Aquitaine Reign

Eleanor of Aquitaine, born around 1122, was the eldest child of the 19th Duke of Aquitaine. Aquitaine was a large swath of feudal lands in what is now France. The king of France was overload to the noble landholders of surrounding French regions, but the lords owned and controlled their lands as rulers themselves. Aquitaine was the creme de la creme of French lands. The duke's court was a glittering bastion of luxury, learning, and culture to rival that of the king of France. Eleanor's father made sure she received the best education possible - so she excelled not only at "womanly" arts like sewing and household management, but also reading, writing, history, mathematics, politics, latin, riding, and hunting. This was anything but the standard education for women (even noblewomen) in medieval Europe and, coupled with Eleanor's head-strong spunk, paved the way for the unruly life she would later lead. Find the first name of her father and search the catalog to eke out your code.