Author: Miriam Shadis<br />File Type: pdf<br />Daughter, wife, and mother of kings, Berenguela of Castile (1180-1246) was a key figure in the formation of medieval Castile-Leon. Queen of Leon from 1197-1204, regent for Enrique I of Castile briefly in 1214, and then Queen of Castile in her own right after 1217, she secured the thrones of Castile and Leon for her son Fernando III and enabled his crusades in al-Andalus. This study examines Berenguelas use of authority and power, her legitimacy as a female ruler, and her motherhood and patronage in her efforts to maintain the thrones of Castile and Leon for her family.ReviewBerenguela of Castile (11801246) and Political Women in the High Middle Ages provides a thorough and thoughtful investigation not only of the life of this medieval queen, but also of her kinswomen and peers. The Berenguela who emerges from these pages was a force to be reckoned with. Shadiss analysis of the texts also demonstrates how useful previously mined sources can be when viewed through the lens of womens agency rather than oppression. This book has much to offer and will be of interest and use to all who study the lives of aristocratic and royal women.--Amy Livingstone, Wittenberg UniversityUnder Shadiss deft analysis, a whole new view of Berenguela emerges one who was not the victim of political events, but rather the architect of them.--Medieval Feminist ForumBerenguela of Castile is a major addition to studies of queenship and of Iberia especially. Not only does it bring scholarly attention to an individual monarch who has been often overlooked, it also interrogates the place of women--wives and especially mothers--within the jointly ruled monarchy of western Iberia.--American Academy of Research Historians of Medieval SpainShadis has built an outstanding piece of political history and history of the genre which greatly enriches our historical knowledge and helps lay the groundwork for further and necessary approaches to the relationship between power, politics, and women in the medieval past.--HispaniaThis is an important study of medieval political history.Shadis convincingly critiques scholarship that dismisses Berenguela as queen for a day, arguing instead that Berenguelas famous grant of kingship to Fernando in 1217 was co-rulership, not abdication.She vividly presents a superbly talented ruler who defied categorization in her lifetime and whose complex and contradictory life provoked a lively discourse on womens rule and virility as a component of kingship. Deftly linking queenship, feminist, womens, and masculinity studies, this book is at the forefront of political history.Theresa Earenfight, Associate Professor, Seattle University and author of The Kings Other Body Maria of Castile and the Crown of AragonAbout the AuthorMiriam Shadis is an Assistant Professor of History at Ohio University.