“Saints and Sinners in the Social World of Renaissance Italy”
A NEW seminar series by Lisa Kaborycha, in person and on Zoom, 10 Feb – 3 March 2026 British Institute of Florence
For 2,000 years the stories of Christian saints have captivated the imagination. They fearlessly battled evil, exhibited superhuman strength, and displayed unimaginable courage in the face of grisly torture, embracing death in defense of their faith. In addition to these legendary heroes and those named in the Bible, there were also numerous contemporary holy figures in Renaissance Italy who were revered as saints during their lifetimes for their mystical visions, prophecies, and the power to work miracles.
This seminar series examines the extraordinary stories of the holy men and women from all walks of life— soldiers, sculptors, servants, surgeons, murderers, kings, queens, prostitutes, peasants, popes and nuns—who provided inspiration for innumerable artistic masterpieces. We pose the question: what was the reality behind these saints’ lives and what made their cults—many of which persist to this day—so compelling for centuries?
Taking place on four consecutive Tuesdays, the seminar will meet live at the British Institute, Palazzo Lanfredini, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, Florence, Italy and online via Zoom. Register for either a single session or the full course here.
Tuesday, 10 February 6pm-7:30pm CET Dying to get into Heaven: Heroic saints, martyrs, and heretics
Tuesday, 17 February 6pm-7:30pm CET Getting by with a little help from your friends: Patron saints
Tuesday, 24 February 6pm-7:30pm CET To err is human and sometimes divine: Saintly sinners
Tuesday, 3 March 6pm-7:30pm CET The holy girl next door: “Living saints” in Renaissance towns and cities
There is a reading list for books and articles on topics covered in this course here
For further information and enrollment, please write to the bif@britishinstitute.it, or call +39 055 2677 8270 (between 11:30 and 18:30 CET).
“Love, Marriage and Sex in Renaissance Italy”
A seminar series given by Lisa Kaborycha, in person and on Zoom, 27 May – 17 June 2025 British Institute of Florence
Did people during the Renaissance experience love differently than we do today? What were the marriage customs and what were the relations between husband and wife? In their private lives, how closely did they observe religious doctrine on sexual behavior? In this series of lectures, historian Lisa Kaborycha explores these questions and more. By delving into their social customs, legal documents, tax records, personal correspondence, literature, and art, we will get up close and personal with the men and women of the Italian Renaissance, who reveal their complex and sometimes startling attitudes on love, marriage, and sex with freshness and verve.
Taking place on four consecutive Tuesdays, the seminar will meet live at the British Institute, Palazzo Lanfredini, Lungarno Guicciardini 9, Florence, Italy and online via Zoom. Register for either a single session or the full course here.
Tuesday, 27 May 6pm-7:30pm CET Truly, madly, deeply: love in the Renaissance
Tuesday, 3 June 6pm-7:30pm CET The business of marriage: dowries, shopping for brides, marriage manuals
Tuesday, 10 June 6pm-7:30pm CET Mystical marriages: matrimony that was literally holy
Tuesday, 17 June 6pm-7:30pm CET Sex in the city: courtesans, public brothels, and forbidden acts
An article about the seminar series in The Florentine
There is a reading list for books and articles on topics covered in this course here.
For further information and enrollment, please write to the bif@britishinstitute.it, or call +39 055 2677 8270 (between 11:30 and 18:30 CET).