International Medieval Society, Paris
Société Internationale des Médiévistes, Paris

Symposium 2005 Abstracts

The patronage of Blanche of Castile, thirteenth-century queen of France and mother of Louis IX, has recently received significant scholarly attention. Most of this interest, however, has been directed towards the monastic foundations and sumptuously illuminated manuscripts associated with her name. By contrast, almost nothing is known about Blanche’s wider literary patronage. Only one original text is known to have been composed specifically for her, the Miroir de l’âme, a copy of which was first identified in Bibliothèque Mazarine ms. 870 by Léopold Delisle in 1888. Although Blanche's subsequent biographers have dutifully mentioned this work of religious advice, it has remained little known and unexplored. Recently, however, it has become clear that the text existed in an original Latin version with the title Speculum anime, and that the text circulated widely in both languages. French copies were dedicated to other female patrons, and among the subsequent owners of the Latin treatise was Blanche’s daughter Isabelle of France. The passing of this text from Blanche to Isabelle suggests that it can be seen as a “mirror” for Capetian women’s souls, and demonstrates the continuity of devotion at the Capetian court and the impact of Blanche of Castile’s patronage on her children and beyond. This paper will address the question of who might have written this work for Blanche and when; examine its composition process, its contents, and its dissemination; and assess its impact on our understanding of Blanche’s role as a religious patron.