Writings Of Agnes Of Harcourt

Agnes of Harcourt is an important though little-known 13th-century author. Born into a leading Norman noble family, she became an abbess at the new royal Franciscan abbey of Longchamp, founded just outside of Paris by Isabelle of France, sister of Louis IX. In the 1280s Agnes wrote a substantial biography of Isabelle of France, as well as a brief letter detailing Louis IX's involvement with the abbey. These texts were based on Agnes' first-hand observations and contained many lively stories about their royal subjects of St Louis and on the lives of some of the most interesting and powerful men and women of the day. More significantly, they preserve one of the very few female perspectives we have for this period, and in The Life of Isabelle, offer what is probably the first biography of one woman by another in French. Presents an English translation of her texts and a substantial introduction to her life and work. This critical edition includes both the old French and English versions of the texts.

Sean L. Field is assistant professor of history at the University of Vermont.