Wielding Power

Book description

The movement to canonise the Catholic Queen Isabel has recently been revived and, therefore, this detailed and original scrutiny of both Isabel and the power she wielded is timely. Of special interest to Weissberger is the relationship between sexuality and power in 15th-century Spain, in particular the anxiety felt at…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Isabel Rules as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Through her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon, Isabel of Castile united the two most powerful kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, becoming the first early Renaissance queen to rule in her own right. As mother to five daughters and one son, the formidable ruler provided them with an unparalleled education and procured their marriages to the reigning dynasties of Europe. Much of what is known about Isabel, however, has relied on medieval chronicles and her own image-making as a legitimate heir, devoted wife, and pious ruler. Examining how this public image was created, Barbara Weissberger demonstrates the strategies adopted by both…

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