Richard Lionheart

This book presents a comprehensive portrait of Richard I of England, the 'Lionheart', from his courtly and military training to the construction of a legacy that combines stone, law, and myth. This volume explores his disciplined bravery in the East, the complex rivalry with Philip II on the continent, his engineering of fortresses like Château Gaillard, and the fiscal-administrative machinery that sustained campaigns and reforms. It also addresses his shadows—tax pressures, severe wartime decisions, and absences from the kingdom—and the powerful iconography that turned his figure into a transgenerational emblem. Between history and memory, the book shows how a king from the medieval century could shape tactics, institutions, and sensibilities that still resonate in European political culture.