The victims of the Inquisition were scholars, military leaders, and missionaries who challenged Catholic creeds.
On 21 July 1542, Pope Paul III established a Central Tribunal in his edict "Licet ab inicio" (from the outset) whose rights were not restricted. This fire has been burning throughout Christian Europe for centuries, but now the struggle against heresy has reached unprecedented levels. Witch trials, massive spies who expose infidels and receive generous rewards for them, secret prisons – the Roman Inquisition system is very similar to the Spanish Inquisition system. The torture tools used by the interrogators were astonishingly cruel.
Jan Huss (1369-1415)
As a Czech Reformation thinker, he gave speeches criticizing the feudal lords and the Catholic Church (especially the pardon system). At the time, it was an unheard of disrespect. Jan-Huss also changed the spelling rules of the Czech language and composed several songs that were loved by people. Huss's influence is growing. In 1409, the Pope issued an edict against Czech priests. His sermons were banned, but Jan Huss did not rush to give up, but continued his work. In 1414 he was summoned to the Council of Konstanz, guaranteeing his complete safety. Shortly after his arrival, however, the thinker was arrested and accused of heresy.
He did not abandon his faith. On 6 July 1415, Jan Huss was burned at the stake. After his death, the Houthis War broke out in present-day Bohemia, where followers of missionaries and Catholics fought each other.
Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
The French woman, who inspired thousands of soldiers in battle, did not escape persecution by the Inquisition. She was tried on charges of heresy and held as a prisoner of war in a British-guarded prison. The judges set a cunning trap for Joan of Arc to be sentenced as soon as possible. For example, she was asked to recite a prayer during the trial. The slightest hesitation or mistake in reading is interpreted as a confession of heresy. The girl insisted on reciting prayers at the time of confession.
At one meeting, Jeanne spoke the names of the saints she had heard, described her hallucinations, and predicted the military defeat of the British. Judging by her testimony, the allegations were quickly fabricated. Fearing extradition to the British, Joan retracted her testimony and promised to return to the arms of the Church. In this case, the burning on the stake was replaced by life imprisonment. However, during her imprisonment, Joan of Arc once again put on men's clothing. Joan of Arc was expelled from the church. The judges decided to hand Duck over to secular justice, and on May 30, 1431, she was burned at the stake.
Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)
The Italian philosopher was denounced by the Venetian nobleman Giovanni Mochenigo, who was taught to bruno. These condemnations suggest that Bruno called Jesus a sorcerer and denied the basic beliefs of Christianity. The philosopher was first imprisoned in Venice, but the local Inquisition did not dare to complete the trial on its own: his fame was too great. He was escorted to Rome, where Giordano was imprisoned for 6 years. Nothing forced him to abandon his beliefs.
On 9 February 1600, the Inquisition Court declared the scholar a pagan. On 17 February, he was burned to death in a central square of Rome. Thousands of people watched the execution. Notably, Bruno's death sentence makes no mention of the heliocentric world system he defends. The scientist was executed mainly for his heretical views, which contradicted Christian doctrine.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Galileo-Galileo's contribution to science cannot be overestimated. He founded experimental physics and laid the foundations of classical mechanics. Alas, the scientist's vision of the world order put him in the hands of the Inquisition. The "well-wishers" denounced the Pope Galileo's book, Dialogue on the Two Principal Systems of the World, Ptolemy and Copernicus. Pope Urban VIII recognized himself from one of the characters and was furious. The scholar was summoned to Rome for trial: despite his advanced age and poor health, his request for a postponement of the trial was denied.
Galileo lost his sight in prison. Historians are still debating whether he was tortured. After a 3-month trial, he gave up his convictions, which saved his life. He was placed under house arrest and monitored by the Inquisition until his death.
Alessandro Calyostro (1743-1795)
The famous mystic spent most of his life searching for the elixir of immortality. He introduced himself to his friends as a "great man" and spread incredible rumors about him. Cagliestero is said to be able to turn lead into gold and to converse with the souls of the dead. In addition, Alessandro is said to be able to cure seriously ill patients. He also visited St. Petersburg as a healer, but at that time mysticism was not in high demand among the nobility.
Cagliostro wandered around Europe until his return to Rome in 1789. Almost on arrival, he was arrested on Masonic charges. During the trial, all of Cagliestero's fraudulent transactions were exposed. By the way, it was his wife who testified against him. The "great alchemist" was sentenced to burn at the stake, but was commuted to life imprisonment after repentance. After four years in prison, Alessandro died.