I'm traveling in Italy at the moment, and the limited historical context given on plaques and museum labels is making me so curious to build a fuller picture. I'm largely interested in domestic life, the family, gender roles, women, social institutions, servants, dress, and class - to throw a bunch of interrelated topics at you.
My preference is for academically-published books or very rigorous popular history (in English). I don't know if this is as important a thing to specify as it is for English history, but I'm not really looking for anything that focuses on these issues entirely through the lens of literature.
Thank you!
Hi there. So, I'll try to cover as many of the topics you specify as a I can.
In regards to most of the topics, particularly the development of institutions and class, you may enjoy Peter Burke's The Italian Renaissance: Culture and Society in Italy, in which, among many things, he explores the increasing development of the banking system, international trade and economic relations in general.
For an interesting view on the importance of war and its influence in international and intranational relations in the early renaissance, I highly recommend Hans Baron's The Crisis of the Early Italian Renaissance. Although it was published in 1955, his ideas regarding the influence of war between Italian states in the development of Machiavelli's idea of the necessity of a Realpolitik type of approach to politics, were and continue to be revolutionary and fascinating. (I suggest this one because international relations are my area of expertise and main interest, but I think it is important in the contextualization of that period).
Lastly, I recommend Guido Ruggiero's The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento (not to be confused with Guido de Ruggiero). Ruggiero specializes in microhistory, so I believe you may find it useful in regards to your seeking answers about daily life and everydayness in general. (I don't know what your opinion is regarding microhistory as an approach, I merely suggest it because personally, I don't agree with the Annales' critique of it, everyday history is as important as major events in my eyes).
I hope some of them are useful to you! Regards.
Edit: a few typos
“Wealth and the demand for Art in Italy 1300-1600” by Richard Goldthwaite is a wonder; a very deep dive into the production of art seen from many angles, not least the first glimmerings of a consumer economy.
In this and his other works, Professor Goldthwaite’s footnotes are testimony to many years of archival research — they’re as useful as the text.
It also answers very salient questions that every visitor to Italy has “how did they pay for all this?” “Who bought this and why?” And “if they had all that money, why spend it on art and architecture?”