Mariti e mogli adultere in età liberale

Husbands and adulterous wives in the liberal age
This essay discusses the question of male identity by examining one of its main attributes, the conjugal state, putting it in relation to the opportunities provided by the legal system. The existence of a long-term obligation of sexual fidelity on the part of wives has been an integral and fundamental part of the intricate construction existing between legal systems and identity. At the same time, it has represented an important element of the husband’s status and of male identity in a more general sense. By reference to the Italian penal code in the liberal age, the move from the old regime to the liberal framework is analysed, to throw light on developments in the relationship between the wife’s sexual responsibilities and the husband’s behaviour; the essay poses the question of exactly what kind of resource was represented for husbands by their being able to accuse their wives of a criminal offence.