ABSTRACT

In 1600, Giordano Bruno, one of the leading intellectuals of the Renaissance, was burned at the stake on the charge of heresy by the Roman Inquisition. He is remembered primarily for his cosmological theories, particularly that the universe was infinite with the Earth not being at its centre. Today, he has become a symbol of the struggle for religious and philosophical tolerance.

The Trial of Giordano Bruno, originally published in Italian in 2018, provides English audiences with a complete and updated reconstruction of the inquisitorial trial by analysing the accusations, witnesses, and legal proceedings in detail. The author also gives a detailed profile of Bruno as well as the body which arrested and accused him – the Inquisition.

This book will appeal to all those interested in the life and death of Giordano Bruno, as well as those interested in Early Modern legal proceedings, the Roman Inquisition, and the history of religious and philosophical tolerance.

chapter |12 pages

Introduction

part 1|65 pages

“Because When It Was Time He Wanted to be a Captain”

chapter 2|13 pages

The Circle Closes

chapter 3|13 pages

Return to the Past

chapter 4|12 pages

The Machine of the Inquisition

part 2|74 pages

“Many Times Have I Been Threatened That I Would be Made to Come to This Holy Office”

chapter 5|14 pages

The End in the Beginning

chapter 6|15 pages

The Stalemate

chapter 7|20 pages

In the Prisons of the Inquisition

chapter 8|23 pages

Before the Throne of Peter

part 3|76 pages

“A Willing Martyr”

chapter 9|20 pages

The Choice

chapter 10|18 pages

The Mysteries of the Capuchin

chapter 11|17 pages

The Summer of 1599

chapter |3 pages

Epilogue. On the Ground of Truth