Sicilian age for women to marry

[ray1955]

I just found a record where a 23 year old man married 15 year old young lady he was a peasant farmer
Contadino and she was a spinner.

Was curious if they would marry that young they are the only ones I found that young.

[adelfio]

That why they had marriage banns before they got married in case someone opposed of the marriage
I have seen 14 in Trabia but there was one time I translated a birth with the father being 81 and the mother 22
Marty

[Primo Mattino]

The youngest spouse I found had 11 years

[dominique426]

The youngest spouse I found had 11 years

Wow... 11! I can never ever imagine being a wife at such an age.

What year did the marriage take place?

I know that before a girl could be married her parents would want her to begin menstruating first, but I've experienced a lot in my own family (even here in the USA) and read a lot about arranged marriages. The girl would be betrothed (set into an agreement made by her father to marry a boy usually for a "price" such as cattle, etc) then when she "matured" or became older, they would become married. The earliest I've seen of these arranged marriages was 12 and a half. I know with the arranged marriages or younger brides (signs of a betrothal) that they usually wedded a man twice her age.