Abstract
Abstract: In early modern Venice, men and women regularly visited wells and remote islands to summon the Devil. This practice, rooted in traditions established in the Middle Ages, continued into the eighteenth century. One popular form of this tradition involved witches opening up a portal to Hell in the deserted wells of the city. Witnesses to these conjurations testified that they could smell sulfur, see hellfire and smoke, and hear the groaning of the damned when the witches performed their magical rites. The Devil himself appeared to talk to the witch who summoned him, usually to give her advice on elections to the Great Council or the location of hidden treasures. Using trials from the Venetian Inquisition, this essay examines women's involvement in the political life of the city, maintaining that through their expertise in magic and knowledge of rumor, they played a larger role in the early modern state and knew more of its secrets than we have credited them with having.
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