Gender patterns in medieval heresy incriminations
Examining an extensive register of inquisition from Bologna, 1291-1310, we found that women tended to incriminate other women, while men incriminated across genders.
As a product of the DISSINET project, Adam Mertel and David Zbíral have co-authored a paper on “Mining multiple sources of historical data: The example of a standardized dataset of medieval monasteries and convents in France”. The paper was presented at the International Cartographic Conference held in Tokyo in July 2019 and published in the Proceedings of the International Cartographic Association, Volume 2, 2019. The full text can be downloaded from the ICA website.
Examining an extensive register of inquisition from Bologna, 1291-1310, we found that women tended to incriminate other women, while men incriminated across genders.
It is a familiar image: a woman in distress, surrounded by men examining her soul in a dimly lit inquisitorial chamber. In fear of physical torture, she confesses to crimes she never committed. We bring you an online version of our article originally published in History Today.