This year, from October 8th to the 10th, the Institute for Medieval Studies (IEM | NOVA-FCSH) and the municipality of Castelo de Vide are organizing the V International Conference on the Middle Ages, under the theme: The Governance of Medieval European Towns.
The importance of this theme justified its selection for the International Conference on the Middle Ages that will take place in Castelo de Vide in 2020. Taking Christian and Muslim medieval Europe as the stage for reflexion, we wish to analyse the different issues generated by urban governance, drawing on diverse information sources and looking for ways to bring together perspectives from History, Archaeology, Art History, Literature, Law, among others.
We invite researchers from any scientific area interested in the subject of urban governance in the medieval period to submit sessions or papers proposals within the range of the following thematic panels: 1. Institutions from the urban power: Recruitment systems and functions 2. The faces of governance: Urban elites 3. Evidences of governance in medieval urbanism: Spaces and constructions 4. Between the written and the lived: The municipal legislation and its application 5. Governing the municipal space: The town 6. Governing the municipal space: The countryside 7. Good government of the town: managing adversity 8. Bad government of the town: Fraud, corruption, arrogance 9. Financial management of the town 10. Municipal taxation: taxes and fees 11. The relations between powers within the town 12. The relations of the municipal power with external powers: cooperation and / or conflict 13. Urban leagues and / or brotherhoods 14. Discourses and representations about urban governance 15. The construction of memory and urban identity 16. Governing Castelo de Vide during the Middle Ages The meeting will have four plenary conferences carried out by researchers invited by the organization and thematic sessions. Each session will integrate three paper presentations and will be 60 minutes long. Researchers who interested in participating can submit organized sessions or individual papers which will be gathered by the organizing committee in coherent panels. It will also be possible to
submit poster proposals within the conference’s thematic panels. The meeting will also have a cultural program with guided tours and the Conference Dinner. It will also be launched the book which resulted from de IV International Conference on the Middle Ages (Castelo de Vide, October 2019). The conference languages are Portuguese, Spanish, French and English.
Confirmed keynote speakers: To confirm
Scientific committee: Adelaide Millán Costa (U. Aberta) Alberto García Porras (U. Granada) Antonio Collantes de Terán (U. de Sevilha) Antonio Malpica Cuello (U. de Granada) Beatriz Arizaga Bolumburu (U. de Cantábria) Catarina Tente (U. Nova de Lisboa) Denis Menjot (U. Lyon 2) Emilio Martín Gutiérrez (U. de Cadiz) Hermenegildo Fernandes (U. Lisboa) Hermínia Vilar (U. Évora) Iria Gonçalves (U. Nova de Lisboa) Isabel del Val Valdivieso (U. de Valladolid) Jean Passini (EHESS-Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales) Jean-Luc Fray (U. Clermont Auvergne) Jesús Solórzano Telechea (U. de Cantábria) José Avelino Gutiérrez González (U. de Oviedo) Luísa Trindade (U. de Coimbra) María Asenjo González (U. Complutense de Madrid) Maria Filomena Barros (U. de Évora) Maria Helena da Cruz Coelho (U. de Coimbra) Mário Barroca (U. do Porto) Michel Bochaca (U. de La Rochelle) Peter Clark (U. de Helsínquia) Raphaella Averkorn (U. Siegen) Sara Prata (U. Nova de Lisboa) Sauro Gelichi (U. Ca ‚Foscari de Veneza) Wim Blockmans (U. de Leiden)
Organizing Committee: Amélia Aguiar Andrade (IEM | NOVA FCSH), Gonçalo Melo da Silva (IEM | NOVA FCSH) Patrícia Martins (CMCV)
Supporters: IEM – NOVA FCSH; CMCV; FCT; NOVA FCSH
Transportation The organization will offer bus trips for the speakers from Lisbon Airport – Castelo de Vide – Lisbon Airport, before and after the meeting.

The registration pack for speakers includes the bus trips from Lisbon Airport – Castelo de Vide – Lisbon Airport, lunch during conference days, guided tour to Castelo de Vide and Conference Dinner.
Call for sessions and papers deadline: April 30th
Session, paper and posters acceptance: May 20th
Conference fees
Speakers (general): 50 €
University students (undergraduates, MA and PhD): 40 €
IEM integrated researchers and students at NOVA FCSH: 30 €
More information: http://www.castelodevide.pt/idade-media/