Crossing boundaries: women's gossip, insults and violence in sixteenth-century France

Using evidence from cases recorded in the registers of the consistories of southern France, the author investigates the way in which Languedocian women policed each other's behaviour, enforcing a collective morality through gossip, sexual insult and physical confrontation. In contrast to case studies by other historians, it is argued here that gossip does appear to have been a peculiarly female activity, but far more than simply being an outlet for malice or prurience, it gave women a distinctive social role in the town. No less evident is the involvement of women in physical violence both against each other and against men, violence which, though less extreme than its male counterpart, nonetheless occupies a significant role in the proceedings of the consistories

Historical authenticity and interpretive strategy at Hampton Court Palace

To mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession, the Tudor palace at Hampton Court in the UK was re-interpreted by a team of interpreters and curators from Historic Royal Palaces. in this article, one of the lead curators reflects on the process. Creating a new visitor experience raised questions about what it means to be authentic in a historic site, and whether interpreters need to choose between authenticity and visitor engagement. The article considers nineteenth-century answers to the question, some real case-study examples from the 2009 re-interpretation, the interpretative principles that were chosen, and some early indicators of success