The principal aim of the thesis is to give a detailed analysis of the career and literary output of the Burgundian courtier and chronicler, Olivier de la Marche, within the context of the political and cultural milieu of the Burgundian court in the second half of the fifteenth century. There is a full and comprehensive survey of the progression of la Marche’s career under the last two Valois Dukes of Burgundy and their Habsburg successors, and this simultaneously attempts to shed some light on the world of the princely court in the late medieval period. Consideration of la Marche’s major achievements as a diplomat, bureaucrat, counsellor, and military captain is given, as well as a detailed survey of his role as the stage-manager responsible for some of the magnificent fetes which characterised the Burgundian court during this period. Consideration is also given to the ways in which la Marche’s career was shaped by the changing political circumstances of his times, particularly in the years that followed the death of the last of the Valois dukes and the accession of the Habsburgs to their inheritance. There is also a detailed examination of la Marche’s literary output. Attention is devoted to analysing the nature of his works, the manner in which they came to be written, the personal and professional experiences as well as the literary influences that acted upon him, and the objectives behind their composition. Some comment is made about the identity of both the perceived and actual audience of these works. The thesis also endeavours to demonstrate the ways in which some of this literature can be interpreted as both a response to and an attempt to shape the political and cultural milieu in which it was circulating, and how an understanding of it can enhance our knowledge of some of the wider historical developments of the later part of the fifteenth century.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:25:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarianoAJ.pdf: 1274216 bytes, checksum: a8c890562e5b48e8fc759fe8b740f76d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Cette dissertation propose l analyse des M?moires de Olivier de La Marche, homme de la cour qui a v?cu comme serviteur des maisons de Bourgogne et d Autriche de l ann?e 1439 jusqu ? 1502. Nous avons compris sa litt?rature comme particuli?re pour l ?poque, car elle est n?e motiv? par les questions personnelles de l auteur. C est pourquoi qu elle s est ?loign?e des genres litt?raires li?s ? la fonction de servir aux propos du prince, particuli?rement les chroniques. Nous avons cru que ces intentions particuli?res ont eu l origine dans la tradition de la m?moire m?di?vale, qui a r?pandu de l oral pour l ?crit pendant la fin de la Moyen ?ge. Cette ?criture de la m?moire, r?glement?e ? l exp?rience de qui ?crivait, a promu la naissance de l individu quand il a cherch? assumer les lieux du personnage et du t?moin des ?v?nements dans l espace du texte . Telle affirmation nous avons conduit jusqu ? la fonction des discours qui ont cr?? des espaces dans l oeuvre. Motiv? par la vision sp?cialis?e comme ma?tre d h?tel, tels discours ont produit un espace de la cour id?al, capable de justifier la personnalit? de l auteur et de lui consacrer comme le ma?tre de la pratique de la courtoisie / Esta disserta??o prop?e a an?lise das M?moires de Olivier de La Marche, homem da corte que viveu como servidor das casas da Borgonha e da ?ustria de 1439 a 1502. Entendemos a sua literatura como particular para a ?poca, pois ela nasceu motivada pelas quest?es pessoais do autor. Com isso ela se distanciou dos g?neros narrativos ligados ? fun??o de servir aos prop?sitos do pr?ncipe, notadamente as cr?nicas. Acreditamos que essas inten??es particulares tiveram origem na tradi??o da mem?ria medieval, que se expandiu da oralidade para a escritura no fim da Idade M?dia. Essa escrita da mem?ria condicionada ? experi?ncia de quem escrevia, promoveu o nascimento do indiv?duo quando este procurou assumir os lugares de personagem e testemunha dos acontecimentos no que chamamos de espa?o do texto . Tal afirma??o nos levou ? fun??o espacializante dos discursos da obra. Motivados pela vis?o especializada do ma?tre d h?tel, tais discursos produziram um espa?o da corte ideal, capaz de justificar a personalidade do autor e de exalt?-lo como o mestre da pr?tica da cortesia.