Violence and Gender in Eighteenth-Century Bologna and Rotterdam

This article examines the violence committed by men and women that appeared before the eighteenth century criminal courts in two cities in Europe: one in the North (Rotterdam, Holland) and one in the South (Bologna, Italy). The results provide further evidence for the existence of a broader pattern of nonlethal violence in early modern Europe that shared many of its characteristics among men and women. The comparison between Rotterdam and Bologna also revealed significant differences with regard to the pattern of violence. First, domestic violence was regularly prosecuted by the criminal court of Rotterdam, though seldom by the criminal court of Bologna. Second, the Rotterdam women represent a much larger share as offenders in the category of fighting than the women of Bologna (41 percent compared to 17 percent). Finally, the urban geography of violence was much more gendered in Bologna. The article argues that this divergent pattern can be explained by the significant differences between Bologna and Rotterdam with regard to women's social and legal positions. Whereas in Bologna, women's free movement was limited because of various factors, women in Holland had more free, independent, and public lives.