Power, authority, and the influence of women among the nobility and urban elites in the Basque provinces in the Late Middle Ages

Abstract

This study offers an overview of the ways in which women of the Basque nobility and urban aristocracy exercised their authority in the late Middle Ages. Based on an analytical model proposed by ladies’ studies (about noblewomen), firstly, we examine how noblewomen managed their family estates. Then, we consider how elite women exercised agency in the administration of family property, in the establishment of marriage alliances, and in the maintenance of client networks. Finally, we explore how they shaped the social status of their families through channels such as artistic patronage. The sources depict female figures with varying agency according to factors such as marital status, the attitudes of close relatives, and personal charisma. However, in general, it is evident that elite women as a group enjoyed significant authority.