The Solemn Entries of the Bishops of Liège in the Late Middle Ages: Sources, Ceremonies and Festivities

Despite the availability of a vast corpus of sources, the solemn entries of the prince-bishops of Liège during the medieval period have attracted little scholarly attention. Access to primary sources, mainly narrative, allow for a clear reconstruction of such events and an analysis of their political and social significance. The aim of this paper is therefore to provide an initial summary of the information available on this topic, and to encourage more in-depth studies on specific aspects of this ceremony. This paper will provide a historiographical review and describe the successive stages of the solemn entry. It will then examine one element that has particularly caught the attention of chroniclers: the numerous festivities organized throughout the inauguration ceremonies. This paper will pay particular attention to the evolution of the ceremonial and the introduction of new elements and new actors in the process. It will also analyze a series of features that help elucidate the important power games at play behind such solemn and festive events.