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Country
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IT
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Name of institution (English)
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State Archives of Modena
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Language of name of institution
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ita
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Contact information: postal address
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Corso Cavour 21, 41121 Modena
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Contact information: phone number
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0039 059230549
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Contact information: email
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as-mo@beniculturali.it
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Reference number
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Inquisizione
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Type of reference number
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Archival reference number
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Title (English)
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Tribunal of the Inquisition of Modena
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Title (official language of the state)
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Tribunale dell’Inquisizione di Modena
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Language of title
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ita
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Creator / accumulator
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Tribunale dell’inquisizione di Modena
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Date(s)
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1275/1789
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Language(s)
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lat
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ita
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Extent
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303 folders
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Type of material
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Textual Material
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Physical condition
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Satisfactory
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Scope and content
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This fonds comprises documentation produced by or directed to the Inquisition of Modena since the 13th century. Its records are organised into series that reflect the court's activity: Processi (trials from 1489 to 1784, 242 folders); Causae hebreorum (cases involving Hebrews, from 1599-1670, 7 folders); Carteggio con la congregazione dei Sant'Uffizio di Roma (correspondence with the Holy Office Congregation of Rome, from 1568 to 1784, 9 folders); Carteggi diversi (diverse letters, from 1329 to 1766, 6 folders); Editti e decreti di diverse autorità (edicts and decrees from various authorities, from 1550 to 1780, 4 folders); Libri di spese (books of expenses, 4 folders); Atti diversi (diverse acts, containing patents, letters and inquisitorial deeds, files with diverse types of cases, privileges and other documents in parchment, etc., from 1275 to 1789, 7 folders); Miscellanea (miscellany, from 1326-1786, 7 folders); and Appendice (appendix, 3 folders). The fonds also comprises one series composed of 14 folders of correspondence from the Inquisition of Reggio Emilia to the Holy Office Congregation of Rome and other addressees from 1646 to 1785 ("Carteggio del tribunale dell’inquisizione di Reggio Emilia con la congregazione del Sant’Uffizio e con altri destinatari").
Some of these series offer rich information on the relation between the Inquisition and the Jewish community of Modena, as well as the tension with civil authorities regarding the inquisitorial activity against Jews living in the city. The Processi and Causae hebreorum series are particularly fruitful in pieces of evidence on the Jewish community of Modena, including its Sephardic elements.
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Archival history
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After the suppression of the Inquisition of Modena in 1785, its archive was transferred to the custody of the government and joined the Archivio segreto estense. In contrast to other Italian inquisitorial archives, the Inquisition of Modena fonds was integrally preserved. At present, it also includes some trials from the Tribunal of the Inquisition of Reggio Emilia, suppressed in 1780.
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Administrative / Biographical history
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The origins of the Inquisition of Modena date back to 1292. At the time, it was already located inside or near the Convent of the Dominicans of Modena, which was ever its headquarter until the suppression in 1785.
The ducal power constantly attempted to interfere in the tribunal’s activity, especially after Modena became the head of the Este State in 1598, and the Inquisition of Modena became the main inquisitorial tribunal of the Duchy. During the first decades of the 17th century until 1638, when a Jewish ghetto was established in the city, the Inquisition intensified its action against the Jewish community. The construction of illegal synagogues became one of the Inquisition's main targets and also a matter of tension with the ducal power. Trials against some illustrious Jewish families, such as the Modena or the Sanguinetti, accused of dissuasion from baptism or possession of non-expurgated Jewish books, for instance, also contributed to increasing the tribunal's economic resources in the early 17th century. At the time, the jurisdiction of the Inquisition of Modena had also extended geographically, controlling Carpi, Nonantola and Garfagnana. The territory under its control was divided into 40 congregations in 1622, each one managed by at least a vicar of the Holy Office, a notary and an agent or nuncio. The central court of Modena was composed of twelve "consultori" (consultors) — four theologians, four canonists and four lawyers —, as well as eight "ministri" (ministers), who had the executive power, and twelve "familiari" (inquisitorial agents). This structure was preserved with only minimal variations until the extinction of the tribunal, decreed on September 7, 1785.
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(source: Federica Francesconi, "Modena", in Prosperi, Adriano, Vincenzo Lavenia, and John A. Tedeschi, eds. 2010. Dizionario Storico Dell’Inquisizione. vol. 2. Pisa: Edizioni della Normale, 1054-5)
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System of arrangement
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In each series, records are tendentially arranged in chronological order.
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Author of the description
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Carla Vieira, 2022
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Bibliography
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Biondi, Grazia. 1987. “Le lettere della Sacra Congregazione romana del Sant’Ufficio all’Inquisizione di Modena : note in margine ad un regesto.” Schifanoia 4: 93–100.
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Biondi, Albano. 1994. “Gli ebrei e l’Inquisizione negli Stati Estensi.” In L’Inquisizione e gli Ebrei in Italia, Michelle Luzzatti, 265–85. Roma-Bari: Laterza.
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Biondi, Albano. 2008. “Lunga durata e microarticolazione nel territorio di un ufficio dell’Inquisizione. Il ‘Sacro Tribunale’ a Modena (1292-1785).” In Umanisti, eretici e streghe. Saggi di storia moderna, Massimo Donattini, 165–80. Modena: Assessorato alla Cultura.
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Francesconi, Federica. 2007. “Jewish Families in Modena from the Renaissance to the Napoleonic Emancipation (1600-1810).” Ph.D. Thesis, Haifa: University of Haifa.
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Lupoli, Rosa. 2014. “Lo ‘scriniolo’ dell’ Inquisitore: i manuali del Tribunale dell’Inquisizione di Modena e
Reggio.” Quaderni Estensi 6.
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Toppetta, Silvia. 2019. “L’Inquisizione a Modena nel primo Seicento.” PhD thesis, Rome: Università di Roma.
