Did Women Have a Renaissance?
Choose one woman on the list below to research, with the above question in mind. Do her life and achievements constitute evidence that women did participate in this intellectual, artistic and political movement? Research her family and friends as well and compare her to what you know about the men in her life--how was she similar to and different from them? Also use the evidence in the DWP about the different attitudes towards men and women. Do you see evidence that your subject agreed with these attitudes, or did she work against them? Finally, do you think your subject would have had to be completely similar to a “Renaissance Man” in order to justify her as a “Renaissance Woman?” You should write a five to seven page paper answering the above questions. You must have you female subject from the list approved by me.
Search Guide
Use these tips as you begin to search for materials:Subject Headings:
The Uni Library and other UIUC libraries have a variety of resources about women in the Renaissance. General books can be found in the UIUC Online Catalog by doing a SUBJECT HEADINGS search for Women History Renaissance. Below are the SUBJECT HEADINGS (in boldface) you can use to find books about your specific research subject in the online catalog. Remember to SET LIMITS on your search to languages you speak!
| Renaissance Women | Subject Headings |
|---|---|
| Catherine of Aragon, Queen England | Catherine, of Aragon, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1485-1536 |
| Marguerite d' Angouleme, Queen of Navarre | Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre, 1492-1549 |
| Teresa of Avila | Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582 |
| Lucrezia Borgia | Borgia, Lucrezia, 1480-1519 |
| Isabella d'Este | Isabella d'Este, consort of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, 1474-1539 |
| Elisabetta Gonzaga | Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess, consort of Guidobaldo, da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, d. 1526 |
| Isabella the Catholic | Isabella I, Queen of Spain, 1451-1504 |
| Catherine de Medici | Catherine de Medicis, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of France, 1519-1589 |
| Marie de Medici | Marie de Medicis, Queen, consort of Henry IV, King of France, 1573-1642 |
| Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots | Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587 |
| Elizabeth I of Tudor | Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533-1603 |
| Mary Tudor | Mary I, Queen of England, 1516-1558 |
| Christine De Pisan | Christine, de Pisan, ca. 1364-ca. 1431 |
| Felice della Rovere | Della Rovere, Felice, d. 1536 |
| Queen Christina of Sweden | Kristina, Queen of Sweden, 1626-1689 |
Very Important: Before requesting books, make sure they are published in a language you speak!
Call Numbers
If you are browsing the shelves at one of the university libraries or at the public library, you might find useful material in the following call number ranges:
- 940.2 (Renaissance history)
- 920.7 (women in history)
Reference Books
The following reference books, available in the Uni Library, contain biographical information on some of the women on your assignment list:
| Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Rennaissance World | R 920.7203 Ex87 cop.2 |
| A to Z of Women in World History | R 920.72 K955a |
| Herstory | R 920.72 H439 |
| World Eras: European Renaissance and Reformation 1350-1600 | RQ. 940.21 Eu742 |
Web Sites
General search tips:
- When doing Google searches, type names in quotations marks
- Keep in mind that many names are spelled in alternate ways
- Look for credible sources
- Look for sites that offer bibliographies of sources on your woman
Britannica
A good place to find basic facts on a wide variety of subject. Try searching with the subject headings listed above.
The Librarians' Index to the Internet
A good catch-all web directory with librarian-reviewed sites on diverse topics.
Women Who Ruled: Queens, Goddesses, and Amazons
A website companion to a former exhibit of the University of Michigan's Museum of Art. Women included are Catherine de' Medici, Elizabeth I.
Famous Renaissance Women
A collection of links from a school district in Canada. Some of the links don't work, but it is worth a try!