Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
*Genoa.
Citadel. At some location near the Palace lies the citadel, in which Maria lies imprisoned through most of the drama. Act 5, scene 2 presumably takes place there, though this is never stated as such. The citadel symbolizes the chastity of the duke’s wife, Maria, which has a stronghold even in a corrupt court, thereby making some sort of comic resolution possible.
Countryside. A hunting scene in act 3 is the only other scene not taking place in court. Hunting is a feature of tragicomedy, derived from the pastoral, but here denoting the sexual chase.
*Florence. Powerful city-state in north-central Italy that was a rival of Genoa. Although no scene in the play is set there, the duke of Florence is a manipulative force in the play; he helps usurp Altofronto and through Bilioso seeks to reinstate him. Florence therefore represents a rival power base and the source of a complicating corruption.