What changed my mind? The quality and truly tasteful nature of the museum, the fascinating historical exhibit and the incredible intellectually stimulating art. (OK, maybe stimulating wasn’t the best word choice.)
A quarter of the museum was Venetian history beginning with the first anti-prostitution law in Venice on October 10th, 1266. It covered historical sexual topics in Venice from 1266 until now, topics such as the perception of homosexuality through various positive and negative phases and prostitution’s open and shadowy cycles.
In a lot of ways it illustrated the entrenched dichotomy of the city between staunch Catholicism on one side and the more gluttonous sinful nature of the citizenry in stories of madams, casinos, houses of ill-repute and their famous clientele.
I liked the history of Venetian homosexuality. I remember in ninth grade learning about the island of Lesbos, from which the word lesbian comes. The school I attended did not censor our young eyes. I changed schools after that year, and from Rome to modern times, it was as if, in my historical education, homosexuality vanished from the earth. The existence of homosexuals throughout history is overlooked in education and seen as inappropriate, perhaps with the exception of Oscar Wilde who we can hardly ignore.
Homosexuality existed throughout human history and had an impact on our history. The impact is sometimes bizarre though. Fearing that Venice was headed into moral disrepute due to a climb in homosexual preference, the city actually built bridges with gaps, so men could look up, when passing beneath the bridges, and see up woman’s skirts. During this same period, prostitution was actively civically encouraged in the belief that with access to women, men would not become homosexual.
Historical medical documents were also on display such as Ninomania (Nymphomania) published in 1775 which said one of the causes of nymphomania was a cold wife. Another book on display, Onanism published in 1758 was regarded as the first text to assert that masturbation was a disease that could cause homosexuality and various afflictions.
The museum had a number of pieces dedicated to famous love stories from history. All of which I found so poignant I quickly forgot them all. (Venice is romantic enough; you don’t need to read love stories.)
There were also pictures of all the ‘hidden in plain sight’ erotic art around the city of Venice. There are graphic placards and reliefs in the most religious artistic displays of the city which I would not describe as erotic, but just plan pornographic. It is amazing that St. Mark is depicted just a few feet to the right of one particular display. (Can’t get your teens interested in the artistic value of St. Mark’s, get them to go looking for the porn hidden in the art.)
This was my favorite piece in the museum. It is attractive to look out and in an instant conveys a modern, salient point with dramatic clarity. Much of Julian Murphy’s work was of this intellectual caliber.
This is another piece, selected at random, to give you a taste of some of the works of art.
Cool: A surprising fascinating museum of the beaten path in Venice.
