Prostitution in 16th century Rome

There was a lot of it:

Mirá, hay putas graciosas más que hermosas, y putas que son putas antes que mochachas, hay putas apasionadas, putas estregadas, afeitadas, putas esclarecidas, putas reputadas, reprobadas, hay putas mozárabes de Zocodover, putas carceveras: hay putas de cabo de ronda, putas ursianas, putas güelfas, gibelinas, putas injuinas, putas de rapalo rapaynas, hay putas de simiente, putas de botón griñimón, noturnas, diurnas, putas de cintura y de marca mayor, hay putas orilladas, bigarradas, putas combatidas, vencidas y no acabadas, putas devotas y reprochadas de Oriente a Poniente y Setentrión, putas convertidas, repentidas, putas viejas, lavanderas porfiadas que siempre han quince años como Elena, putas meridianas, ocidentales, putas máxcaras enmaxcaradas, putas trincadas, putas calladas, putas antes que su madre y después de su tía, putas desubidientes y descendientes, putas con virgo, putas sin virgo, putas del día del domingo, putas que guardan el sábado hasta que han enxabonado, putas feriales, putas a la candela, putas reformadas, putas xaqueadas, travestidas, formadas, estrionadas de Tesalia, putas avispadas, putas terceronas, aseadas, apuradas, gloriosas, putas buenas y putas malas, y malas putas; putas enteresales, putas secretas y públicas, putas jubiladas, putas casadas, reputadas, putas beatas, y beatas putas, putas mozas, putas viejas, y viejas putas de trintín y botín, putas alcagüetas, y alcagüetas putas, putas modernas, machuchas, inmortales, y otras que se retraen a buen vivir, en burdeles secretos, y publiques honestos que tornan de principio a su menester.

Probably too late to claim the prize, but the excerpt is from Francisco Delicado’s fabulously filthy La lozana andaluza (1528). Beatas are often compared with beguines (better) in the Low Countries, but my general impression is that communities tended more to lawlessness. There are certainly records of them engaging in aggressive begging, from which the more northerly daughters of God are said to have abstained. The OED has

1595 World of Wond. (1608) 184 Young wanton wenches, and beguins, nuns, and naughty packs.

but that might just be anti-Papist propaganda. Luisa de Carvajal, probably our best-known beata, was trying to convert the English at the time and creating all manner of embarrassments for the Spanish ambassador.

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