CFP: Sixteenth Century Society & Conference
Baltimore, MD – 26/29 October 2023

Sports and Games in the Renaissance

This panel aims to bring scholars together to reflect on sports and games in the Renaissance. Examples of possible topics include but are not limited to:
- the definition of “sport” in early modernity vs “game,” “recreation,” “contest,” “exercise”;
- the representation of sports and games in poetry and imaginative literature;
- the representation of sports and games in visual arts;
- sports and games and performative arts;
- the gaze on sports provided by poetry and the arts vs other types of documents;
- sports and gaming metaphors in various types of texts;
- the role of sports and games in pedagogical texts and educational curricula;
- the relationship between sports and games and war;
- gender roles in the theory and practice of early modern sports and games;
- the role of sports and games in different social contexts—e.g., courts, academies...;
- sports and games in schools and universities;
- modern aspects of early modern sports;
- sports and game theory in early modernity;
- the sources to study early modern sports and games;
- the Renaissance in contemporary sports and games: from the calcio storico fiorentino to videogames;
- the use of sports and games to teach the Renaissance today.

Deadline for proposals: 15 April 2023

Please send an abstract (up to 300 words) and a short bio (up to 100 words) to Francesco Brenna (fbrenna@towson.edu).