The Wealth of Wives in Theory and Practice: an Examination of the Textual Network of Francesco Barbaro's "De Re Uxoria" and Archival Survey Women's Wills in Renaissance Florence

This paper comprises of two parts: the first examines the textual network of Francesco Barbaro’s treatise De Re Uxoria, and the second part encompasses an archival survey of testaments of Renaissance Florentine women. Using the framework of Mobility Studies methodology, it will examine the influences of the textual network of De Re Uxoria, looking at the texts and authors that Barbaro cites in his work as well as the people in his social network. It will also delve into the dissemination of his work both in manuscript and print format, briefly mentioning notable manuscripts such as the one dedicated to, and owned by Lorenzo de’ Medici. The second section will deal with wills from the Florentine State Archive, dating from 1590-1605. This archival survey will analyze both the contents left behind by the female testators, and the recipients of their wealth, analyzing both the mobility of physical property and the networks that they highlight. It will also include some examples of translated wills, and brief analysis of their contents. Finally it will compare the bequests made, with the virtues of the good wife espoused by Francesco Barbaro. By making this comparison, it will be possible to determine if the characteristics and virtues of a good wife according to Barbaro, actually are reflected in the distribution of wealth via testaments of women in Florence.