Lo sfregio della prostituta. Qualche riflessione a partire dal Trentuno della Zaffetta di Lorenzo Venier

In the 16th-century Venetian literary scene, many satirical works against prostitutes were produced. Within this sub-genre, Lorenzo Venier’s Trentuno della Zaffetta (1531) stands out for its crude violence and obscene tone. The poem recounts the rape of a prostitute named Angela, known as Zaffetta, who was brought to Chioggia under false pretences by one of her clients, who resented having been rejected by her. This article aims to analyse Venier’s work. On the one hand, it will focus on the literary theme of women’s rape and the historical background of the story narrated in the piece; on the other hand, this investigation will investigate the whole structure of the text, by highlighting its exegetical complexity and dense literary stratification.