Women,Men,and Residential Patterns in Early Modern Venice

Abstract

This article examines the residential patterns of early modern Venetians by using a collection of parish censuses from the end of the sixteenth century. Their analysis reveals much about Venetian families and the networks forged among individuals, especially women, in this period. There was no one residential pattern for early modern Venetians; rather, women and men might choose from a range of housing options, with marital status the most important factor in that choice. Above all, this article demonstrates that the residential patterns of Venetians were more varied than the traditional model for premodern households in southern Europe implies. In some ways, Venice resembles more closely the model for northern Europe, which suggests that current assumptions about premodern households require some revision.