Secondary sourceSculpturec. 1199-1200

Tomb Effigy of Richard I at Fontevraud

c. 1199-1200

A painted stone effigy of King Richard I, Eleanor of Aquitaine's son, whom she ransomed and served as regent for.

This is the effigy of Richard, the son Eleanor ransomed and ruled for as regent, buried near her at Fontevraud.

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Interior of the Fontevraud abbey church with four stone effigies on pedestals, arranged in two pairs. In the foreground are two larger effigies of recumbent figures with painted robes, one with a crowned head resting on a pillow, placed on a red-painted tomb chest. Behind them are two smaller effigies, also recumbent. Tall pale stone columns and a metal railing surround the display, and visitors stand in the far background near a staircase. — Tomb effigy of Richard I, c. 1199-1200. Fontevraud Abbey.

About this source

What it is

This is a painted stone tomb effigy of King Richard I of England ('Richard the Lionheart'), made around 1199–1200 and kept at Fontevraud Abbey, among the group of Plantagenet royal tombs there.

Why it matters

Richard was Eleanor's favourite son. She worked to secure his release when he was held captive abroad and acted as regent for him while he was away on crusade. His burial at Fontevraud, alongside his father Henry II and mother Eleanor, reflects the close and sometimes turbulent bonds within this royal family and their shared identity as rulers of a vast cross-Channel realm.

Look closer

Why might Eleanor have chosen Fontevraud as a resting place for her son as well as herself?
What can the arrangement of the tombs tell us about how the family wanted to present itself to visitors?
What does the effigy's crown and posture suggest about how Richard wanted to be remembered as king?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Eleanor of Aquitaine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Close view of a recumbent stone effigy with painted surfaces. A carved hand holds an open book, and a carved head rests on a pillow with a cushion-like support behind it. Dark background.

Sculpture

Primary source

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Artifact

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Medieval manuscript page with a painted illumination: a woman in a blue robe with a gold belt stands within a gold-leafed arch framed in blue, raising one hand, beneath a red and blue building and red brick towers. Page number 56 at top left.

Book

Primary source

Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine

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Aerial oblique view of the Fontevraud Abbey complex: a large monastic building with steep slate roofs, a tall white stone tower on the left, a green cloister garden in the center, surrounded by outbuildings, walls, trees and a paved courtyard.

Artifact

Primary source

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Robert of Arbrissel · founded 1101

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