#174 - Venetian Inquisition & Books of Magic with Dr. Federico Barbierato and Joseph H. Peterson

Summary

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.

Key takeaways

• 1Dr. Federico Barbierato's latest book is 'In the Room of the Circles: The Inquisition and Books of Magic in Early Modern Venice' (Routledge)
• 2Barbierato also wrote 'The Inquisitor in the Hat Shop: Inquisition, Forbidden Books and Unbelief in Early Modern Venice'
• 3The Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon) was a central magical text circulating in early modern Venice and drew Inquisition scrutiny
• 4Venetian booksellers played a role in distributing forbidden magical texts
• 5Male and female magic practitioners had different paths to, or away from, Inquisition trials
• 6Punishments handed out by the Venetian Inquisition for magic were often surprisingly lenient
• 7Joseph H. Peterson runs EsotericArchives.com and is involved with the CHiMere research project

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