The Renaissance was a cultural revolution that spread from Florence, throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. Its impetus was the philosophy of humanism, which strove to resurrect. Towards the end of the 18th century AD, a handful of Italian thinkers declared that they were living in a new era. The barbaric and ignorant “Middle Ages” were over, the new people said. Abstract. This introductory chapter offers new tools for reconsidering the role of women in the modern intellectual history of Italy until today. Introducing the volume's methodology in an attempt to move beyond forgotten or neglected women's recovery stories, the editors suggest that it may be productive to revisit accepted stories,