Love, Sex and Marriage in Renaissance Italy

Beginning with an examination of the ?how to? advice manuals common to Italian households during the Renaissance period, this course explores various aspects of sexuality in Renaissance Italy. These aspects range from the aforementioned self-help books aimed at instructing young couples in sexual pleasure, conception and childbirth, to an examination of the differing social roles of the common prostitute (meretrice) and the high class courtesan (cortigiana). The theme of male homosexuality will also be explored with special focus placed on the intellectual climate of Renaissance Florence, where the prevailing interest in Neoplatonic philosophy could have played a part in creating a more lenient moral climate for homosexuals. Much use will be made of Renaissance art where erotic subjects became increasingly popular in courtly circles in the sixteenth century. Museum visits form an integral part of this course.