The Dowry in Catania, Paternò, and Randazzo from the Early Fifteenth to the Mid-Sixteenth Century

Abstract

Economic needs, social conformism, inheritance relationships and forms of family control, con­stitute the main expectations and needs linked to the institution of the dowry. The transfer of goods was rarely avoidable in negotiations between families in late medieval Sicily. With re­gard to the fifteenth and mid-sixteenth centuries, the 105 dowry contracts examined here con­cern three communities of eastern Sicily, Catania, Paternò and Randazzo. The communities were closed geographically, linked economically and had the same customary laws. This article focuses on the organization of parental and inheritance relationships; the reasons that led to choosing specific assets for the dowry; and the place of residence of the spouses. The typology of goods allows us to delve into the economic and symbolic importance of the dowry and woman’s role in the latter. The limited data on the residence do not allow for generalizations but they offer some significant information. Nevertheless, the analysis carried out confirms the need to con­nect theory and practice. Only a precise contextualization can gradually limit the approxima­tion of our understanding.