Sintra (Portugal), 2-6 de septiembre de 2024

7 FEB 2024 - 19:36 CET

Court and queenship studies have received growing attention over the past decades and now encompass a broad range of interdisciplinary, transnational and comparative approaches. Building on academics such as Norbert Elias and Theresa Earenfight, recent historiography has analysed themes of political, cultural and economic agency, gender relations, the development of complimentary (or antagonistic) loci of power, and the dynamic (or disruptive) networks of nobles and courtiers.

This summer school will bring together specialists of royal and court histories to analyse themes encompassing court politics, gender politics, and queenship in the Iberian contexts. It provides a unique experience to learn about, and to discuss the roles and experiences of women within the courtly and palatial settings of both Spain and Portugal.

Join us for sessions on royal households (their form and function), access and networks, female spaces, devotion, correspondence, and leisure. In order to centralise the importance of the spatial dimension within these themes, these sessions will be held in the national palaces of Sintra. Furthermore, the programme includes the opportunity to peek behind the scenes of the National Palace of Sintra, to visit the rococo splendour of the National Palace of Queluz, and to explore the romantic whimsy of the National Palace of Pena. As monastic spaces were important locations for noble education and for the performance of royal piety, the programme will also include visits to outstanding early modern female convents in Lisbon, such as the convento dos Cardaes.

Applications open until 31 March 2024. 

All the information and the programme can be found in this website.