When speaking of medieval books, libraries and book collectors, the men-princes, nobles or ecclesiastics-who owned and copied manuscripts immediately come to mind. However, medieval documents-wills, inventories of books-can demonstrate that queens, noblewomen and even ladies of the bourgeoisie possessed manuscripts or printed books, or indeed whole libraries. By examining the sources regarding women{\textquoteright}s libraries in France and Burgundy between 1300 and 1500, we can explore some of the relationships between women and books during the late Middle Ages. It is important to reassess the role women played in the buying, conservation and use of the book, and thereby clarify how they participated in the transmission of Western culture.
}, year = {1996}, journal = {Renaissance Studies}, volume = {10}, pages = {209-236}, note = {Laval was a fifteenth century noblewoman
}, language = {English}, }