From Precept to Regulation of Renaissance Household: Leon Battista Alberti’s “Della Famiglia And Anonymous’ Ordine et Officij de Casa de lo Illustrissimo Signor Duca D’ Urbino”
Precepts for the conduct of individuals at Renaissance courts and in urban settings still off er plethora of information about the gradual codifi cation of the life styles of the elite, written as statutes used in closed court settings, or as widely read treatises. Such is the case with two 15th century manuscripts: a copy of the regulation of the life at the Montefeltro court, Ordine et offi cij de casa de lo Illustrissimo Signor Duca d’ Urbino (Cod. Urb. lat. 1248, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), and Alberti’s De Famiglia. Both authors strove to establish models for ideal court and civic households, respectively. Th ey certainly represent already established practices, dealing with everyday duties and obligations of masters and servants. In this paper, we are representing several issues that pertain to both court and civic settings.
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