Were did the noble women live during the middle ages?

Answer 1

Most noblewomen of the Middle Ages lived in manor houses. Many had more than one manor house, and so had several residences.

Some lived in castles, but that was not as common, partly because royal permission was required for a person to own a castle. Also, because a castle is primarily a defensive military structure, most castles were not comfortable places for families to live in. Many castles had manor houses near by, so the people who owned the castles could be more comfortable. Those noble families living in castles usually lived in the building in the castle called the keep. It was usually a massive building intended to be the last resort in a siege, and included such areas as large grain storage places, in addition to the owner's apartment. In some places, there was a residence building within the castle, separate from the keep.

Some manor houses were fortified, and such buildings looked rather like castles to the modern eye. They were simpler and smaller than castles, however, and intended primarily to be homes and only secondarily for defense. They often had moats, but not the interior courtyards within curtain walls that typified castles.

The nobility are to be distinguished from royalty. Palaces were only for royalty and bishops, so very few members of the nobility lived in palaces.

A few members of the nobility lived in very fine houses in towns or cities. This was unusual because of the social structure of the time, which associate a member of the nobility with a manor or a group of manors.

There is a link below to a question on manor houses, and there are links from that to pictures.

Answer 2

They grew herbs and plants, mended clothing, ran the household, managed the servants, performed music to entertain their husbands and guests, participated in and managed the preparation of food, maintained the medicine cabinet and tended to sick family members, made and embroidered household linens and clothing, maintained social contacts according to their status, acted as counsel to their husbands and sons and made themselves indispensable and lovable to ensure their value to the men in their families.

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Medieval women were far more versatile and able than some might imagine.

Advice from the medieval author, Christine de Pizan, to medieval noble women is rather revealing. She tells them they should study military arts so they can command soldiers when their husbands were unable to do so. This was done by many of them, and noble women did other important things as well, including running countries, on occasion.

There is a link below to a related question on what medieval women did in general, and it goes into some detail.

Answer 3

they lived in the western europe in ancient times noble women were rulers or just an aristocat that means they were rich and powerful . they had many unjust rights like, keeping control of the castle while her husband was away ,childary care , and all of her property belongs to the husband .

Answer 4

Normally, medieval ladies spent time doing the things all women did. Many married and had children. Some liked to embroider or sew. Many are recorded to have enjoyed reading. They hunted like men. They rode like men (usually not side saddle). They went on pilgrimage. They had banquets. They sang and played instruments. They danced. Medieval ladies were trained from their youth to be attractive matches for men of noble or royal rank. And so they were ready to wear fine clothes, make themselves beautiful.

Medieval ladies did not necessarily have it easy. They had to be ready to step in for the men in nearly everything men did, whether because their husbands died, or went off to a war or pilgrimage, were sick, or for whatever reason. Some noble ladies had estates in their own right and attended to their needs. Many queens even ruled countries, as regents, viceroys, or on their own.

In the early 15th century, Christine de Pizan, a well known author commenting on the life situations of medieval women, advised aristocratic ladies that they must understand the laws of weapons and everything having to do with warfare, and ever be ready to command her men if there is need of it. But it was not just warfare that they had to be ready for. They had to be able to understand finance, to command servants, undertake all sorts of tasks we think of as men's work.

There is a link below to a related question about the things medieval women did.

Answer 5

Most oversaw the manor or castle and managed the serfs within. Women in this time had few rights and were considered chattel. Their families generally married them to men that could connect the two families for more power and land. One of the few women who gained personal power was Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was married to two kings, and her 3 sons became kings. She also retained her lands when she married. This was not the usual way because the woman's lands went to the husband after marriage.