Friday, January 18, 2013

CCR Walks with Olivia: Courtesans - February 2, 2013

The courtesans of Rome – from the “etaira” to the “cortigiana onesta”... to "bunga bunga" parties? Like the Classical period in Greece, the Italian Renaissance marked the shift from a very stiff hierarchy to a more mobile society. Women, and some women more than others, benefited from this change. This walk charts the paradoxes of the life of a “cortigiana onesta” in the male-dominated Roman Papal court during the full Renaissance and it looks at the changes to their world caused by the advent of Counter-Reformation society. Our walk through Rome looks at the signs of their rise and fall while discussing the role women have played in Italian society through the centuries. 

Detail from "Lady with Unicorn" - purported portrait of Giulia Farnese, by Luca Longhi
When: Saturday, February 2, 2013
Where: Meet at Caffé Farnese in Piazza Farnese, at the corner of Via dei Baullari
Time: The walk lasts two and a half hours, starting promptly at 10 a.m. (concluding around 12:30); those who would like to meet for coffee beforehand, please join us at Caffé Farnese at 9:30 a.m.
Cost: €10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members
RVSP required by Thu. Jan. 31st, ATTN Linda at canadarome@gmail.com or Olivia Ercoli at oliviaercoli1@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your reservation.
NOTE: Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly (churches close at 12:30!). This walk is not recommended for children over five and under 10, or for dogs (we go into a number of churches).