Lecture 6 (Feb 22, 2024) - In the Aftermath of the Reformations: Inquisitors, Benandanti, and the Friuli
Roman Catholic Church Responds (Belatedly) to Protestant Challenges
Political/military and religious transformations impacted 16th century Italy
Luther was cast out of the church - go to the Bible for source of authority
Benandanti were “good-deed doers” born with caul, especially active in certain times of year to protect the harvest/crops
For Protestants, popes were corrupted because they were monarchs of territorial Papal States
Why does the pope have a territorial state at all? In the middle ages (14c), people came to believe that if the pope didn’t have a stable territorial state, he would never be able to be independent theologically
Avoiding “kidnap” authority
Council of Trent (1545-1563) → responds to Protestant challenge
Trent (Tridentine adj.) is a town in Northern Italy, southernmost outpost of HRE
Had divisions → spirituali hoped for reform; zelanti said NO concessions to Protestantism
Trent acknowledged some of Luther’s points: Priests needed more training, bishops needed to be with their “flocks,” but priest celibacy reaffirmed
Lived, worked in Florence (Antoninus) - current bishops just collected the money and left to Rome
Wanted to establish more seminaries
Nuns’ celibacy reaffirmed and enclosure in convents required
Reaffirmed 7 sacraments (baptism, eucharist, confession, confirmation, marriage, ordination of priests, last rights)
Major points did not shift under the challenge of Lutheranism
Luther said Christians could not save themselves by acts of charity, they can only save themselves by faith in God’s grace.
Trent said they were saved by grace BUT they had free will to choose to participate in salvation through good works (charity)
Protestant said images and ornate churches, people ended up worshiping images, but Trent ended up saying that they were a good way to teach people about religion
Marriage; reaffirmed essentials and added new requirements
Theologians insistence on free well reinforced view of matrimony; free consent, eligibility, and sex
New requirements: priest must be present, witnesses, written document, reading of banns prior to weapon
No requirement for parental consent
Concessions to mom and dad is the banns, but realistically no stopping people if they are going to get married
Some people said Trent was anti-family because they rejected the wishes of great families and reaffirmed the significance of the individual
Roman inquisition (1542), established by Pope Paul III (reigned 1534-1549)
6 cardinals tasked with stopping spread of heresy in Italy, and their inquisitors were chosen to travel and investigate
Was relatively mild, but became tougher in the late 1560s with the influence of Pope Pius V
Parish priest had to report “heretics” to his superior or directly to the Roman inquisition, could no longer absolve “heretics” for their sins
Some historians say the Roman inquisition was the best criminal justice system in all of Europe (speaking comparatively)
Rome continually exercised supervision over smaller inquisitorial courts
Inquisitors were given manuals on how to conduct trials, guidelines on when to use torture, death penalty rare, tougher on repeat offenders though
Right to defend oneself, right to counsel
Elsewhere in Europe there were witch trials, with about 50% execution rate (so comparatively speaking, they were pretty good)
Protestants in Italy “defeated” by 1580, so inquisitions turned to accusation of witchcraft and magic
There was later an index of prohibited books
Pope Paul IV (reigned 1555-1559) was a strict proponent of counter-reformation measured, established this in 1559
Abolished in 1966, was another institution to secure conformity
What did the Inquisition look like in the Friuli?
Friuli is a region
Condemnations were relatively rare, between 16th-18th century, 60 trials of benandanti and only 12 condemnations
Benandanti investigations began in the 1570s, and inquisition in Friuli was established in 1550s
Inquisition in Rome played a moderating role, repressing the repressors (in the countryside)
Instructio pro formandis attempted to regulate trials against “witches, diviners, and sorcerers”
Friuli - Land of the Benandanti: Military Experiences & Early 16th Century Rebellions (why the benandanti may have thought in military as well as religious terms, why Friulian peasants resemble European peasants)
“Great open door” through which people from beyond Italy could invade
Strategic importance to Venice (proximity to HRE and Ottoman Empire), but Venetians don’t want to spend any money on its defense
Antonio Savorgnan (Savorgnan v. Della Torre families), region dominated by two families, and Savorgnan have upper hand
Popularity with people (forgive debts), leaned on by Venice to uphold Friuli
Udine 1511 Cruel Carnival
Two sides gathered together for peacemaking ceremony, but members of the Della Torre family started to believe the Savorgnan was going to exterminate them (and vice versa), and then horrific killings
Inspired Romeo and Juliet
In the country, major rebellion same night as Cruel Carnival, went in to the castles of Della Torre, grabbed books and ledgers that had debts, and burned them, didn’t want to pay anymore
Kill the records that held them in bondage
Set of grievances sent to Venetian state (if you’re going to collect the taxes you need to come here and stop the invasions who are damaging the lands)