Village Justice: Community, Family, and Popular Culture in Early Modern…

In Pentidattilo in the Kingdom of Naples in 1710, Domenica Orlando, a peasant woman, was brought to trail for the murder by poisoning of her husband. Wither her were tried Anna de Amico, a neighbour who provided the poison, and Pietro Crea, Domenica's alleged lover. During the trial, it was revealed that over the years, Anna had helped both Domenica and other village women obtain abortions. Domenica confessed and all three defendants were tortured. Domenica eventually escaped while awaiting sentencing, Anna received a 15-year prison term and Pietro was allowed to go free. In this analysis of the culture in which Domenica and her accomplices lived, the author uses the case to study rural society in Italy in the early modern period.