“Love, Marriage and Sex in the Italian Renaissance”
A new seminar series given by Lisa Kaborycha, offered live and online 27 May – 17 June 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).