摘要
In the context of Italian literature of 15th century investigate the conception of beauty present in treatises considering the concept of family means not limited value of women＇s beauty. Examination of the course of the development of this idea leads to the conclusion that the conception of beauty doesn＇t exhaust itself in the traditional Aristotelian vision but implies a connection with virtu and with human values on which is based the society. In my analysis 1 will proceed comparing the visions of three authors which apparently belong to different environments but have the same cultural roots. In my investigation of the concept of beauty present in Francesco Barbaro＇s ＂De re uxoria＂, Leon Battista Alberti＇s ＂I libri della famiglia＂ and Benedetto Cotrugli＇s ＂II libro dell＇arte di mercatura＂, I will trace the definition of beauty which is far from simple physical gracefulness but is based on Aristotelian system of virtues. In that light it plays a major role in the formation of perfect citizen and in the utopian vision of the state
