The Venetian ospedali provided unique places in which women could train and perform as professional musicians. Much of our understanding of the ospedali, however, has been formed through the study of individual, male composers who wrote for the ospedali, of specific musical genres, such as motets or oratorios, or of individual archival collections. Studies of the female students and their lives are scarce. Additionally, ideas about gender shaped and continue to shape our understanding of these all-female institutions. To address these issues, this thesis focuses on the lives and public perceptions of the ospedali musicians. Chapter One contextualizes the ospedali's organization in Venetian history and culture, addressing why Venetian society considered it acceptable for the female students to perform publically in a European society that generally frowned upon professional female musicians. Chapter Two examines contemporary commentaries and reviews (both positive and negative) about the ospedali. These descriptions are compared to contemporary ideas of femininity to show how gendered thought has influenced historical representation of the female ospedali musicians. Chapter Three focuses on the music performed and written in the ospedali, and investigates how gender typecasts influenced visitors' perceptions of the ospedali's music.
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