Italy’s Eighteenth Century : Gender and Culture in the Age of the Grand Tour

In the age of the Grand Tour, foreigners flocked to Italy to gawk at its ruins and paintings, enjoy its salons and cafés, attend the opera, and revel in their own discovery of its past. But they also marveled at the people they saw, both male and female. In an era in which castrati were "rock stars," men served women as cicisbei, and dandified Englishmen became macaroni, Italy was perceived to be a place where men became women. The great publicity surrounding female poets, journalists, artists, anatomists, and scientists, and the visible roles for such women in salons, academies, and universities in many Italian cities also made visitors wonder whether women had become men. Such images, of course, were stereotypes, but they were nonetheless grounded in a reality that was unique to the Italian peninsula. This volume illuminates the social and cultural landscape of eighteenth-century Italy by exploring how questions of gender in music, art, literature, science, and medicine shaped perceptions of Italy in the age of the Grand Tour. This Work Illuminates The Social And Cultural Landscape Of 18th-century Italy By Exploring How Questions Of Gender In Music, Art, Literature, Science, And Medicine Shaped Perceptions Of Italy In The Age Of The Grand Tour. Cicisbei : Italian Morality And European Values In The Eighteenth Century / Roberto Bizzocchi -- The Temple Of Female Glory : Female Self-affirmation In The Roman Salon Of The Grand Tour / Maria Pia Donato -- Giustina Renier Michiel And Conflicting Ideas Of Gender In Late Eighteenth-century Venice / Susan Dalton -- Revisiting Arcadia : Women And Academies In Eighteenth-century Italy / Elisabetta Graziosi -- On The Canvas And On The Page : Women Shaping Culture In Eighteenth-century Venice / Catherine M. Sama -- The Residence Of The Arts : Angelica Kauffman's Place In Rome / Wendy Wassyng Roworth -- Strange Births And Surprising Kin : The Castrato's Tale / Martha Feldman -- Sex Without Sex : An Erotic Image Of The Castrato Singer / Roger Freitas -- Anatomy Of A Lesbian : Medicine, Pornography, And Culture In Eighteenth-century Italy / Paula Findlen -- As Who Dare Gaze The Sun : Anna Morandi Manzolini's Wax Anatomies Of The Male Reproductive System And Genitalia / Rebecca Messbarge -- Between Modesty And Spectacle : Women And Science In Eighteenth-century Italy / Marta Cavazza -- Monsters Of Talent : Fame And Reputation Of Women Improvisers In Arcadia / Paola Giuli -- Gender And Genre In The Religious Art Of The Catholic Enlightenment / Christopher M.s. Johns. Edited By Paula Findlen, Wendy Wassyng Roworth, And Catherine M. Sama. Chapters 1, 2, 4, And 11 Were Translated By Matthew Sneider. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [347]-455) And Index. Cicisbei : Italian morality and European values in the eighteenth century / Roberto Bizzocchi The temple of female glory : female self-affirmation in the Roman salon of the grand tour / Maria Pia Donato Giustina Renier Michiel and conflicting ideas of gender in late eighteeenth-century Venice / Susan Dalton Revisiting Arcadia : women and academies in eighteenth-century Italy / Elisabetta Graziosi "On the canvas and on the page" : women shaping culture in eighteenth-century Venice / Catherine M. Sama "The residence of the arts" : Angelica Kauffman's place in Rome / Wendy Wassyng Roworth Strange births and surprising kin : the castrato's tale / Martha Feldman Sex without sex : an erotic image of the castrato singer / Roger Freitas The anatomy of a lesbian : medicine, pornography, and culture in eighteenth-century Italy / Paula Findlen As who dare gaze the sun : Anna Morandi Manzolini's wax anatomies of the male reproductive system and genitalia / Rebecca Messbarge Between modesty and spectacle : women and science in eighteenth-century Italy / Marta Cavazza "Monsters of talent" : fame and reputation of women improvisers in Arcadia / Paola Giuli Gender and genre in the religious art of the Catholic Enlightenment / Christopher M.S. Johns. "In the age of the Grand Tour, foreigners flocked to Italy to gawk at its ruins and paintings, enjoy its salons and cafés, attend the opera, and revel in their own discovery of its past. But they also marveled at the people they saw, both male and female. In an era in which castrati were "rock stars," men served women as cicisbei, and dandified Englishmen became macaroni, Italy was perceived to be a place where men became women. The great publicity surrounding female poets, journalists, artists, anatomists, and scientists, and the visible roles for such women in salons, academies, and universities in many Italian cities also made visitors wonder whether women had become men. Such images, of course, were stereotypes, but they were nonetheless grounded in a reality that was unique to the Italian peninsula. This volume illuminates the social and cultural landscape of eighteenth-century Italy by exploring how questions of gender in music, art, literature, science, and medicine shaped perceptions of Italy in the age of the Grand Tour."--Jacket