1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910450778703321

Autore

Fonte Moderata <1555-1592.>

Titolo

The worth of women [[electronic resource] ] : wherein is clearly revealed their nobility and their superiority to men / / Moderata Fonte (Modesta Pozzo) ; edited and translated by Virginia Cox

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Chicago, Ill., : University of Chicago Press, c1997

ISBN

1-281-12563-6

0-226-25683-9

9786611125639

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (322 p.)

Collana

Other voice in early modern Europe

Altri autori (Persone)

CoxVirginia

Disciplina

305.4

Soggetti

Women

Women - Social conditions

Women - History - Renaissance, 1450-1600

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- CONTENTS -- THE OTHER VOICE IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE: INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- MODERATA FONTE AND THE WORTH OF WOMEN -- KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS -- A NOTE ON THE TEXT -- A NOTE ON FONTE'S SOURCES -- DEDICATORY LETTER -- APPENDIX: THE THEME OF WOMEN'S EQUALITY WITH MEN IN FONTE'S FLORIDORO -- WORKS CITED -- INDEX

Sommario/riassunto

Gender equality and the responsibility of husbands and fathers: issues that loom large today had currency in Renaissance Venice as well, as evidenced by the publication in 1600 of The Worth of Women by Moderata Fonte. Moderata Fonte was the pseudonym of Modesta Pozzo (1555-92), a Venetian woman who was something of an anomaly. Neither cloistered in a convent nor as liberated from prevailing codes of decorum as a courtesan might be, Pozzo was a respectable, married mother who produced literature in genres that were commonly considered "masculine"-the chivalric romance and the literary dialogue. This work takes the form of the latter, with Fonte creating a



conversation among seven Venetian noblewomen. The dialogue explores nearly every aspect of women's experience in both theoretical and practical terms. These women, who differ in age and experience, take as their broad theme men's curious hostility toward women and possible cures for it. Through this witty and ambitious work, Fonte seeks to elevate women's status to that of men, arguing that women have the same innate abilities as men and, when similarly educated, prove their equals. Through this dialogue, Fonte provides a picture of the private and public lives of Renaissance women, ruminating on their roles in the home, in society, and in the arts. A fine example of Renaissance vernacular literature, this book is also a testament to the enduring issues that women face, including the attempt to reconcile femininity with ambition.