Geoffroi of Courlon and Political Perceptions in Late Medieval France

Abstract

The period 1250 to 1350 is viewed as one of significant change, particularly in the history of political thought. In France, lawyers and university masters lay the intellectual foundations for an independent “national” identity, while the royal abbey of Saint-Denis fostered a popular understanding of history increasingly favorable to the Capetian kings. This article considers the impact of new political conceptions, and the influence of Parisian models of history in particular, by exploring the work of a regional chronicler in the Sénonais, Geoffroi of Courlon. While Geoffroi shared some common ground with writers in the Île-de-France, his thought was rooted in a different understanding of the historical relationship between France and the Roman Empire, one that minimized conflict between kings and emperors. The relative success of his chronicle highlights both the importance of local concerns in shaping perceptions of history and underlying political ideas, as well as the limits of royal influence.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 2 citations exist upstream.