#174 - Venetian Inquisition & Books of Magic with Dr. Federico Barbierato and Joseph H. Peterson
Glitch BottleMar 15, 2026
Historian Dr. Federico Barbierato discusses his new book 'In the Room of the Circles: The Inquisition and Books of Magic in Early Modern Venice,' which looks at how the Roman Inquisition dealt with magical manuscripts and the people who used them. The conversation covers the hidden trade in grimoires like the Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon), the booksellers who circulated them, and how male and female magic practitioners did or did not end up before inquisitorial courts. Joined by esoteric scholar Joseph H. Peterson, the episode also explores why punishments for practicing magic in Venice were often surprisingly light.
