The Boundaries of Eros: Sex Crime and Sexuality in Renaissance Venice

Using the records of several Venetian courts that dealt with sex crimes, the author traces the evolution of both licit and illicit sexuality during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. By studying illicit sexuality, Professor Ruggiero anllows the reader to understand more fully the institutions, languages, social life, and values not only of this shadow-culture, but also of Venetian society and, ultimately the Renaissance itself.