In 1305, the young king Wenceslaus III of Bohemia wed Viola of Teschen, much to the surprise and disapproval of his subjects. For years he had been betrothed to the heiress of Hungary, Elizabeth. He was even still betrothed to her when he married Viola. What made him choose Viola, a daughter of one of [read more]
When Judith of Habsburg was born in 1271, her father was just a mere Count, and no one could guess that the Habsburg family would one day become the most powerful dynasty in Europe. Judith was the youngest of six daughters of her parents, and at her birth, they probably could not have guessed that [read more]
The Black Death peaked in Europe between the years 1347 and 1353. It was the most fatal pandemic in human history, killing millions. Not even royals were safe from this. During these years, a handful of royals died from the bubonic plague. Here are some royal women who died during these years. For some of [read more]
In the Middle Ages, the Italian island of Sardinia was divided into four regions known as “judicates” or “giudicati”. Each of these regions was ruled by a ruler known as a “judge”. The judges were princes rather than administers of justice. The four provinces of Sardinia were Torres (or Logudoro), Cagliari, Gallura, and Arborea. During [read more]
Late 11th century France was shocked when their king, Philip I, left his wife for the already-married Bertrade de Montfort. Bertrade’s husband, Fulk IV, Count of Anjou, also had a questionable marital history himself. As for Bertrade, she was seen as a temptress, a beautiful but immoral woman. Countess of Anjou Bertrade was born around [read more]
Most medieval dowager Queens were expected to live quietly and retire to a chaste and religious life after their husband’s death. Sometimes, if they were still young, they could remarry to a man of fitting rank. Kunigunda of Slavonia is an example of a queen who did neither of these things. Instead, she took a [read more]
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