The role of the female speakers in the venetian literature of the third decade of 16th century

Abstract

Venetian literature in the third decade of 16th century was characterised by a desire to react against the previous literary tradition. The effects of the Italian wars and the consequent descent of Charles V led to profound political and cultural changes and the decadence of the court system. Authors such as Aretino, Speroni and Piccolomini were among the first to grasp these changes, writing works that polemised against texts set at court such as Bembo’s Asolani and Castiglione’s Cortegiano. One aspect common to this literary production is the prominent role given to female characters. In Aretino’s Ragionamenti, Piccolomini’s Raffaella and Speroni’s Dialogo d’amore, women become the main instrument for expressing new and polemical opinions against the hypocrisy and idealisations of the court world. In this article, we will highlight the most important aspects of these works, showing how the choice of female characters does not respond to a simple literary fashion but rather derives from ideological reasons.