The Last Years of Mahaut, Countess of Artois (1319-1329): An Invisible Old Age?
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Mahaut, countess of Artois, was surprised by death at the age of 59, on 27 November 1329. The sources concerning her reign–mainly practice acts and accounts–only provide tiny clues to the effects of age: physicists perhaps commissioned to visit her more regularly, and purchases of syrups and “medicines” mentioned in the registers of accounts of the Hôtel. The writing of a third and final will, on 24 March 1329, also suggests that the countess felt her end was approaching. No doubt Robert, who in the summer of 1329 brought a final lawsuit against his hated aunt in order to take back Artois from her, intended to take advantage of the old lady’s lesser fighting spirit.We can therefore guess that the princess has to deal with the effects of age, but growing old is not just about undergoing the effects of time, it is also about advancing in age, going through trials and accumulating experience. In fact, the change in attitude dates from about ten years earlier, when Mahaut was emerging from a particularly trying period: the revolt of the nobility in Artois (1315-1319) and, above all, the brutal loss of her son Robert, heir to the county, in 1317. The countess then paid particular attention to charitable works, founded several hospitals and increased the number of bequests to religious establishments. This charity, although ostentatious, nonetheless marked a clear evolution in the countess’ spirituality.
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