A lady's man : the cicisbei, private morals and national identity in Italy
"Three people in a marriage: a woman and two men. This was the eighteenth-century Italian aristocratic model of marriage, characterized by the presence of the cicisbeo, the official escort of another man's wife. Did this delineate a clear and brazen sexual depravity or rather a complex and...
| Autres auteurs: | , |
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| Format: | Livre |
| Langue: | English |
| Publié: |
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire [u.a.] : Palgrave Macmillan,
2014
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| Titres liés à la collection: | Genders and sexualities in history
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| Sujets: | Man-woman relationships Marriage Aristocracy (Social class) Political culture National characteristics, Italian Nationalism HISTORY SOCIAL SCIENCE LITERARY CRITICISM Italien plus... |
| Description matérielle: | VII, 294 S. |
| Résumé: | "Three people in a marriage: a woman and two men. This was the eighteenth-century Italian aristocratic model of marriage, characterized by the presence of the cicisbeo, the official escort of another man's wife. Did this delineate a clear and brazen sexual depravity or rather a complex and refined social institution, revealing many aspects of Italian civilization in the Age of the Enlightenment? Not only was the presence of a cicisbeo part of a matrimonial, family model; it was also an important factor socially and politically. In a period in which the presence of women at parties was sought--at the theatre and in salons--the lady's escort played an essential part in promoting a couple's social life. Indeed, the company and friendship (and perhaps love) which bound a lady and her escort occurred with the knowledge and under the control of the families of the interested parties. Of course, this 'triangular' arrangement was not unproblematic. The existence of a third party posed a threat to conjugal fidelity and the legitimacy of offspring and, towards the early nineteenth century, when the ideals of Romanticism and the French Revolution were popular there was a rapid decline in the practice. For as Italy reconstructed its national identity alongside other modern European countries the image of private immorality associated with cicisbeism constituted an intolerable blemish"--Provided by publisher |
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| Description: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Description matérielle: | VII, 294 S. Ill. 24 cm |
| ISBN: | 1137450924 9781137450920 |