Status Of Women In The Italian Renaissance Dowry System Under Study

The purpose of this paper is to review the women's actual situationand status under the dowry system in Renaissance Italy. Dowry in marriageis associated with some social factors, including of politics, economy,law,culture and traditional customs and so on. It connects two independentfamilies and relates the women's choice in their life and the propertyshares, further affects the women's situation in family and society. Thestudy of it can help us to have a further understanding of the socialcharacteristics of the Renaissance from a new visual angle.Firstly, this paper tends to analyse the social background of theRenaissance Italy and discusses the important role played by marriagealong with the dowry historical variance. Secondly, in the second chapter,the reasons which fathers provide daughter with dowry and the dowrysources are analysed specially. In renaissance Italy, the social factorsand traditional customs have influence on the dowry. The dowry diversityreflects attentions paid by people. In this series of course, the womenhave no self-determination on this matter. Thirdly, in the third chapter,this part analyses the way by which the dowry is disposed and the relationof between the dowry and widow. The dowry ownership owned by wivesinfluences the people around them deeply. The law of this states admitsthat the widow take the right to renew their dowry when marriage is outof control. Finally, it is all-sided to review the women's status of theRenaissance Italy under the dowry system. On the one hand, the women whoown certain properties including of the dowry widen their influence infamily and society. On the other hand, the women of the age haven't ownedthe actual right to dominate their dowry. In fact, they haven't got ridof the force imposed by the patriarchy。...