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September 10, 2025Open Access

Radegund of Poitiers in Modern Scholarship: Recurrent Themes and Portrayals

GEGiacomo EvangelistiSapienza University of Rome

Key Points

Radegund of Poitiers shaped significant cultural influence across Frankish territories, impacting modern understanding.
Her literary persona, constructed by Venantius Fortunatus and Baudonivia, continues to influence portrayals of female sanctity.
This study provides insights into how Radegund's image has evolved in modern scholarship over centuries.
The examination of Radegund's critical reception reveals ongoing reinterpretations of her historical and literary significance.

Abstract

Radegund of Poitiers (520–587) was a princess of the Thuringian kingdom, wife to the Merovingian king Clothar I, and ultimately domina of the abbey of Sainte-Croix in Poitiers. The literary persona of Saint Radegund, as constructed by the poet-hagiographer Venantius Fortunatus and, a few years later, by the nun Baudonivia, underpins the historical figure. The saint exerted a significant cultural influence across Frankish territories, and over the ages her image has been continuously received, reinterpreted, and expanded. The purpose of this study is to provide a survey of the critical reception of Radegund’s character, in order to explore how modern scholarship has interpreted and reimagined her persona over time.

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