36th International Seminar on the History of Architecture
Women, Spaces, Freedom. Architecture and the female universe in the RenaissanceVicenza, Palladio Museum, 21-23 May 2025Organized by Donata Battilotti, Cammy Brothers, Bianca De Divitiis, Deborah Howard
Even today, when the majority of architecture students are female, the world of architecture continues to be male dominated. In Early Modern Italy, the role, space, and place of women was even more difficult to discern. Although recent scholarship has redressed this imbalance, it has been farther reaching in the realm of art history than that of architecture.
This seminar addresses the urgent need for an historical narrative of architecture which takes women into account. Rather than resuscitating lost or neglected figures of female architects or builders, it considers the relation between women and architecture in a multidimensional way. Previous scholarship about women in Renaissance and Baroque architecture has privileged noble women and patronage in the realm of convents, while other topics have been less fully considered. Our seminar aims to propose a range of avenues for pursuing a consideration of the relevance and engagement of women in a wide array of architectural and urban settings. While the seminar takes an interest in well known female patrons such as Isabella D’Este, Eleonora di Toledo, Isabella D’Aragona, Eleonora Gonzaga and others, it also seeks to expand beyond the realm of noblewomen and the space of the palace to consider women of other social classes and different ages, and their roles within the city.
The seminar is planned for May, 2025, and will take place over 3 days, with two days for presentations and discussion, and one for on-site visits.
