The Italian Inquisition, or Holy Office, was established in 1542, stimulated partly by the earlier Spanish operation. Presenting the history of the Italian Inquisition, this book charts how it developed and changed over time. It maps its cumbersome means of command, supervision, and action.

The Italian Inquisition, or Holy Office, was established in 1542, stimulated partly by the earlier Spanish operation. Certainly Spain's 'black legend' affected opinions of the Inquisition in Italy, but as this pioneering book shows, there were significant differences between their operations, targets, and casualties. In this pioneering history of the Italian Inquisition, Christopher Black charts how it developed and changed over time. He maps its cumbersome means of command, supervision, and action, as well as its role as a surprisingly approachable regulatory body working within communities. Ranging right across the Italian panorama, and rooting his enquiry in striking individual cases, Black uncovers Inquisitional procedure from denunciation to punishment. This scrupulous and richly rewarding book shows how the Inquisition shaped Italy's religious and social worlds.

Review
“Clearly written and illuminating.”—A. Rabil Jr./i>—A. Rabil Jr. “CHOICE ”

Christopher Black is Professor of History at the University of Glasgow, where he teaches a special course comparing the Iberian and Italian Inquisitions in the early modern period. He is one of the leading scholars in early modern Italian history. Previous books include Early Modern Italy: A Social History and Church, Religion and Society in Early Modern Italy.