ABSTRACT
When Margaret of Austria entered Dijon in 1501, her itinerary included a visit to the Chartreuse de Champmol, a site of dynastic significance for Margaret, the daughter of Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian I. Margaret vowed not to remarry after Philibert le Beau's death, and she remained a widow for the rest of her life. Her thoughtful management of the duchy of Savoy before and after Philibert's death had drawn Maximilian's attention, and he demonstrated his appreciation for her administrative skills by appointing her regent in 1507. Margaret's social transitions may be traced through the changes that occurred in the planning and construction of her most important foundation, the monastery of St Nicolas of Tolentino in Brou. The French artists first employed by Margaret may indicate that her original intention was to build a small foundation that may have been Italian Renaissance in style.
