Throughout history, women have often been held to a different set of expectations than their male counterparts. This is something that is seen all over the world, in various time periods and in different societies. Renaissance Florence is no different in this social aspect, because women were expected to do and act in a certain way, so that they could maintain their distinct place in society. There are three areas that are truly important to a woman's sphere during the Renaissance period: the first is her family's status in society, her ability to bear children, and finally her chastity before and during her future marriage. These are all aspects of the female sphere that are portrayed in Giovanni's judicial case. Family prestige and honor were very important during the early Italian republics. Certain classes of these societies were organized to intermarry in hopes of building family alliances and increasing a family's reputation. This procedure taking place during the Renaissance period was nothing more than an agreed upon marriage contract, designed to weave family ties and ensure social hierarchy. It was often looked down upon to marry outside your class, which is one reason why Lusanna would have objected to Giovanni actually being married to her and not Marietta (a woman of the same social prestige as him). Once her husband Andrea died, she would need someone else to take care of her or she would have to return to the home of a male relative, as was the custom for women of this era. This meant that aristocrats were expected to marry other aristocrats, merchants with merchants, artisans with artisans, and so on. This is seen very clearly throughout the court case of John and Lusanna. Giovanni della Casa came from a wealthy family with many aristocratic connections. On the other hand, Lusanna's family came from an artisanal background, lower than Giovanni's. The fact that Lusanna had to ask her brother Anthony to plead her case before the Pope in Women were held to this standard, unless they were a prostitute or some sort of courtesan. The idea that Lusanna fell short of this ideal is demonstrated repeatedly throughout these proceedings. For starters, Giovanni's attorneys claim that their client met and had erotic encounters with Lusanna while she was still married to her first husband. It is assumed that Lusanna used these moments of meeting to seduce Giovanni into promising that he would marry her if anything happened to her husband. This proves that Lusanna was having an extra marriage behind her husband's back, which would bring terrible shame to herself and her last name. Why then would he act this way? Was he trying to challenge the fact that men were allowed to have concubines and mistresses, but women were not? Another aspect of this lies in the consummation of the marriage. She was a woman who would have to endure in her chastity until she and her future husband consummated their marriage. Clearly the fact that Lusanna freely had a wild affair with Giovanni before her marriage to him would have thrown away the idea that she was an honorable woman.