Women's social and legal constraints during the Renaissance period

Women During the Renaissance Period

The Renaissance (14th to 16th centuries) in European history is widely considered to have been a period of "re-birth" and a turning point for the Western Civilization. It is believed to be the transitory period between the Middle Ages and the Modern Age when the social, cultural, and artistic conservatism of the Middle Age was replaced by the dynamic philosophy of humanism, which emphasized individualism and personal achievement. Despite assertions by historians such as Jacob Burckhardt to the contrary, most subsequent studies of the history of renaissance unfortunately reveal that this much-celebrated individualism almost totally bypassed half the population (the women) whose social, cultural, economic and political condition hardly changed during this period. In this paper we shall discuss the condition of women during the renaissance period, and explore the reasons behind it. We will also take a brief look at some women who, despite the handicaps, managed to gain prominence during the Renaissance.

Condition of Women in Florence

The condition of women in the republic of Florence, the great Italian city-state where the renaissance was started and flourished, gives us a fair idea about the state of women during renaissance. There is little doubt that the social and legal constraints on women in Florence were such that female destiny was almost entirely in the hands of men with women having limited rights and even fewer opportunities for acting independently.

The secondary position of women in the society is tellingly revealed in the remarks of Nannina de' Medici, "Don't be born a woman if you want your own way" (quoted by Kent, 26) in a letter to her brother after her marriage. It must be remembered that these are the remarks of one of the most privileged of Florentine upper-class women. The plight of the common women of Florence can be well-imagined. At the same time, it must be realized that the condition of women in Florence was among the worst in the whole of Western Europe. In the princely states and courts, for example, women of noble blood could inherit wealth and even enjoy a certain amount of domestic, dynastic and even political power. (Ibid.)

The merchant republican society of Florence, despite the changing face of their art, architecture and politics was still strongly committed to the communal and classical values as far as the women were concerned. These 'values' prescribed that the honor of men lay in the personal virtue of their wives; hence women were excluded from public life, and confined largely to their homes to 'ensure their purity.' Since all inheritance of property was to be made through the male line only, this was considered necessary to ensure 'the blood line.' The restrictive life of women in Florence is reflected in their portraits of the time, in which the women often appear framed in the windows of their houses. In 1610, a French traveler is quoted to have said after visiting Florence, "women are more enclosed here than in any other part of Italy; they see the world only from the small openings in their windows."

Training for the Renaissance Women

In almost every treatise or book written for women during the Renaissance, they are urged to be silent, discrete, modest, gentle, and a loving wife. These are widely regarded as ideal qualities for a woman in Renaissance literature in which women are advised to repress their 'aggressive' nature and be passive. Most of all they are counseled to be obedient to their husbands, as 'obedience' was considered as the highest virtue for a Renaissance woman.

The peasant women during the Renaissance period were mostly illiterate and little is known of their lives due to absence of any written work about them. This too is a reflection of their status in the society since they were probably considered to be of no consequence. We do know that the education and training of the upper-class girls was quite different from those for boys. Girls were only supposed to get training and education in subjects that would help them in becoming 'good' wives and to handle household duties.

Some Renaissance Women of Consequence

In spite of all the constraints placed on the women by the society and culture during the Renaissance period, some women did manage to breakout of their traditional roles as 'obedient' wives only. For example, Queen Isabella of Spain ruled the country along with King Ferdinand, and her jewels financed Christopher Columbus's epic journey to the Americas. Isabella encouraged female intellectuals in her court. She was also extremely cruel and successfully enforced the 'Inquisition' that almost totally banished the Moors, Jews and Gypsies from Spain. ("Women of Renaissance," para 3)

Queen Elizabeth I who ruled Britain during the renaissance is considered by some to be the greatest of all British monarchs. During her 45-year reign, she introduced several social and political reforms and the country thrived culturally, and economically. (Ibid. para 7)

Another remarkable woman of the period was Onarato Rodiana who was a talented fresco painter, but became a mercenary and fought as a bandit for 30 years until she died fighting. Although art flourished during the renaissance, but very few women artists became famous except a few, mostly as helpers of their artists fathers or husbands: again, an indication of their status in the society. (Ibid. para 2)

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be safely said that the while the Renaissance may have been an era of "re-birth" of art, culture, and politics of Europe, as is generally believed, it hardly managed to touch the lives of women. They continued to live a life of domination by men and deprivation, just as they had during the dark Middle Ages.