Cicisbeo

In 18th- and 19th-century Italy, the cicisbeo was a man who openly acted as the gallant or lover of a woman married to someone else. With the knowledge and consent of her husband, the cicisbeo accompanied his mistress to public entertainments, church, and other occasions, enjoying privileged access to her. This arrangement is comparable to the Spanish cortejo or estrecho and, to a lesser degree, to the French petit-maître.

Etymology

The exact etymology of the word is unknown; some evidence suggests it originally meant "in a whisper" (perhaps an onomatopoeic word). Other accounts propose that it is an inversion of " bel cece, " which means "beautiful chick (pea). " According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded usage of the term in English appears in a letter by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu dated 1718. The term can be found in Italian in Giovanni Maria Muti's " Quaresimale Del Padre Maestro Fra Giovanni Maria Muti De Predicatori " from 1708 (p. 734).

Social importance

This arrangement, known as cicisbeatura or cicisbeismo, was widely practiced, particularly among the nobility of Italian cities such as Genoa, Nice, Venice, Florence, and Rome. While numerous contemporary references to cicisbei and descriptions of their social standing exist, scholars disagree on the precise nature of the phenomenon. Some argue that this institution was characterized by marriage contracts, while others challenge this assertion, viewing it as a peculiarity of 18th-century customs that lacks clear definition or explanation. Additionally, some scholars interpret it as a sign of the increasing emancipation of aristocratic women during the 18th century.

The cicisbeo was better tolerated if he was known to be homosexual. Louise d'Épinay wrote from Paris to her friend Ferdinando Galiani about the impending departure of Marchese Alvise Mocenigo, the Venetian ambassador, whose tastes had been displayed in Paris:

Nothing equals the friendly companionship afforded to a woman by men of those persuasions. To the rest of you, so full of yourselves, one can't say a word that you don't take as provocation. ... Whereas with those gentlemen one knows quite well that they want no more of us than we of them—one feels in no danger and deliciously free"

Regardless of its roots and technicalities, the custom was firmly entrenched. Typically, husbands tolerated or even welcomed the arrangement: Lord Byron, for example, was the cicisbeo for Teresa, Contessa Guiccioli. After Byron's death, the Contessa's second husband, the Marquis de Boissy, was known to boast about this fact, introducing her as "Madame la Marquise de Boissy, autrefois la maîtresse de Milord Byron" (the Marquise de Boissy, formerly the mistress of Lord Byron). Byron also famously analyzed the institution from an English perspective in his poem Beppo. Attempts by husbands to ward off prospective cicisbei or to disapprove of the practice in general were likely met with ridicule and scorn.

... for you must understand that this Italian fashion prevails in Nice among all classes of people, and there is no passion known as jealousy. The husband and the cicisbeo live together as sworn brothers, and the wife and the mistress embrace each other with the warmest affection. Every married lady in this country has her cicisbeo, or servente, who accompanies her everywhere on all occasions. The husband dares not encroach upon his privileges without incurring the censure and ridicule of the entire community.

Cicisbei played by set rules, generally avoiding public displays of affection. At public entertainments, they would typically stand behind their seated mistress and whisper in her ear. Customs of the time did not permit them to engage in relationships with other women during their free time, making the arrangement rather demanding. Either party could decide to end the relationship at any time. A woman's former cicisbei were called spiantati (literally penniless, destroyed) or cast-offs.

External links

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Cicisbeo ]

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