Sex Work in the Renaissance

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Early Modern Italy birthed artistic giants like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, saw architectural marvels like Florence's dome and St. Peter's Basilica, and pushed scientific frontiers in astronomy. This same vibrant era was also home to Bologna's uniquely regulated sex work industry.

So what was life like for the sex workers of Renaissance Italy? Kate is joined in this episode by Dr Vanessa McCarthy, historian of gender, sex, and sexuality in the early modern world at the University of Toronto.

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm your host, Kate Lister.
0:02.4	If you would like betwixt the sheets, add free and get early access, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.7	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of original documentaries with top history presenters.
0:16.0	And enjoy a new release every single week.
0:19.8	Sign up now by visiting history hit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:24.5	Hello, my lovely Bertwifters.
0:26.6	It's me, Kate Lister.
0:28.0	You are listening to Bertwifers Sheets.
0:30.9	But before you can be allowed to go any further,
0:33.1	before I can allow your ears to be assaulted by what is coming their way,
0:36.6	I have to tell you, this is an adult podcast spoken by adults to other adults about
0:40.0	adulty things in an adulty way covering a range of adults and books being adult too.
0:43.2	And hopefully now you feel much safer with what is about to come your way because I certainly
0:47.8	do.
0:48.2	Right, on with the show.
0:53.7	Welcome to 16th century Bologna Betwixtas.
0:57.3	Oh, it's nice to be on the continent, isn't it?
1:00.1	I would love a slice of pizza, but I don't think that's actually been invented yet.
1:05.0	Pizza historians don't at me.
1:06.9	But what we do have, though, is a thriving and very visible sex work community, not to mention a legalised one.
1:14.6	See, I'm not going to say Bravo because it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
1:19.6	There was certainly a handful of beautiful courtesans who were whined and dined and well shagged their way to the very top of society.
	...

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