WOMEN IN ITALY, 1350-1650: IDEALS AND REALITIES: A SOURCEBOOK; ED. BY MARY ROGERS

Published by Manchester University Press in 2005, this sourcebook was compiled and edited by Mary Rogers as part of a scholarly effort to provide English-language access to primary materials regarding the lives of women during the Italian Renaissance. The volume was created to fill a gap in historical curricula, moving beyond traditional biographical sketches of elite women to examine the complex societal, legal, and domestic expectations placed upon the female population between 1350 and 1650.

The design of the collection centers on a thematic approach, organizing disparate documents—including letters, treatises, and legislative records—to reveal the contrast between contemporary cultural ideals and the actual lived experiences of Italian women. It was received by the academic community as a highly practical pedagogical tool, lauded for its concise introductions and its effectiveness in grounding students of gender history in the reality of the period's social structures.