The ladies of the Pollaiolo. In Medici Florence, female education became much less rigid than in the past
The cultural and social rebirth that characterized Florence in the Renaissance, in full Medici era , also concerned the education of girls, marking a definitive break with the past:the gloomy and extremely restrictive rules that had determined the formation of women until then, in fact, became only a distant memory.
Until the Middle Ages, all that mattered for a child was learning to sewing, spinning, cleaning the house , indispensable activities for a future bride and mother; to read and write, unless she belonged to the bourgeoisie, she didn't even talk about it, also because not only was it not needed, but it could even be harmful.
Finally, around the fifteenth century, this retrograde tradition began to change significantly and it was considered important not only that the girls of the people, like their male peers, should learn the essential notions for reading and writing, but also that they study the Latin; having and showing a certain culture, became an integral and essential part of female charm.
Regarding the behavior more appropriate to keep, if before it was considered improper even simply to greet in the street or to allow oneself to participate in some board game, at the time of the Medici this excessive rigidity gave way to a certain newfound freedom, including that of expressing one's appreciation towards of a handsome guy and engage in conversations with risque. content
In short, a revolution that started the long and tortuous path towards the emancipation of women protracted, more or less, until today ( Source : Jean-Lucas Dubreton , Daily life in Florence at the time of the Doctors ).