Medieval Women: In Their Own Words

The exhibition “Medieval Women: In Their Own Words” is on show at the British Library in London from October 25, 2024 to March 2, 2025. An extraordinary array of manuscripts, documents, early printed books, paintings, coins, textiles, and objects associated with women from across medieval Europe is on display. They feature unique items from the British Library’s collections, alongside major loans from the Louvre, the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and other institutions.

This exhibition focuses on Europe from roughly 1100 to 1500,  when there was strong cultural interconnection across the continent. While most medieval sources from the period were written by and about men, women’s surviving testimonies offer remarkable insight into their contributions to medieval social and economic life, culture and politics, their skillful management of households and convents, and the vibrancy of female religious culture.