What's in a signature? Assessing the use of the royal signature by the Queens of Portugal in the late Middle Ages
Abstract
A signature is a personal sign left by the emissary of a document. In the Middle Ages a royal signature was a powerful representation of the monarch. The Queens of Portugal are no exception to both ideas. Through the centuries, the typical queenly signature became part of the queenship apparatus. However, these royal women had the choice to manipulate the signature to some extent to represent themselves and their circumstances. This paper reflects on the meanings of the establishment of a queenly signature and the insights the shifts upon that signature can give us.
Uma assinatura é uma marca pessoal deixada num documento pelo emissário. Na Idade Média a assinatura régia foi uma representação poderosa do monarca. As rainhas de Portugal não são exceção a ambas as ideias. Através dos séculos, a assinatura típica da rainha tornou-se parte integrante da função de consorte. Contudo, estas senhoras tiveram a possibilidade de modificar a assinatura até certo grau, para se representarem e responderem às circunstâncias. Este artigo reflete sobre o significado da criação da assinatura reginal e o que podemos compreender através das mudanças que a mesma sofre.
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