Nuns and Architecture in Renaissance Reggio Emilia

A convent plan dating from approximately 1519 raises a series of question concerning architectural production and the role of women in Renaissance Italy. This paper examines the plan in question, its authorship, the history of the convent depicted, and the relationship of the plan to the convent as built. The paper then addresses the role of women in architectural design in Renaissance Italy and challenges the long-standing assumption that women did not design buildings then because they were not permitted to do so.