Butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers − and prostitutes: The women working behind the scenes in papal Avignon

Women’s work may not have been glamorous, but it was vital to the workings of the pope’s court and surrounding city.

By: Joëlle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 28, 2026

Words: 1,211

Last Updated: 1 week, 4 days ago

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By Joëlle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island

In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent. On the other extreme were a few dramatic examples of women who made history for the church while flying in the face of gender norms: heroes such as Joan of Arc.

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