Alterity and Sexual Transgression in the Sixteenth-Century Tuscan Novella

In recent years, an increasing amount of research has been directed toward the theme of nonconformity and alterity in the literature of medieval and early modern Europe. Interest in this theme has burgeoned, and scholars working on the medieval period in particular have discussed it extensively. ¹ The proliferation of interest in this topic is also apparent when one considers studies of fifteenth- and sixteenthcentury texts. ² The present essay will focus upon specific instances of nonconformity as depicted in the novella tradition of Cinquecento Tuscany, an area that has received only a modest amount of critical attention particularly when compared to the novella collections of previous centuries. The emphasis here will be on tales of sexual transgression in the collections of Agnolo Firenzuola and Antonfrancesco Grazzini, and one aim will be to assess the extent to which the personal and professional backgrounds of the authors impacted on the content and style of their writing.