Boy or Girl? Gender Reveal in Renaissance Italy

Gender reveal parties have become increasingly popular, while at the same time being criticized for reinforcing stereotypes. Renaissance Italy had its own party tricks to reveal whether an unborn child was a boy or a girl. A clear preference for boys, however, made these tricks far from festive.

Marlisa den Hartog • November 24, 2023

6 jaar Leiden Medievalists Blog en de tentoonstelling ‘Het jaar 1000’

13 oktober 2023: het Rijkmuseum voor Oudheden opent de tentoonstelling ‘Het jaar 1000’ en het Leiden Medievalists Blog viert haar zesde verjaardag. Aan de hand van topstukken uit de tentoonstelling blikt de huidige redactie terug op meer dan 160 blogs over de Middeleeuwen.

Jip Barreveld, Marlisa den Hartog, Irene O'Daly and Thijs Porck • October 13, 2023

Terug naar de Middeleeuwen met nieuwe podcast ‘Middeleeuwse Toestanden’

De Middeleeuwen: een gewelddadige tijd, waarin de wereld plat was, iedereen stonk en jong stierf, toch? Er bestaan veel misverstanden over de Middeleeuwen; een nieuwe podcast van de Universiteit Leiden scheidt feiten van fictie.

Jip Barreveld, Marlisa den Hartog and Thijs Porck • December 17, 2021

100th blog: Get medieval on your summer!

This is the one-hundredth article published on Leiden Medievalists Blog! To celebrate this milestone, the editorial team shares some of their favorite medieval things to do this summer.

Jip Barreveld, Marlisa den Hartog and Thijs Porck • July 21, 2021

In the eye of the beholder. Female perspectives on the importance of beauty

The famous male author Baldassare Castiglione wrote that "much is lacking to a woman who lacks beauty". But what did women themselves think about this topic?

Marlisa den Hartog • December 11, 2020

Makeup and female beauty standards in Renaissance Italy

In Renaissance Italy, the female beauty ideal included features such as blonde hair and a pale skin. Women tried their best to live up to these expectations, but elaborate makeup and beauty routines were not without risk.

Marlisa den Hartog • July 10, 2020

Love Magic and Rape Drugs in Late Medieval Italy

Magical practices such as brewing love potions and performing necromantic rituals can be found in medieval literature as well as in books of medicine and theology. But how did they work? And were they really that innocuous?

Marlisa den Hartog • February 07, 2020

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. On looks and personality in medieval thought

In Renaissance Italy, “beautiful people” were believed to be good, whereas “ugly people” were generally bad. But what was the “logic” behind this reasoning?

Marlisa den Hartog • September 06, 2019

Poltergeist pranks: More tales about the supernatural in medieval Italy

In this blog post we will look into a number of clever, but often cruel, practical jokes in which gullible victims, through a mix of staging and theatre, are made to believe that a ghost or demon is after them.

Marlisa den Hartog • April 19, 2019

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