Myth vs. Reality: Unraveling Inquisition History

1. Inquisition: Myth & RealityHIST.3420(Spring 2019) • Professor Christopher Carlsmith

2. Today’s Agenda • Introductions / Attendance • Course Goals & Rationale • Course Information • Books • Syllabus & Course Description • Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith • Map Terms

3. Introductions • The course; the professor; the students • Attendance, nicknames, & pronunciation

4. Course Goals • To read critically, listen carefully, write persuasively, speak thoughtfully, and think clearly; • To analyze primary sources effectively; • “Inquisitor’s Manual” (1324); “Galileo’s Abjuration” (1633) • To see connections b/w past and present; • Index of Prohibited Books; torture; right to an attorney; role of religion in the State • To differentiate between “myth” and “reality” of the Inquisitions

5. More Course Information • Books (in bookstore, and usually on Reserve) • LuAnn Homza, Spanish Inq: Anthology of Sources • Christopher Black, The Italian Inquisition • Thomas Mayer, The Roman Inquisition on the Stage of Italy • Assignments • Map quiz, 2 brief essays, 2 oral presentations • Discussion-Leading • Book Review • Final Paper • Syllabus & Course Description (handouts) • Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith/teaching/43.342

6. Contact Prof. Carlsmith Dugan Hall 106 A Tel: (978) 934-4277 E-mail: Christopher_Carlsmith@uml.edu Office Hours: M/W 12-2 & happily by appt. Course Web site: http://faculty.uml.edu/ccarlsmith/teaching/43.342

8. Map Quiz • Map Terms available on website • Map Review on Monday, 1/28 • Map Quiz on Wednesday, 1/30

9. Mythinformation • 1. The Roman and Spanish Inquisitions were two branches of a central organization controlled by the Pope. • 2. The majority of cases tried by the Inquisition in Spain concerned Jews or Moors. • 3. The period of maximum Inquisition activity was between 1620-1670. • 4. Spain and Italy had more or less the same number of tribunals in the 16th/17th century. • 5. The Roman Inquisition was founded before the Spanish Inquisition. • 6. The Catholic Church abolished all forms of the Inquisition in the early 19th century.

10. Mythinformation II • 7. The jails of the Inquisition in the 16th century were the worst in Europe. • 8. The archives of the Roman Inquisition are all preserved at the Vatican and remain largely forbidden to outside scholars. • 9. The right to counsel, the right to appellate review, the right to retract a confession, the right to parole: all of these were unknown to the Roman Inquisition, and were only introduced with the 18th century Enlightenment. • 10. The Jesuit Order dominated the Spanish and Roman Inquisitions during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. • 11. The Inquisition only existed in Europe. • 12. Prof. Carlsmith was an inquisitor in a former life.

11. Queen Elizabeth and Pope as Diana and Callisto

12. Inquisition: myth or reality?

13. Inquisitions: Reality • Classical precedent… (4th c. AD) • inquisitio • Papal/Medieval Inquisition (f. 1233) • Episcopal investigators travel to visit Cathars • Spanish Inquisition (f. 1478) • Founded by Ferdinand & Isabella; soon 17 tribunals across Spain and New World; • Roman Inquisition (f. 1542) • Founded by Pope; centered in Rome; with limits in Venice; never in Lucca

14. Timeline of the Inquisition • See our course website • Let’s review the most significant events in the last 2000 years of “Inquisition:

15. Myths of the Inquisition • “mythinformation”/”misinformation” • “inquire” and “inquiry” are positive terms—so why is “inquisition” so negative? • “One of the great conditions of anger and hatred is that you must tell and believe lies against the hated object in order to be consistent.” (Wm. Thackeray)

16. The Inquisition in “popular” literature • Edgar Allan Poe, The Pit and the Pendulum • “Oh, most demoniac of men…” • Igor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov • “The Grand Inquisitor, with his withered face and sunken eyes….” • John Coustos, Sufferings of John Coustos for Free-Masonry and for refusing to turn Roman Catholic in the Inquisition at Lisbon. • Published 1746, standard traveller’s narrative, combined w/ others, 322 pp. • Alan Jay Lerner, My Fair Lady • “I’d prefer a new edition/Of the Spanish Inquisition” (to matrimony)

17. The Inquisition in “popular” images

18. Popular images of the Inquisition

19. Francisco Goya

20. The Inquisition in popular culture Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

21. Inquisition in film 1980 Italian Novel by Umberto Eco 1986 film w/ Sean Connery, et al Inquisition, Waldensians, Medieval abbey murders

22. Inquisition in film Veronica Franco, Venetian Courtesan Sor Juana de la Cruz, Mexican Carmelite

23. For Next Class • Identify map terms • Browse Course Website • Read Tedeschi and Kelly PDFs, and Homza chapter, prepare for class discussion. • Tomorrow will be emailed to you & on course website • Consider possible Book Review topics • Inquisitorial Book Fair next week! • Questions?