Widowhood and Remarriage in Sardinia, Alghero, 1866-1925

Abstract

Historical data on widowhood and remarriage in Italy are fragmentary, and historical demographers have tended to focus on mortality and fertility rather than marriage. Yet widowhood and remarriage are key components of demographic dynamics that are influenced by the social structures and the respective positions of men and women in society. In Sardinia, the frequency of remarriage can be partly explained by women's place in the island's social and economic life. Starting out from this observation, Stanislao Mazzoni, Marco Breschi, Massimo Esposito and Lucia Pozzi analyse the Sardinian marriage model, and the dynamics of widow and widower remarriage in particular. Through detailed analysis of the parish and civil registers of the town of Alghero, the authors reconstitute marriage trends in the second half of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century, at a time when registration of marriages was disrupted by the battle between Church and state. Using a micro-individual, longitudinal approach, the authors reveal the main characteristics of remarriage on the island.

In search for a new identity after spousal death: the desire to remarry among young widows in South Africa

“…The age of the widow thus contributes to the chance of widows who are 45 years and younger for remarriage [21]. Most of them were young and were still looking forward to married life.…”