Valdaliso-Casanova, C. Ipsa Domina Agnes. On the historical basis of the myth of Inês de Castro, in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2017. Vol. 3 (1). P. 90–117.
Covadonga Valdaliso-Casanova, PhD in History, researcher at Centro de História da Sociedade e da Cultura (University of Coimbra) and at Centro de História (University of Lisbon) (Alameda da Universidade, 1600–214 Lisboa (Portugal))
covaldaliso@hotmail.com
Language: English
Although the myth or legend of Inês de Castro is based on historical facts, it has for centuries been a story where fiction and reality were blended. The life of the main character, Inês the Castro, is not documented. The narratives about her death, and the monumental tomb to where her mortal remains were transferred, are the main sources for researchers. There are also various testimonies about her marriage to Pedro, as well as about her sons and daughter. In parallel, still in the Middle Ages several narratives related to her were written, some of them in historiographical texts. This paper aims to singularize and analyze the historical elements of Inês’story. In doing so, it studies the sources that created the basis for the legend, thus revealing its origins. The story itself is observed as an object of study characterized by the intersections of different contexts, disciplines, narratives, and by the projections of diverse perspectives, objectives, periods.
Key Words: Portugal, 14th century, Inês de Castro, Pedro of Portugal, myth, legend, History, Literature, medieval chronicles