NBN Book of the Day Saundra Weddle, "The Brothel and Beyond: An Urban History of the Sex Trade in Early Modern Venice" (Penn State UP, 2026)
Jan 28, 2026
Saundra Weddle, professor of architecture who studies how built environments shaped women’s lives in early modern Italy. She explores Venice’s sex trade across alleys, gondola landings, bathhouses and brothels. Short takes on archival sleuthing, mapping methods, neighborhood differences, institutional controls, and how mobility and networks reshaped urban life.
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A Decade-Long Scholarly Commitment
- Saundra Weddle spent about eight years on the project, submitting the manuscript in 2023.
- She describes the long research, writing, mapping, and editing process as an 'era' of her life.
Archival Soundings Sparked The Project
- Saundra Weddle discovered abundant but fragmented archival material on sex workers during Mellon and Delmas-funded soundings.
- She found secondary literature repetitive and focused on courtesans while neglecting street soliciters.
Use Layered Mapping For Spatial History
- Use digital mapping to layer historical maps, plans, and tax records for spatial analysis.
- Combine archival data with maps to reveal patterns impossible to see from texts alone.
