Matteo Duni
Syracuse University, Syracuse University in Florence, Faculty Member
- History of Ideas, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, Roman Inquisition, Early Modern History, Cultural History, History, and 15 moreEarly Modern European Witchcraft, European Witch Trials, Witch Hunts, Witch Hunt Studies, Inquisition, Heresy and Inquisition, Witchhunts and Inquisition, Skepticism, Legal History, Renaissance Studies, Renaissance Humanism, Early Modern Italy, Early Modern Church History, History of Religion (Medieval Studies), and Catholic Theologyedit
Starting in the early fifteenth century, Dominican theologians and inquisitors created the new idea of diabolical witchcraft, conceiving it as a cooperative heresy practised by human beings who were under the direct leadership of the... more
Starting in the early fifteenth century, Dominican theologians and inquisitors created the new idea of diabolical witchcraft, conceiving it as a cooperative heresy practised by human beings who were under the direct leadership of the Devil. These theologians’ contributions to the witch-hunt included tracts describing the new heretics and handbooks for their prosecution by the inquisition, many of which were written or published in the Italian peninsula between the 1480s and the 1520s. This paper mostly concentrates on the works produced in this time period, stressing the differences between more practically-oriented books, such as Bernardo Rategno’s Tractatus de strigiis or Modesto Scrofeo’s Formularium pro exequendo inquisitionis officio, and more theoretical discussions of witchcraft, such as Bartolomeo Spina’s Quaestio de strigibus. It points out that these texts were often intended to confute and attack doubters and opponents of the witch-hunt as much as they sought to denounce witches
themselves. Finally, it argues that these works were produced most rapidly in the early 1500s, coinciding with the high point of the witch-hunts in Italy and of the debate that this provoked, while the genre later became outmoded, and was quickly abandoned in the second half of the sixteenth century as the Roman Inquisition adopted a newer, more cautious and moderately sceptical approach to the prosecution of witchcraft.
themselves. Finally, it argues that these works were produced most rapidly in the early 1500s, coinciding with the high point of the witch-hunts in Italy and of the debate that this provoked, while the genre later became outmoded, and was quickly abandoned in the second half of the sixteenth century as the Roman Inquisition adopted a newer, more cautious and moderately sceptical approach to the prosecution of witchcraft.
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To this day, the myth of the witch has proved to be such a powerful motif, that feminist and Lgtbq movements, among others, have used it for their campaigns. However, as to the historical forms of witchcraft imaginaries, scholars have... more
To this day, the myth of the witch has proved to be such a powerful motif, that feminist and Lgtbq movements, among others, have used it for their campaigns. However, as to the historical forms of witchcraft imaginaries, scholars have repeatedly warned against overly ideological interpretations. They have stressed, in particular, that in order to understand past imaginaries, semantic forms and intertextual connections need to be investigated in depth, and the links between bodily phenomena and socio-cultural interpretations have to be analysed in their respective historical contexts. With such caveats in mind, it is worth to take a fresh look at the gendered dimensions of historical witch imaginaries. The case-studies in this thematic issue of «Genesis» propose to re-read literary texts of the Italian Renaissance in search of traces of the witch myth, to reconsider the motif of animal-human metamorphosis and, finally, to uncover the cultural and colonial shortcomings of simplistic interpretations of witchcraft in the African context.
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At the beginning of the sixteenth century Lombardy was the site of some of the largest witch-hunts in the history of the Italian Peninsula, mainly at the hands of the inquisitors of Como. Two of them, the Dominican friars Bernardo Rategno... more
At the beginning of the sixteenth century Lombardy was the site of some of the largest witch-hunts in the history of the Italian Peninsula, mainly at the hands of the inquisitors of Como. Two of them, the Dominican friars Bernardo Rategno and Modesto Scrofeo, also wrote tracts about witches and their prosecution, drawing on Heinrich Institoris' Malleus maleficarum, rather than on contemporary tracts by Italian inquisitors, as their scope was more practical than theoretical. The two Italian Dominicans concentrated on the legal side of their task, focusing particularly on what clues would constitute a strong presumption of witchcraft. Their books included some of the first systematic attempts at sketching an identikit of the typical witch, and in this sense they went well beyond Institoris' more vague and scattered treatment of the issue. My paper argues that their emphasis on such aspects was meant to counter widespread contemporary critiques and opposition to the witch-hunt not only by demonstrating the reality of witchcraft, but especially by setting its prosecution on a legally unassailable foundation.
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The theory of diabolical witchcraft attracted serious doubts from its first formulation early in the fifteenth century. This essay focuses on the writings of a few lay jurists and lawyers who rejected the witch-hunters' claim that... more
The theory of diabolical witchcraft attracted serious doubts from its first formulation early in the fifteenth century. This essay focuses on the writings of a few lay jurists and lawyers who rejected the witch-hunters' claim that witchcraft was made possible by the Devil's ability to operate physically in the world, and argued instead that such acts as consorting sexually with demons, or being carried through the air to the Sabbat, were visions and dreams produced by the Devil. In this heated debate, both doubters and believers frequently crossed their respective disciplinary boundaries as they sought to prove their point. The essay analyses the works of lawyers who confuted the witch-hunters' interpretation of key biblical passages, using them to demonstrate that witchcraft was physically impossible, and that believing otherwise was unsound from both a legal and a religious point of view. It argues that their specific contribution was notable both for its content, as a particularly radical attack on demonological theories, and in itself, as an explicit challenge to ecclesiastical hegemony in the discourse on metaphysics. It concludes that their doubts had a significant, if belated, impact on the Roman Inquisition's policy vis-à-vis witchcraft.
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What about some Good Wether? Witches and Werewolves in Sixteenth-Century Italy This paper focuses on one hitherto unknown document from the archive of the Inquisition of Modena. In 1518 the noted demonologist Bartolomeo Spina (c.... more
What about some Good Wether? Witches and Werewolves in Sixteenth-Century Italy
This paper focuses on one hitherto unknown document from the archive of the Inquisition of Modena. In 1518 the noted demonologist Bartolomeo Spina (c. 1475-1546), then at the head of the local tribunal, received testimonies concerning one, very unusual male witch. A man from a nearby village was known for falling into a trance-like state closely resembling death, and was apparently also seen turning into a wolf and attacking a flock of wethers. Skeptical about the reliability of such reports, Spina decided not to investigate further, and thus the dossier did not develop into a full-blown trial. Even in its interrupted state, however, this case stands out as a very rare indication of the existence of local traditions on werewolves, and as an even rarer, tantalizing suggestion of the possible association between ecstasies and shapeshifting. The paper aims first to explore the meaning of such beliefs in the Modenese and northern Italian context of the time by connecting them with the characteristics of the “ride”, or “game” – two local names for the witches’ Sabbath. It then seeks to determine whether this case can really contribute valuable new evidence for the analysis of the myth of the wolf-man and of its implications, such as its supposed shamanistic core.
This paper focuses on one hitherto unknown document from the archive of the Inquisition of Modena. In 1518 the noted demonologist Bartolomeo Spina (c. 1475-1546), then at the head of the local tribunal, received testimonies concerning one, very unusual male witch. A man from a nearby village was known for falling into a trance-like state closely resembling death, and was apparently also seen turning into a wolf and attacking a flock of wethers. Skeptical about the reliability of such reports, Spina decided not to investigate further, and thus the dossier did not develop into a full-blown trial. Even in its interrupted state, however, this case stands out as a very rare indication of the existence of local traditions on werewolves, and as an even rarer, tantalizing suggestion of the possible association between ecstasies and shapeshifting. The paper aims first to explore the meaning of such beliefs in the Modenese and northern Italian context of the time by connecting them with the characteristics of the “ride”, or “game” – two local names for the witches’ Sabbath. It then seeks to determine whether this case can really contribute valuable new evidence for the analysis of the myth of the wolf-man and of its implications, such as its supposed shamanistic core.
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Impotence, Witchcraft, and Politics: A Renaissance Case The belief that sexual impotence could be provoked by sorcery was fully acknowledged by canon law, which in such cases admitted the annulment of a unconsummated marriage. As of... more
Impotence, Witchcraft, and Politics: A Renaissance Case
The belief that sexual impotence could be provoked by sorcery was fully acknowledged by canon law, which in such cases admitted the annulment of a unconsummated marriage. As of the mid-15th century, the fear that human sexuality was under attack from witches seems to increase, reaching its apex in the Malleus maleficarum (1486). In those same years, bewitchment of the “vis coeundi” was believed to cause the failure of dynastic unions, such as the (temporary) fiasco of Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza with Isabella of Aragon (1489). But such diagnoses were not accepted unanimously, as several authoritative voices rose to explain impotence in naturalistic terms. This paper shows how the interpretation of impotence as result of witchcraft could fulfill varying functions at different social levels, focusing on the debate between traditionalists, such as witch-hunter Heinrich Kramer, and skeptics, such as the jurist Ambrogio Vignati.
The belief that sexual impotence could be provoked by sorcery was fully acknowledged by canon law, which in such cases admitted the annulment of a unconsummated marriage. As of the mid-15th century, the fear that human sexuality was under attack from witches seems to increase, reaching its apex in the Malleus maleficarum (1486). In those same years, bewitchment of the “vis coeundi” was believed to cause the failure of dynastic unions, such as the (temporary) fiasco of Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza with Isabella of Aragon (1489). But such diagnoses were not accepted unanimously, as several authoritative voices rose to explain impotence in naturalistic terms. This paper shows how the interpretation of impotence as result of witchcraft could fulfill varying functions at different social levels, focusing on the debate between traditionalists, such as witch-hunter Heinrich Kramer, and skeptics, such as the jurist Ambrogio Vignati.
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Modena, 27 October 2023 and online This international conference, organized by Matteo Duni (Syracuse University Florence), Matteo Al Kalak (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia) and Renata Bertoli (Centro internazionale di cultura... more
Modena, 27 October 2023 and online
This international conference, organized by Matteo Duni (Syracuse University Florence), Matteo Al Kalak (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia) and Renata Bertoli (Centro internazionale di cultura Giovanni Pico della Mirandola), seeks to address both the unique character of the witch-hunt at Mirandola (1522-23), and the peculiar role of the local lord, Giovan Francesco Pico, in it. While witch-hunting in Italy was mostly confined to the Alpine regions, this particular mass persecution was the only one to take place south of the Po river, and was fully endorsed by Pico. He, besides supporting the local inquisitor, wrote a learned dialogue, Strix, arguing for the necessity to exterminate the witches. His text was eventually translated into Italian (1524), the first book to be published on witchcraft in the vernacular. For more information and remote participation please write to lorenzo.ferrari@unimore.it
Questo convegno è promosso nell'ambito dei progetti FAR "Le origini dell'Inquisizione romana" e PRIN "Digital Inquisition".
This international conference, organized by Matteo Duni (Syracuse University Florence), Matteo Al Kalak (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia) and Renata Bertoli (Centro internazionale di cultura Giovanni Pico della Mirandola), seeks to address both the unique character of the witch-hunt at Mirandola (1522-23), and the peculiar role of the local lord, Giovan Francesco Pico, in it. While witch-hunting in Italy was mostly confined to the Alpine regions, this particular mass persecution was the only one to take place south of the Po river, and was fully endorsed by Pico. He, besides supporting the local inquisitor, wrote a learned dialogue, Strix, arguing for the necessity to exterminate the witches. His text was eventually translated into Italian (1524), the first book to be published on witchcraft in the vernacular. For more information and remote participation please write to lorenzo.ferrari@unimore.it
Questo convegno è promosso nell'ambito dei progetti FAR "Le origini dell'Inquisizione romana" e PRIN "Digital Inquisition".
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Contemplata aliis tradere. Lo specchio letterario dei frati Predicatori
Roma, 23-27 gennaio 2017
Roma, 23-27 gennaio 2017
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This is the first annual seminar of the newly founded International Centre for Research on Inquisitions (INQUIRE), based in the Department of history, Cultures and Civilization of the University of Bologna. The meeting aims to take stock... more
This is the first annual seminar of the newly founded International Centre for Research on Inquisitions (INQUIRE), based in the Department of history, Cultures and Civilization of the University of Bologna. The meeting aims to take stock of the main themes and questions addressed by the recent historiographical debate on medieval, early modern and modern inquisitions the world over.
Research Interests: Brazilian History, Inquisition, Censorship (History), Peruvian History, Witchcraft, Religion and Magic, and 13 moreCatharism, Heresy and Inquisition, The Spanish Inquisition, Lollards, Tribunales del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion en las americas, Mexican History, Portuguese Inquisition, Roman Inquisition, Papacy (Early Modern and Modern Church History), Holy Office, Chilean History, Inquisición, and History of the Philippines
Yet another book on witches and witchcraft? Although numerous, studies on this phenomenon that had such a profound influence on the political, social and religious history of the late Middle Ages and the early modern age in Europe can... more
Yet another book on witches and witchcraft? Although numerous, studies on this phenomenon that had such a profound influence on the political, social and religious history of the late Middle Ages and the early modern age in Europe can never be enough. At this time the political regimes were actively involved in the witch hunts, not least the Catholic church which was intensely engaged in developing instruments of control aimed at governing and curbing dissent. The book is broken down into thematic sections – rules, treatises and trials, transmission /possession – which reflect the multiplicity of the scientific proposals that have emerged in recent years, and also represent a conscious preliminary orientation of possible readings. At centre stage of the witchcraft show are the witches and their judges, from the theologians and philosophers to the exorcists. As well as addressing actual events, the book also explores the nature of the beliefs and the way in which they were transmitted in the various social strata, and the phenomenon of diabolical possession which conveyed the message of the presence of the devil in the world.