16 -18 September 2027, National Palace of Sintran, Sintra, Portugal.

The annual conference of the Society for Court Studies, co-organised with Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa and Parques de Sintra, will take place over 2 days at the National Palace of Sintra, with an optional excursion to the National Palace of Queluz on day 3.

Keynote Speaker :
Prof. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger
Fellow, Wissenchaftskolleg zu Berlin

Medieval and early modern courts were centres of cultural production, politics and power. They were stages from which power (in varying degrees) was negotiated and performed by the many people that made up the court – from the ruler and courtiers to artists and servants. As such, the various forms of cultural production present at court – literature, art, architecture, performance, and material culture – often emphasised the identities, virtues, and differences that characterised court cultures and their rulers. But, to what extent and in what capacity did these cultural productions represent the realities and divergences of life at court ?

The functional relationship between cultural production and public discourse within court cultures needs further attention. This interdisciplinary conference seeks to examine the intersection of power and cultural production to identify the ways in which controversy, conformity, and emotions manifested or were expressed at court. The aim is to understand what these manifestations tell us about the role that social discourse, political participation, and the power of emotional influence played in the mechanics and socialisation of court life.

The organisers welcome papers that explore the central themes of the conference, in any courtly context between 1200-1800, including global perspectives. Topics and perspectives include (but are not limited to) :
 Dynastic politics, factions, and succession  Behaviour, misbehaviour, and acting out  Individuality, group identities
 Cultural difference, race, and colonisation
 Patronage, performance, artists, artisans  Religious worship and confessionalism
 Love, sex, and marriage
 War, violence, and feuds
 Shock, news, and gossip
 Trends and novelty
 Drunkenness, smoking, and drugs

Proposals for 20-minute papers should be submitted by 31 December 2027 to conferences chez courtstudies.org. Proposals must include name, title and affiliation (if relevant), abstract (250 words max), and a short bio. Panel proposals of 3–4 papers, roundtable discussions, or other formats are also welcome ; these should include an overall panel title, individual titles, abstracts, and biographies for each contributor. Please note : presentations will be in-person only, although the conference may be live-streamed. Exceptions will be considered.

All queries can be directed to the conference organisers via email to conferences chez courtstudies.org. For the latest details and information about the conference, visit : https://courtstudies.org/events/conferences

A publication of the conference proceedings is planned.

CFP timetable : accepted presenters will be notified by 5 March 2027, bursary applications will also open in March, and registration, including the full programme, will open 5 April 2027.

For interested participants, preliminary estimates indicate that early-bird conference fees will potentially be :
PhD/ECRs £35 / €40 Professors* £55 / €65 (*includes Assistant/Associate/Full)

Discounted rates will also be offered to members of the Society for Court Studies. The conference organisers also plan to offer a limited number of travel bursaries for PhD/ECRs. Official registration details, confirmed fees and bursary information will be available upon acceptance in Spring 2027.