Patrons and Patronage

Abstract

The system of patronage was one of the most significant social and cultural structures in the Middle Ages. The relationships forged between patrons and their clients were based not only on financial support, but also political and personal influence. Men and women from a wide variety of social backgrounds participated in the patronage system; their important contributions to this system included endowing medieval colleges, commissioning individual translations or artworks, and supporting writers and artists for many years.