Prostitution, Repentance and Social Welfare in Renaissance Florence
Distributed for University of London Press
Prostitution, Repentance and Social Welfare in Renaissance Florence
This book explores the survival of Sant’Elisabetta delle Convertite, the Florence monastery for repentant prostitutes, during the long Renaissance.
Archival and manuscript sources reveal the strategies developed by the authorities and Convertite nuns, offering valuable insights into the relationship between the Florence state and monastic institutions, public policy, welfare, and women.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 Prostitution and repentance before Sant’Elisabetta
2 Sant’Elisabetta’s foundation and first 75 years (1329–1402)
3 The Onestà and the Notte: civic funding and legalised prostitution (1403–1469)
4 Sant’Elisabetta and civic authorities at the end of the republic (1470–1512)
5 Sant’Elisabetta and the ducal state (1513–1568)
6 Sant’Elisabetta in Grand Ducal Florence (1569–1619)
7 A new era? (1619—1650)
Conclusion
Appendices