WEEK 9: Gasparutto and Moduco Appendix (1575–1581) — Inquisition Records and Abjuration
Context and Purpose of the Appendix
Appendix excerpt from a study on inquisition records; documents the trial against Paolo Gasparutto and Battista Moduco in the city of Cividale (Aquileia/Concordia patriarchate).
Purpose: illustrate the kind of source material the research relies on; some obvious errors in the records have been corrected (cited as ACAU, S. Uffizio variants).
Time frame of the underlying material: late 16th century, with trials dated from 1575 through 1581, and referencing materials from 1574–1578 in related court records.
Key archival references: (ACAU, S. Uffizio, Ab anno 1574 usque ad annum 1578 incl. a n. 57 usque ad 76 incl.' proc. n. 64.)
Geographic scope within the texts: Cividale, Brazzano, lassico, Cormons, Gorizia, Verona, Udine, Gradisca, Udine; places tied to the alleged benandanti (a term used for certain ritual participants) and to alleged witches.
Central figures in the trial: Paolo Gasparutto (lassico), Battista Moduco (Gamba Secura), Bartolomeo Sgabarizza (witness), inquisition officials including Iacobo Maracco (vicar general of Aquileia), Giulio d’Assisi (inquisitor), Felice Montefalco (inquisitor general).
Core topic of the materials: alleged benandanti practices, nocturnal journeys in spirit while the body remains in bed, battles with witches, Ember Days rituals, and the social-legal process of heresy trials in the late Renaissance Catholic Church.
Overall arc of the Appendix section: collection of depositional testimony, cross-examinations, witness lists, trials, and the eventual abjuration and sentencing; it culminates in a public abjuration and restoration of the sacramental life for the penitents, with formal sentencing details.
Core Concepts and Terms
Benandanti: a group claimed to leave their bodies in spirit to fight witches/evil; they fight in specific seasonal windows (Ember Days) and in particular regions.
Distinct from witches; some testimonies describe benandanti as opposing evil and participating in magical battles using fennel stalks, while witches use sorghum stalks.
Alleged cosmology includes a celestial order with captains, banners, and a heavenly/diabolic dichotomy (white banner for benandanti; red banner for witches).
Ember Days: specific periods when the benandanti allegedly travel and fight (seasonal timing tied to the liturgical calendar); cited as the times when they go forth at night.
Spirits vs body: a recurring motif where the benandanti claim the spirit goes out of the body while the body remains in bed; upon return, the body and spirit rejoin.
Malandante: a term used to describe the wandering or separated-spirit state; used to refer to malandanti spirits and their wanderings.
Caul (birth caul): a cloth or membrane associated with birth; the Moduco testimony highlights a caul that is blessed and worn, with Masses performed over it; used as part of identity/ritual markers within the benandanti network.
Sacred insignia and banners: benandanti reportedly carry a white silk banner with a gilded lion; witches carry a red silk banner with four black devils; these symbols recur in the testimonies and the abjuration.
Angels and visions: Paolo’s deposition includes an angel who appears at night to summon him to join the benandanti; the angel reportedly calls him by name and provides instruction.
Pilgrimage fields and sites: various locations are named as sites of battles or nocturnal gatherings (e.g., fields near Azzano, Conegliano, Mazzone; Verona region; lassico, Cividale, Gradisca, Udine, Cormons, Brazzano).
Warnings about disclosure: participants are said to be bound by an oath not to reveal names of other witches/benandanti, with consequences for breach.
Inquisition procedure: the records reflect oath-taking, cautions, interrogations, cross-examinations, and testimonies used to determine truth and to formulate abjuration and penances.
Trial Timeline (Key Dates and Events)
21 March 1575: Trial for heresy against certain witches conducted in Cividale; Bartolomeo Sgabarizza appears as witness at San Francesco.
Sgabarizza's deposition describes setting, the learning of a child’s illness, and Paolo Gasparutto’s alleged discussions with witches/benandanti.
21 November 1575: First detailed deposition (in Brazzano and Cividale contexts) regarding Paolo and alleged benandanti activities; witnesses include M. Piero Rotaro and Paolo Gasparutto.
7 April 1575: Second deposition; Paolo’s testimonies reiterated in the presence of inquisitors and local authorities (e.g., Giovanni Baduario).
27 June 1580: Paolo Gasparutto testifies in Udine; details about his home village lassico and family background; questions about Lutheran influence and knowledge of witches/benandanti; he confirms being a benandante for some period; claims he had not been in the group for four years by this time.
24 September 1580: Paolo reappears in Udine chamber; remains in custody and continues to be questioned; he confirms being part of benandanti and details the Ember Days activities.
26 September 1580: Further questioning; Paolo asserts that his experiences were real and that he was drawn into the benandanti by an angel; he describes the spirit leaving the body and travels to various locales.
1 October 1580: Maria (Paolo’s wife) testifies about events; she references the mouse metaphor and the idea that the body can be left behind while the spirit travels; she mentions a miller witness (Pietro Rotaro) and a “mouse circling” the body.
24 September 1580 – 28 June 1580 sequence (and adjacent dates): multiple depositions by Paolo, his wife Maria, and other witnesses; the record tracks the evolving testimony and attempts to corroborate details.
25 November 1581: Leonardo Colloredo (public crier) reports summoning Paolo Gasparutto and Battista Moduco to appear before the father inquisitor for sentencing on 26 November 1581; the S. Officii record is cited as the source.
26 November 1581: Sentence publicly pronounced in the Church of San Francesco, Cividale; Battista Moduco (alias Gamba Secura) is formally abjured; Paolo Gasparutto’s related proceedings are referenced in the same session.
26 November 1581 (aftermath): Moduco petitions to provide for his family and to remit the six-month imprisonment, with condition that he remains within the city territory for 15 days; proceedings continue in the presence of notaries and local officials.
Key Participants and Roles in the Proceedings
Inquisitor Felice Montefalco: inquisitor general for the entire patriarchate of Aquileia and Concordia; presiding judge in the final sentencing sections; author of the abjuration framework for Moduco.
Inquisitor Giovanni Baduario (Provveditore): witness and official in the proceedings; participates in the public sessions.
Inquisitor Giulio d’Assisi: co-inquisitor; present in the early deposition sessions.
Bartolomeo Sgabarizza: rector of Brazzano; witness who provides the core deposition about Paolo and benandanti practices.
Paolo Gasparutto: resident of lassico; identified as benandante; subject of the majority of the deposition and cross-examination; later, abjuration and penances are imposed in the final sentence.
Battista Moduco (Gamba Secura): official from Cividale; described as a benandante by others; subject of the abjuration with penalties; later testimony details his claim of being a benandante and his eventual abjuration.
Pietro Rotaro (Simone the administrator): witness; his little boy’s illness and the weighing remedy tied to Paolo’s advice; provides a counter-narrative to healing claims.
Belforte Mintino and Troiano d’Attimis: noble witnesses; provide testimony about Moduco and the benandanti network; describe interactions with Moduco and the alleged existence of benandanti in Cividale.
Maria (Paolo Gasparutto’s wife): deposition about the couple’s household experiences; discusses the mouse metaphor and the inability to wake Paolo from the “spirit journey”; mentions a letter from Raimondo Raimondi about a visit to Aquilina (a woman reputed to know witchcraft effects).
Raimondo de Raimondi: Paolo’s father-in-law; appears in deposition context regarding visit to Aquilina and a quilt (bearings of the child’s death).
Battista Moduco’s family and community: referenced in various depositions; his own caul and ritual associations are discussed in the context of his abjuration.
Core Testimony Themes and Content
Paolo’s benandanti claims:
He and others leave the body at night during Ember Days to fight witches; the body remains in bed, the spirit travels invisibly; battles involve fennel stalks for benandanti vs sorghum stalks for witches.
Journeys cover numerous places (lassico, Cividale, Cormons, Gorizia, Verona, Gradisca, Udine) and sometimes traverse large bodies of water by boat; the company sets days and places for these events.
The spirit sometimes travels to the field of Mazzone or Conegliano; weddings occur during these journeys; fights involve spears of fennel and other ritual actions.
The captain of the benandanti is believed to be a Verona-based organizer; Paolo cannot fully identify other participants but lists a few companions by description rather than by name.
The benandanti allegedly return with water-filled pails; if water is missing, the witches spoil wine by entering cellars and performing acts that ruin the wine.
The angel motif: an angel summons Paolo to participate; the angel appears in gold; travels occur as part of the mission.
The angel’s authority: the benandanti accept the angel’s leadership and refer to God’s will as guiding these acts, including belief that these works are directed by God.
Maria’s deposition (Paolo’s wife) contains a counterpoint:
She recalls the mouse metaphor for the spirit’s travel; notes the possibility of a child’s death connected to the benandanti activity; she references a miller’s report of a Paolo-like figure in a mill.
Cross-examinations illustrate:
The inquisition’s push to extract details and to test consistency across multiple deposition dates; Paolo’s reluctance, fear of the witches, and oath-bound secrecy are emphasized.
Some witnesses are cautious, contradicting or clarifying the specifics of the benandanti’s rituals, including the presence of a banner, the use of specific plants (fennel vs sorghum), and the social context of weddings, dancing, and feasting during ceremonies.
The social context of charges:
The text shows a legal framework where charges of heresy and “pravity” are pursued with canonical and civil-law expertise; evidence is weighed across multiple testimonies, with the eventual aim of confession, abjuration, and penance.
The “weapons” (fennel vs sorghum) and ritual elements are described as evidence of heretical behavior by church authorities.
Abjuration, Penances, and Final Sentencing (Battista Moduco and Paired Proceedings)
Abjuration for Battista Moduco (Gamba Secura):
Formally, Moduco confesses to be a benandante and to have participated in benandanti activities for years; he acknowledges that he believed these works were God’s will and that revealing participants would be against divine will.
He admits involvement in Ember Day battles and the associated practices, including the use of fennel stalks and the ritual anger/violence of those involved.
He confesses the belief that spirits could travel and that the soul could leave and return at will; he admits receiving communion without confessing these beliefs previously and owning a caul blessed by priests.
He acknowledges belief that the benandanti would bring about abundance when victorious and famine when defeated; he confesses the flag/banner imagery: white silk banner with a lion for benandanti; red banner with four black devils for witches.
He acknowledges that the works were seen as God’s works and that revealing names of witches or benandanti would be against divine will; he claims those acts were permitted by God according to his testimony.
He retracts these beliefs and declares his abjuration in front of the inquisitor and other officials; he renounces the caul, the masses for it, and the entire benandanti practice, along with the Ember Day journeys.
The abjuration formula (for Moduco) includes: a full recantation, renunciation of heresy, promise to uphold Holy Church, commitment to confession, and acceptance of penances.
Penances and penalties (ordered by the tribunal):
A term of six months in prison, to be served under supervision; no leaving the prison without permission.
On every Ember Day’s Friday for two years, fasting and prayer to seek forgiveness for sins committed on Ember Days.
Three times a year (on Resurrection, Assumption, Nativity) for five years, confession and reception of the Eucharist with attestation from a priest.
Requirement to send the wrappings/cauls of their children to the Holy Office (no burning of cauls by fire).
Three-year period of salutary penances on holy days: recite the Rosary for forgiveness.
The tribunal reserves authority to reduce or absolve penalties; relapse would trigger canonical penalties for relapsed offenders.
Final sentencing and public promulgation (26 November 1581):
The sentence is publicly read in the Church of San Francesco; the abjuration is performed before the people; the notary records the proceedings.
Moduco petitions to provide for his family and requests remission of the six-month imprisonment for a temporary period (15 days) while remaining in the city territory; the request is granted with conditions.
Closing assessment of Moduco’s status:
The tribunal notes Moduco’s confession and his past practices (twenty-two years, Ember Days) and concludes that he has returned toward Holy Mother Church and rejoined the Church’s unity, while acknowledging the seriousness of his prior errors.
They emphasize penitential reform and the possibility of reduced penalties, depending on future conduct.
Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications
The proceedings illustrate early modern Catholic orthodoxy enforcement: the Inquisition uses witness testimony, oath-taking, and cross-examinations to police religious orthodoxy, with a path from accusation to abjuration, penance, and reconciliation.
The case shows how belief in “heretical pravity” was framed in terms of social order, gendered perceptions (men as benandanti; women as witches in certain contexts), and community policing of moral behavior.
The tension between belief, superstition, and empirical evidence is evident: the testimonies rely heavily on personal experience, dreams, and visions, cross-verified through community networks, yet adjudicated through canonical trial standards.
The abjuration process seeks not only punishment but also reintegration: a structured path back into Holy Mother Church, with sacraments restored and public penance to demonstrate repentance and loyalty to the Church.
The materials highlight the role of ritual artifacts (cauls), physical markers (banners), and symbolic acts (weighing, water in pails, wine in cellars) in constructing a narrative of communal danger and spiritual threat.
The trial reflects broader themes of how early modern authorities distinguished between heterodox practices and heresy, and how confessions could be leveraged to create a coherent moral order.
Numerical References, Dates, and Formulas (LaTeX)
Key years and durations cited in the record:
Benandanti involvement duration: years.
Penitential imprisonment: months.
Ember Day-related activities: occurrences at least times per year (stated as “four times a year” for general benandanti proceedings).
Recurrence of confessional events ( Resurrection, Assumption, Nativity): three times per year for five years; schedule varies by liturgical calendar.
The period of_testimony and trials spans from at least to , with multiple key depositions and sessions across this window.
The boy’s illness and death timeline is discussed in terms of weeks after weighing (no explicit numeric duration beyond “three days later” for the boy’s death in one deposition).
The abjuration text includes explicit pledge language that can be summarized as a set of formal obligations: to believe the Holy Church’s true faith, to denounce all heresies, to reveal information about heresy to the Inquisition if encountered, and to accept penances as set forth.
Institutional citations in the record include the title and role designations of the Inquisitors and officials (e.g., Inquisitor general, vicar, provveditore), which reflect organizational structure rather than numeric formulas; however, the formatting of the abjuration includes standard oaths and promises.
Connections to Broader Context and Real-World Relevance
This Appendix exemplifies how historical investigations reconstruct religious, social, and legal culture in early modern Europe, highlighting:
The interplay of religion, ritual, rumor, and state power in shaping what counts as heresy.
The use of court records as primary sources for understanding belief systems and community dynamics (including gendered roles and social reputation).
The tension between pastoral care (penitence, reconciliation) and punitive measures (imprisonment, expulsion, mandatory penances).
The case provides a concrete example of the concept of collective memory and how local communities record and remember episodes of alleged magical behavior, which in turn informs modern scholarship about popular beliefs, witchcraft narratives, and the cultural politics of the time.
The document also shows how scholars must decipher archaic terminology (e.g., benandanti, malandante, caul) and assess the reliability of multiple witnesses across long intervals, a common challenge in historical philology and archival studies.
Summary of Outcomes and Takeaways
Paolo Gasparutto: identified as a benandante; underwent extensive questioning; his beliefs were acknowledged and then publicly reaffirmed to align with Holy Mother Church; no final sacramental penalties are listed for Paolo in the excerpt beyond the general inquest framework, but his testimony is central to the proceedings.
Battista Moduco: underwent a formal abjuration, admitted past beliefs and practices, accepted penalties, and was temporarily released with conditions after the abjuration; the sentence emphasizes penitential renewal and community restitution.
The Appendix demonstrates the meticulous, ritualized process of inquisition: deposition, oath-taking, cross-examination, confession, abjuration, and penance, culminating in public sentencing and reintegration into Catholic practice.
Notes on Source Quality and Citations
The Appendix references archival sources (ACAU, S. Uffizio; Sententiarum contra reos S. Officii liber primus) and indicates corrections where necessary.
The material provides explicit dates and named individuals, enabling cross-referencing with other records; the language reflects the formal, juridical tone of inquisitorial documents.
Given the fragmentary nature of some transcripts, readers should be aware of potential transcription errors (as acknowledged in the notes) and should consult original archival entries for verification where possible.