Princely Funerals in Europe, 1400-1700: Commemoration, Diplomacy, and Political Propaganda

Panorama of royal and princely ceremonial, their evolution from the end of the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century and their diffusion throughout the Courts of Europe. Funerals were among the most extravagant princely ceremonies in Europe. At the end of the Middle Ages, they were grandiose affairs, carefully recorded, bringing together the emotions of both Court and People. The Renaissance heightened their effect, adding surprising elements borrowed from an Antiquity which was largely re-invented. The seventeenth century introduced ephemeral displays, elaborately constructed castrum doloris, dressed up with lavish facades and interior designs which transformed these sanctuaries into theatrical funeral pyres.