Donne e miserabili. Le trasformazioni di un privilegio nel Piemonte dell’età moderna

Women and the Poor: The Transformation of a Privilege in Early Modern Piedmont
This essay analyzes a curious and inexplicable incident that occurred in the Piedmont Senate in 1724, which led to the revival of the concept of ‘female imbecility’. During a debate over the right of women to dispose of their own property, women were equated legally with the ‘mentally ill’. The author analyses this episode from different viewpoints beginning with social behavior, asking whether women in Piedmont were allowed to manage their property in daily life. She then explores the transformation of the legal category of “miserable persons”, which included women. At the beginning of the 18th century this group of people still enjoyed legal privileges. During the 1720’s, however, this group was redefined as legally “irresponsable” and in need of protection rather than privilege. The author argues that it was this transformation that made it possible to restrict the rights of women and label them as “imbeciles”.