Bambini e bambine modello. Pietà infantile e costruzioni di genere nelle raccolte di vite esemplari

The article deals with exemplary stories, which is to say, with stories concerning paradigmatic persons. The exemplary stories considered here deal with pious boys and girls and were addressed to diverse audiences, encompassing children, youth and adults readers. These exemplary stories are referred to as pietist as they were written, printed and especially circulated within a pietist milieu. The exemplary stories are analysed here in relation to specific gender constructions: are boys and girls pious in the same way? And if not, how do they differ? The article opens with a discussion of exemplary stories as a genre, of the collections used, and of the authors, and their intentions.(1) I then present two famous exemplary stories (2) and, on the basis of these and of further examples, I explore canonic sets of pious practises and modes of behaviour.(3) Finally, I compare exemplary boys and girls are compared with regard to these practises and modes of behaviour.