Menocchio
Encyclopedia
Menocchio, also known as Domenico Scandella, was a Friulian miller born in 1532 in the village of Montereale
, twenty-five kilometers north of Pordenone
(not to be confused with Montereale, Abruzzo). His philosophical teachings earned him the title of a heresiarch
during the Inquisition
and he was eventually burned at the stake in 1599, at the age of 67, on orders of Pope Clement VIII
.
He was married and had eleven children. In 1581 he had been mayor of the village and the surrounding hamlets. He is the subject of Italian historian Carlo Ginzburg's
book, The Cheese and the Worms, reflecting on Menocchio's theories and the society in which he lived and constructed them, as a facet of social history
.
: Aviano
and Pordenone
. A school was opened at the beginning of the sixteenth century under the direction of Girolamo Amaseo for, "reading and teaching, without exception, children of citizens as well as those artisans and the lower classes, old as well as young, without payment
." It is possible that Menocchio attended a school such as this.
No complete list exists of the books that Menocchio might have read which influenced his view of the cosmos. At the time of his arrest several books were found, but since they were not prohibited, no record was taken. Based on Menocchio's first trial these books are known to have been read.
Based on the testimony from Menocchio's second trial these books also are known to be read.
Many of these books were loaned to Menocchio and were common of the time. How Menocchio read and interpreted these texts might provide insight into his views which lead to his execution for proselytizing heretical ideas.
's Micro History of Menocchio and source of much that is known of this 16th century miller.
Warned to denounce his ways and uphold the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
by both his inquisitors and his family, Menocchio returned to his village. Because of his nature, he was unable to cease speaking his ideology with those who would listen.
Montereale Valcellina
Montereale Valcellina is a comune in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 110 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km north of Pordenone....
, twenty-five kilometers north of Pordenone
Pordenone
Pordenone is a comune of Pordenone province of northeast Italy in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.The name comes from the Latin "Portus Naonis" meaning the port on the river Noncello - History :...
(not to be confused with Montereale, Abruzzo). His philosophical teachings earned him the title of a heresiarch
Heresiarch
A heresiarch is a founder or leader of a heretical doctrine or movement, as considered by those who claim to maintain an orthodox religious tradition or doctrine...
during the Inquisition
Roman Inquisition
The Roman Inquisition was a system of tribunals developed by the Holy See during the second half of the 16th century, responsible for prosecuting individuals accused of a wide array of crimes related to heresy, including Protestantism, sorcery, immorality, blasphemy, Judaizing and witchcraft, as...
and he was eventually burned at the stake in 1599, at the age of 67, on orders of Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
.
He was married and had eleven children. In 1581 he had been mayor of the village and the surrounding hamlets. He is the subject of Italian historian Carlo Ginzburg's
Carlo Ginzburg
Carlo Ginzburg is a noted historian and proponent of the field of microhistory. He is best known for his Il formaggio e I vermi which examined the beliefs of an Italian heretic, Menocchio, from Montereale Valcellina.- Biography :The son of Natalia Ginzburg and Leone Ginzburg, he was born...
book, The Cheese and the Worms, reflecting on Menocchio's theories and the society in which he lived and constructed them, as a facet of social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
.
Education
Menocchio's literacy may be accounted for by the establishment of schools in the villages surrounding FriuliFriuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
: Aviano
Aviano
Aviano is a town and comune of province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy.-History:...
and Pordenone
Pordenone
Pordenone is a comune of Pordenone province of northeast Italy in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.The name comes from the Latin "Portus Naonis" meaning the port on the river Noncello - History :...
. A school was opened at the beginning of the sixteenth century under the direction of Girolamo Amaseo for, "reading and teaching, without exception, children of citizens as well as those artisans and the lower classes, old as well as young, without payment
Free education
Free education refers to education that is funded through taxation, or charitable organizations rather than tuition fees. Although primary school and other comprehensive or compulsory education is free in many countries, for example, all education is mostly free including...
." It is possible that Menocchio attended a school such as this.
No complete list exists of the books that Menocchio might have read which influenced his view of the cosmos. At the time of his arrest several books were found, but since they were not prohibited, no record was taken. Based on Menocchio's first trial these books are known to have been read.
- 1. The Bible in the vernacular
- 2. Il Fioretto della Bibbia (a translation of a medieval Catalan chronicle compiled from various sources)
- 3. Il Lucidario della Madonna, by the Dominicam Albert da Castello
- 4. Il Lucendario de santi, by Jacopo da Voragine (see Golden LegendGolden LegendThe Golden Legend is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that became a late medieval bestseller. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived, compared to twenty or so of its nearest rivals...
) - 5. Historia del giudicio (anonymous fifteenth-century poem)
- 6. Il cavallier Zuanne de Mandavilla (an Italian translation of the book of travels attributed to Sir John Mandeville)
- 7. A book called Zampollo (Il sogno dil Caravia)
Based on the testimony from Menocchio's second trial these books also are known to be read.
- 8. Il supplimento della cronache
- 9. Lunario al modo di Italia calculato composto nella citta di Pescaro dal. ecc. mo dottore Marino Camilo de Leonardis
- 10. the Decameron of Boccaccio
- 11. an unidentified book believed to be an Italian translation of the Koran
Many of these books were loaned to Menocchio and were common of the time. How Menocchio read and interpreted these texts might provide insight into his views which lead to his execution for proselytizing heretical ideas.
The Cheese and the Worms
During the preliminary questioning Menocchio spoke freely as he felt he had done nothing wrong. It is in this hearing that he explained his cosmology about The Cheese and the Worms, the title of Carlo GinzburgCarlo Ginzburg
Carlo Ginzburg is a noted historian and proponent of the field of microhistory. He is best known for his Il formaggio e I vermi which examined the beliefs of an Italian heretic, Menocchio, from Montereale Valcellina.- Biography :The son of Natalia Ginzburg and Leone Ginzburg, he was born...
's Micro History of Menocchio and source of much that is known of this 16th century miller.
Menocchio said: "I have said that, in my opinion, all was chaos, that is, earth, air, water, and fire were mixed together; and out of that bulk a mass formed- just as cheese is made out of milk- and worms appeared in it, and these were the angels. The most holy majesty decreed that these should be God and the angels, and among that number of angels there was also God, he too having been created out of that mass at the same time, and he was named lord with four captains, Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. That Lucifer sought to make himself lord equal to the king, who was the majesty of God, and for this arrogance God ordered him driven out of heaven with all his host and his company; and this God later created Adam and Eve and people in great number to take the places of the angels who had been expelled. And as this multitude did not follow God's commandments, he sent his Son, whom the Jews seized, and he was crucified."
Warned to denounce his ways and uphold the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
by both his inquisitors and his family, Menocchio returned to his village. Because of his nature, he was unable to cease speaking his ideology with those who would listen.
External links
- Putting the Inquisition on Trial, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, April 17, 1998