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Tuscany also has its witches

History of Monna Gostanza from Libbiano, the witch of San Miniato

It might seem hard to believe but during ' 500 also has one of the richest regions and urban areas of Europe, Tuscany, and one of the most important Duchy, Florence lived on their period of "witch hunt".

The story concerns a certain Gostanza, now famous as the "Witch of San Miniato". This woman lived in the second half of the 16th century, was subjected to Inquisition for witchcraft in 1594.

The reasons which led him in front of the Inquisition are to be found in the contradictory situation that his figure was back then. Gostanza was known in the village as a midwife and healer, so easy to understand how all those who dedicated themselves to the folk medicine, holding knowledge, and therefore able to heal or sickened anyone, weren't seen by good eye.

For the common people especially, his powers were attributed to a pact with the devil. Unfortunately for clear ideas especially to that effect had Gostanza Inquisitor Mario Porcacchi, who managed to bring the woman before the Tribunal also subjecting her to torture.

The story was a happy ending, to save Gostanza, common sense and caution over growing of the Catholic Church towards witchcraft, the intervention of the Inquisitor Dionigi di Costacciaro, which will force the intransigent colleague to set at liberty the woman because "at the end he saw this poor old everything said to torment and it is not true."