Hundred Years' War Show in England

"The Chronicles of Froissart" is an interactive special exhibition about the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) on view at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England.

The Royal Armouries in Leeds, England are currently hosting The Chronicles of Froissart, a special exhibition of late-medieval manuscripts and armor, from December 8, 2007 to April 6, 2008.

The Show's Organization

The exhibition is divided into five sections.

• Arms and Armour displays original medieval weaponry and protective armor of the knight, foot soldier, crossbowman and man-at-arms.
• The Projection Theatre features a film that utilizes high-resolution color photographs of six surviving illuminated manuscripts of Jean Froissart's Chroniques.
• Making of a Manuscript includes the materials used to produce an illuminated manuscript, descriptions of puzzle, vegetal and historiated initials and a film.
• The Treasury displays the Stonyhurst Chronicles, an original copy of Froissart's Chroniques.
• The Interactives has six touch screens that allow visitors to explore how a manuscript is created as well as digitized versions of Froissart's manuscripts in European libraries. A game called Capture the Castle is designed for children.

The Hundred Years' War and Jean Froissart

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was a series of armed conflicts between England and France that were interspersed with periods of relative peace. It began when England's King Edward III (r. 1327-1377) sought to occupy the French throne of Philip VI (1328-1350) based on a tenuous dynastic claim. Jean Froissart (ca. 1337-1405), who traveled extensively throughout England, Scotland, Italy and the Low Countries, traced the first half of the war's military engagements in the four volumes of his Chroniques. His writings also describe chivalry and aristocratic life in late-medieval Europe. Froissart's Chronicles exist in more than 100 illuminated manuscripts.