Gilles le Bouvier (1386 -1455) was the senior herald to the French king, Charles VII. In his lifetime he wote a geographical treatise based on his travels. New English edition offers a fascinating view of Europe in the beginning of the 15th century

The Observations of Gilles le Bouvier. A Medieval Herald’s View of Europe and its Neighbouring Lands
Ed by Gideon Brough and Sophie Patrick
RMBLF and Bloomsbury 2024

Translated from medieval French, this book is an English-language version of one of the the works of Gilles le Bouvier. As the senior herald to King Charles VII, the monarch on the French throne, Gilles le Bouvier was close to the king during a decisive, formative period in France’s history, as well as being a well-known figure from the period. The Observations of Gilles le Bouvier thus delivers a rare glimpse of a singular medieval worldview, offered through the constrained voice of a skilled diplomat carefully and occasionally sharing his opinions to audiences composed of his social superiors.

During his lifelong career as a messenger and a diplomat in Charles’s service, Gilles le Bouvier, known as The Berry Herald, travelled far and wide on his master’s behalf. This translated work is a compilation of his observations as he moved around Western Europe, the Mediterranean states and the Black Sea region.

Throughout the text, Gilles le Bouvier assesses or comments on the lands encompassed by his extensive travels, discusses the peoples he claims to have encountered, from the honourable Turks to the “bad” Catholics’ of Southern Italy, and surveys the military capabilities of France’s neighbours, allies, enemies and neutral states

Expertly introduced and contextualised by Gideon Brough and Sophie Patrick, this book provides a compelling and unique historical source for understanding life in late-medieval Europe through the eyes of someone who lived it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editors’ Introduction
Author’s introduction

France
The Empire (Part 1)
Italian States (Part 1)
Mediterranean Islands, Egypt and the Middle East
Italian Cities (Part 2)
Black Sea states, Turkey and the Balkans
Hungary and Scandinavia
The Low Countries and the German Empire (Part 2)
Bohemia and Prussia
The British Isles and Ireland
The Spanish Kingdoms
Translators’ Notes
Appendices
Selected Bibliography
Index

FEATURED PHOTO

Dedication scene from the Armorial of Gilles Le Bouvier. Armorial de Gilles Le Bouvier – BNF Fr.4985 f13v. Source: Wikipedia