User:Camille OLLIER/sandbox

The case of the witches from Triora
The case of the witches of Triora is a trial concerning witchcraft that took place in the 16th century in the fortified village of Triora, in the North of Liguria in the prealps above Sanremo not far away from the Tenda pass. This village belonged to the Republic of Genoa, when the trial took place.

Back then, Triora represented a strategic place because, from there, France, Switzerland, Germany and other protestant countries were easy to access and it was also easier to go from Triora to cities located on the coast like Nice, Vintimille and especially Genoa which was a rich and powerful city. At that time, Triora was a town of 2500 inhabitants with 700 inhabitants leaving near it. This village wasn’t easy to access with its rugged terrain but it was a place that was well visited, mostly by on the run hereticals because slavery represented a very lucrative business for Genoa and for Venice and the Maritime republics in general. Popes, bishops, aristocrats, all had piccaninnies in their suites or processions and the handmaids from the commercial bourgeoisie were most of the time moorish.

The origin of the case
This case illustrates quite well how a trial about withcraft took place in front of the inquisition court and for which reasons despite the religious motives, the psychology of the villagers, the settling of accounts and the paybacks had their weight during the judgment of witchcraft.

A famine was raging, which can seem curious because the situation in the village, at the end of the 16th century seemed flourishing. Two families, the Borelli and the Faraldi were pulling the strings of the local economy which they had the monopoly on and they were sharing its profits together.

The Borelli was a family of landowners and Franchetta who was a member of the family was accused of witchcraft. Unanimously considered by the fellow-citizens as a good looking lady who had loose morals during her youth. She was rich, envied and had many love affairs. Another member of the family was also involved in a Savoyard philosophy conspiracy and was accused of witchcraft.

To the family Faraldi belonged a canon who, in 1588 was denounced as a counterfeiter and an alchimist. He was able to run away but was condamned by absentia by a court who was chaired by a member of a third wealthy family who lost not a long time ago one of his parent, the provost of the city who was murdered by a member of the canon family.

The Borelli and Faraldi were getting richer and richer, probably by speculating on the food products of the region, by keeping them in their shop to sell them to the highest bidders like the Piedmontese, Genoas, Huguenots. That provoked the a famine in the village and around it. This poverty was blamed on the witches of the village.

 To be continued...