CONTEXT FOR THE BENANDANTI,

 

        CARLO GINZBURG, THE NIGHT BATTLES
                trials are in Appendix pp. 147-171 (xerox)

             

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

 

16th C.  German Reformation
            1517 Martin Luther breaks with the Church

 

1540’s start of Catholic Counter-Reformation
          reform of Church in response to Reformation

 

1540-70 Roman Inquisition:
             suppression of Lutheran heretics in Italy

 

1570’s  onwards:  reform of popular culture

            suppression of popular superstition and
            magical beliefs,  including benandanti

Look at the different groups involved:

    benandanti:   what is their self image & self description?

 

    Inquisition:   what is their attitude to benandanti?

    witnesses:  how does this case come to the attention of             
                         the Inquisition? 
                 how are benandanti seen by others in society?