Renaissance Marriage Negotiations
Background: MARRIAGES WERE SO IMPORTANT in maintaining families in Renaissance Italy that much energy was put into arranging them. Parents made the choices for their children, most often for considerations that had little to do with the modern notion
Copy and Paste the link above to access the full Primary Source. Alessandra Strozzi to Her Son Filippo in Naples [April 20, 1464] . . . Concerning the matter of a wife [for you], it appears to me that if Francesco di Messer Tanagli wishes to give his daughter, that it would be a fine marriage. . . . Francesco Tanagli has a good reputation, and he has held office, not the highest, but still he has been in office. You may ask: ‘‘Why should he give her to someone in exile?’’ There are three reasons. First, there aren’t many young men of good family who have both virtue and property. Second, she has only a small dowry, 1,000 florins, which is the dowry of an artisan [although not a small sum, either—senior officials in the government bureaucracy earned 300 florins a year]. . . . Third, I believe that he will give her away, because he has a large family and he will need help to settle them. . . . [July 26, 1465] . . . Francesco is a good friend of Marc
Question 1
Describe one economic consideration that the Strozzi family had when arranging a marriage for their son Filippo.
Question 2
Explain one way in which the social status or reputation of the potential bride's family influenced the Strozzi family's decision-making process in arranging a marriage.
Question 3
Explain one cultural or societal expectation of women during the Renaissance period as reflected in the "Marriage Negotiations" text.
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