L'Envers de la tapisserie The Œuvre of Yolande d'Aragon: A Study of Queenship, Power and Authority in Late Mediæval France

Abstract

The genesis of this dissertation can be dated to earlier research completed in January 1999 the title of which was 'Nature, Raison et le Couple'. During the course of this earlier research many couples and partnerships were examined, both literary and historical. The enigmatic Yolande d'Aragon kept appearing on the horizon to be brushed away by the researcher anxious to complete her dissertation in a timely fashion. Notwithstanding these attempts, Yolande refused to be suppressed for very long and it was probably the temptation occasioned by the scarcity of available secondary material documenting her extraordinary 'gestes' that determined she would become the centre of this research project. In order to give the full context of Yolande d'Aragon's activities and responsibilities the study commences with an examination of the peninsular kingdom of Naples-Sicily. Firstly because Naples-Sicily was the trigger for her betrothal to Louis II d'Anjou and, secondly because an understanding of this singular kingdom is an essential prerequisite if we are to fathom the difficulties under which Yolande d'Aragon was obliged to labour once the responsibility for this largely fictive legacy passed to her. The foundations for Yolande's later endeavours were meticulously laid down by her mother-in-law, Marie of Brittany, therefore her particular struggles must be examined and understood in order to achieve and understanding of the importance of a unified and prosperous Provence to later Angevin enterprise. Yolande's origins and upbringing are studied to examine how Iberian princesses were prepared for regal service. The personalities of her parents, their particular spirituality and connections, as well as the importance of the Friars Minor to the Crown of Aragon constitute another essential layer to this research. ... The study concludes with Yolande's death in Saumur on 14th November 1442 and an evaluation of her legacy.