Margaret of Austria (1480–1530), governess of the Low Countries and one of the most influential female rulers of sixteenth century Europe, assembled a remarkable princely library in Mechelen, where her court was established.

The collection contained almost four hundred volumes, which reflected not only the intellectual and cultural ambitions of the Burgundian-Habsburg dynasty but also her own experiences as a traveller, patron, and political leader.

This webinar delves into the reconstruction of Margaret’s library to examine the genres, languages, and material forms that shaped her collection.
Far from being limited to devotional reading, her library included a wide range of literary genres which reveal a diverse intellectualism. Particular attention will be paid to the coexistence of illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, and early printed books, which illustrate a transitional moment in European book culture.
By situating her collection within the broader traditions of late medieval and Renaissance period, this lecture presents how books functioned as objects of prestige and self-representation.

Lucía Alcalde Salazar is a Master’s student in Renaissance Studies at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on late medieval and early modern book culture, with particular attention to women’s libraries, female reading practices, and courtly patronage in the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands.