The history of Bordeaux took a turn in 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet, who became king of England two years later, as Henry II. The town and the whole area, Aquitaine, thus became part of the vast Plantagenet “empire”, which spread from Scotland to the Pyrenees.

Thanks to the commerce of wine, supported by commercial privileges granted by England, Bordeaux became one of the most flourishing ports in Europe, as its contemporary architectural development testifies. Remaining loyal to England, Bordeaux became the object of a strategic contest between the French and English crowns, until Charles VII, the French king, won the Battle of Castillon in 1453, thus ending three centuries of English domination in Aquitaine.

I find the intertwined histories of these two rival kingdoms particularly fascinating during this period, which can be approached in a concrete way through the exhibition of some interesting artefacts in the Museum of Aquitaine in Bordeaux: https://www.musee-aquitaine-bordeaux.fr/visiter/expositions/400-000-ans-dhistoires-de-la-prehistoire-au-21e-siecle/laquitaine-sous-les-rois-dangleterre

The carved stone (end of 14^th century – beginning of 15^th century) and the stained-glass escutcheon (ca. 1444) represent the arms of the city of Bordeaux under the rule of English kings. The three leopards represent the royal and ducal authority of the Plantagenets as king of England but also Duke of Aquitaine. They were chosen by Richard the Lionheart in 1198 and remained on the arms of the Plantagenets until 1340 under the reign of Edward III. The first leopard represents England, the second the Duchy of Normandy, and the third one, the Duchy of Aquitaine.

Now, I invite you to read “a tale…full of sound and fury” about the Plantagenet dynasty, which inspired many writers—including William Shakespeare—throughout the centuries, and film directors in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. In this men’s world, we will also meet two remarkable women who were instrumental in founding the Plantagenet dynasty, Matilda (also known as Empress Maud or Empress Matilda) and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Illustration at the top of this post: Mural in Chapel of Saint Radegund in Chinon, France. The people depicted are traditionally thought to represent Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry Plantagenet, and their children. Photo by Chinpat. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chasse_royale,_fresque_de_la_chapelle_Sainte-Radegonde.JPG