Church, Censorship and Culture in Early Modern Italy (Cambridge Studies in Italian History and Culture)

Book info: Church, Censorship and Culture in Early Modern Italy (Cambridge Studies in Italian History and Culture) (Hardcover, 280 pages) – Cambridge University Press, 2001. Language: English.

This book covers one of the most controversial subjects in Italian historiography, namely the success or failure of the Church's policy during the counter-Reformation to exert rigorous control not only over theology but over all branches of knowledge. By drawing extensively upon newly-opened sources in the archive of the former Congregation of the Holy Office, generally known as the "Inquisition", it affords a more articulated and objective assessment of the effects of ecclesiastical censorship on religion and culture in early modern Italy. Editorial Reviews Review "This collection of articles on ecclesiastical censorship in Italy between the 1550s and 1630s is a landmark in the historiography of that controversial subject." The Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"Students and scholars alike will find the range of insights into the process and theory of censorship rewarding." Religious Studies Review

"Drawing extensively upon this archival source, the book highlights the wide gap between the Church's aim to exert control over all knowledge and actual implementation." Italian Journal

"...this collection of essays is one of extreme importance for the understanding of Italian intellectual life in the seventeenth century." Seventeenth-Century News

"Fragnito tells the story well. Along the way, she questions some long-held assumptions about the deleterious impact of censorship on Italian culture.... Some of the articles offer excellent new material and are well-organized.... all the articles list a wealth of printed primary and secondary sources." Catholic Historical Review Book Description 2001 essay collection on the Italian Church's attempt to control and censor 'knowledge' during the counter-Reformation.