Symbolic Communication in Late Medieval Towns

Book excerpt: Mediaevalia Lovaniensia 37In the context of late medieval state centralization, the political autonomy of the towns of the Low Countries, Northern France, and the Swiss confederation was threatened by central governments. Within this conflict both rulers and towns employed symbolic means of communication to legitimate their power. The authors of Symbolic Communication in Late Medieval Towns explore how new layers of meaning were attached to well-known traditions and how these new rituals were perceived. They study the public encounters between rulers and towns, as well as among various social groups within the towns.