Venice (Photo credit: BillT)Author: Albapp
It seems hard to believe today that it was the excess of bachelors during the eighteenth century what gave birth to one of the most representative figures of the century of Lights in Italy, and specially in Venice. However, this was the real reason that lead to the existence of the cicisbeo, the gallant partner, not married to the noble lady who is often represented in important paintings of the period as a main character or as a secondary one.Most of the time, the cicisbeo was one of the younger sons of a noble family, bound to celibacy or the seminar for not being first-born. The latter owning all the family's property, the choice of the younger ones was between a life in the Church or a life of relative luxury next to a lady. Many, as one can expect, chose the last one.
