Food, Social Politics and the Order of Nature in Renaissance Italy

The act of eating is a basic human need, but in all societies, quotidian choices regarding food and its consumption reveal deeply rooted shared cultural conventions. This book approaches the history of food in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy through an interdisciplinary prism of sources, providing an essential key to deciphering the material and metaphorical complexity of this period.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2020
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The act of eating is a fundamental human necessity, yet the daily choices we make about food and its consumption reveal deeply ingrained cultural conventions across societies. Food extends beyond mere biological requirements and nutrition, encompassing social and cultural factors that shape the preparation and consumption of specific dishes on various occasions. It also unveils the intricate politics of the table through the rituals associated with different meals. This book explores the history of food in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy through an interdisciplinary lens, drawing upon a diverse range of sources such as correspondence, literature (both high and low), medical and dietary treatises, cosmographic theory, and iconographic evidence. By employing a variety of analytical methods and theoretical frameworks, the book firmly establishes food studies within the realm of Late Medieval and Renaissance history, offering a vital key to deciphering the intricate material and metaphorical complexities of this period in European, particularly Italian, history.

Weight: 574g
Dimension: 149 x 211 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674244085