Women of 16th Century Venice

Paper Summary:

This paper provides an insight into the place of women in society in 16th century Venice. It examines how women fell into one of two categories; the angel or the courtesan (upper class prostitutes) and looks at how the credentials and restraints for each role were usually determined by factors over which the women had no control and yet they defined every aspect of her life. It evaluates why a women would want to be a courtesan and describes the life of Veronica Franco, the best-known of all the Venetian courtesans.

From the Paper:

"The Venetian angel was a virgin woman born into a noble family. Her birth gave her not only the respectability that came with her name but also enough wealth to provide a dowry, which guaranteed her a marriage. These women were esteemed because of their nobility but often married women were unhappy because of the extensive limitations placed on them by their husbands and society. As far as education was concerned, Venetian noble women were given a very small one, and what they did receive was at the hands of the convent and so it was ridiculously religious."

More papers on Women of 16th Century Venice:

• Essay # 31000 : "Peasant Women of 19th Century France."
• Essay # 32295 : "Peasant Women of 19th Century France"
• Analytical Essay # 8323 : "Women in 16th Century Europe"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: