Le donne silenziate: the foundations of the Italian patriarchy
Image credit: “Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, la primera doctora universitaria” via Mujeres con ciencia (anonymous)
Indisputably, Italy remains a country whose very culture is sown with sexism and fundamentally unequal power dynamics. After only being unified in 1871, Italy remains a relatively backwards country, especially when considering the lack of, or extremely overdue, advancements towards social equality. Yet, the stubborn nature of the institutionalised sexism within Italy is so intense that one cannot help but wonder which factors worked to facilitate the inauguration of such a hostile environment. In order to attempt the unravelling of this deeply disconcerting reality, we must retrace the history of Italy, beginning with the traditionalist roots upon which modern Italian society, as we know it, is founded.
This sense of traditionalism accorded men immeasurable amounts of power which they could exert over their female counterparts. We can perceive this uncontested dominance in the literary realm – a sphere which accurately reflects the power dynamics woven into the very fabric of the country. A dominant genre since the 12th century, courtly love literature restricted the representations of women to ones which were wholly constructed by men. In this way, men exerted control over the depictions of women, according them the ability to mould their appearances to their own desire. Drawing upon this idea, we should consider the literary works that continue to be heralded as the classics of Italian literature. Among these authors are established names such as Petrarch and Dante and, whilst their work is undeniably influential, it is striking to notice the lack of female representation within this domain. In fact, the complete exclusion of female authors from the canon of Italian literature reinforces the deep-rooted traditionalism which confined women exclusively to the domestic sphere.
Trapped within such restricted confines, women were refused access to the world of work which was wholly dominated by men. Instead, ideals of motherhood have long been promoted within Italian culture, exacting pressures upon women to conform to these overbearing societal expectations of femininity. Indeed, such praise of motherhood can be found today in Italy, most notably by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s first prime minister who upholds startling patriarchal values. Even within the household, it would be inaccurate to assume that women exerted a sense of control which rivalled that of their husbands. In reality, despite limiting women’s prospects to the family, even this environment remained a patriarchal unit – a place which celebrated motherhood, but this celebration simply disguised another domain in which men could maintain their authority.
Whilst it is accurate to note that education was gradually becoming more accessible for women in Italy, this cannot be considered a universal experience. Instead, access to education was a privilege reserved to women who belonged to wealthier backgrounds. Elena Cornaro Piscopia – a woman of noble descent – was one of the first women to receive an academic degree, graduating in 1678 from the University of Padua with a degree in Philosophy. Yet, it would not be until the Italian Risorgimento that educated women began to be truly acknowledged. With the Unification of Italy providing women, for the first time, with the opportunity to become politically engaged and to demonstrate their intellect and communicative capabilities. Nonetheless, even when confronted with proof which dispelled the prejudiced preconception that women were ‘inferior’ to men, the vote was confined solely to men when the new Italian state emerged. Until the electorate was expanded in 1925, women continued to be relentlessly excluded from politics, engendering a growing sense of injustice amongst the female population which would trigger transformation at the turn of the 20th century.
When investigating the questionable exertion of power promoted by Italian traditionalism, it is impossible to not take into account the role of religion . Italy has long been shaped by a strong history of Catholicism, with the position of the Pope in Rome further cementing this link. Therefore, we can’t overlook the frequently damaging impact that religion plays on an individual’s attitudes, as it remains clear that there is a connection between interpretations of religion and gender-based violence. As was the case with the domestic sphere, ecclesiastical institutions were – and continue to be – additional areas in which men could exert an undisputed level of power, as – like the political sphere – this was a domain from which women were largely discounted. This empire of institutionalised misogyny continues to engender injurious consequences when its lessons are misconstrued and resolutely applied to everyday life.
Image credit: “Madonna and child with two angels” (attributed to Botticelli) via www.metmuseum.org
Traditionalism, therefore, and the deep-rooted religious nature of Italy significantly influenced the social structure of the country following its unification in 1871. Consequently, women were always deemed to be inferior to men, treated as sexual objects and unable to transgress the rigid boundaries of the familial unit. It would only be in the 20th century that this reality began to change, with the emergence of a much more vocal feminist movement no longer accepting such ill treatment.