The ‘Autobiography’ of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316-1378), is a rare example of a personal memoir by a medieval ruler. Continue reading
On July 12, 1214, Philip II Augustus, the King of France, defeated the combined forces of emperor Otto IV, the count of Flanders, and King John of England, near Bouvines in northern France. The Marchiennes account of the Battle of … Continue reading
The account of this battle comes from The Greater Annals of Cologne, which was first written around 1175. Continue reading
Philip J. Potter Monarchs of the Renaissance: The Lives and Reigns of 42 European Kings and Queens Jefferson, South Carolina: McFarland, 2012. 351pp. $40.00. ISBN 0-7864-6806-5. On the back cover of this book, there is a quotation that is belied … Continue reading
Boncompagno da Signa (1168?-1240?) was an important Italian scholar who wrote several treatises and other works as he moved around between cities such as Ancona, Bologna and Venice. His account of the siege of Ancona, which he wrote around 1201, … Continue reading
