larabyrneDec 7, 20215 min readThe making of an unlikely leader. Matilde of Tuscany's childhoodNot much is known about Matilde/a of Tuscany's birth. The year was 1046, but the day and place are uncertain. Mantova, Lucca, Canossa,...
larabyrneJun 10, 20212 min readWhat's in a name - The Lotharingian connectionA few people have asked how I have come up with the title and what Lotharingia means. Matilde, my heroine, is known as Matilda of...
larabyrneMay 28, 20212 min readWhat's in a cover - The golden crosses of medieval power I have had a few questions about the cover of Lotharingia, and what it is meant to represent. Lotharingia is a tale of love, relics, and...
larabyrneDec 2, 20203 min readMedieval Women in Power - Matilda of Tuscany and her precursorsMedieval Europe did not really have historians in the modern (or ancient Greek) sense of the word. It had chroniclers and propagandists....
larabyrneApr 10, 20201 min readRead between the lines - Imperial seals for the margravinesHow else can one try and recover the traces of the historical actions of medieval women? Apart from a few exceptions, writing was the...