Claudia Colla

Last updated

Claudia Colla (died 1611) was an alleged Italian witch, and the ducal mistress of the sovereign Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma. She was convicted for witchcraft, accused of having caused the childess marriage of her former lover the Duke by use of witchcraft, alongside her mother Elena Colla and Antonia Zanini.

Life

Claudia Colla belonged to the Parmesan merchant class. She was described as an attractive girl. She became the lover of the Duke when she was fifteen. During her tenure as Ducal mistress, she and her mother Elena Colla lived in the Ducal Palace in Parma. She had two children with the Duke. In 1599, her ducal lover Farnese married Margherita Aldobrandini for political reasons. Due to the marriage, Claudia Colla and her mother and children were forced to leave the Ducal Palace.

Ranuccio I suffered from heart disease, epilepsy and mood swings. He also suffered from a lack of healthy heirs within his marriage. Two of Margherita Aldobrandini's pregnancies ended prematurely, and two resulted in the birth of children who died shortly after birth. Eventually, Ranuccio I became convinced that his misfortunes was caused by the Devil through a witch.

After a decade of childless marriage, Farnese accused Claudia Colla and her mother Elena for having caused the lack of offspring by the use of sorcery. [1] The accusation of sorcery was unusual for someone of her class. [2] The accusation was launched after Claudia Colla had requested that the Duke acknowledge his natural children by her. This caused the Duke to suspect that Colla caused the infertility of his marriage in order to benefit her own children with him.

Claudia and Elena Colla was imprisoned first in Rocchetta and later in the cellar of the Castle Gragnano on Trebbia. They were subjected to torture, which resulted in them confessing to the crimes of witchcraft. They confessed to having used magic to make the Duke fall in love with Claudia Colla; to cause the illness of the Duke; and to ensure that no healthy children where to be born by the Duchess. They also named Antonia Zanini as their assistant, and Zanini was arrested and confessed to be a Devil worshipper and having met Satan.

The confessions caused the convictions of the accused. Claudia Colla was judged guilty and both she and her mother was sentenced to be executed by burning. [3] She was executed by burning at the stake. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchy of Parma and Piacenza</span> Former Italian state from 1545–1802 and 1814–1859

The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pier Luigi Farnese</span> Duke of Parma and Piacenza

Pier Luigi Farnese was the first Duke of Castro from 1537 to 1545 and the first Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1545 to 1547. He was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. He became a soldier and participated in the sack of Rome in 1527.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranuccio I Farnese</span> Duke of Parma and Piacenza

Ranuccio I Farnese reigned as Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1592. A firm believer in absolute monarchy, Ranuccio, in 1594, centralised the administration of Parma and Piacenza, thus rescinding the nobles' hitherto vast prerogative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wars of Castro</span> Conflicts between the papacy and Parma (1641–44, 1646–49)

The Wars of Castro were a series of conflicts during the mid-17th century revolving around the ancient city of Castro, which eventually resulted in the city's destruction on 2 September 1649. The conflict was a result of a power struggle between the papacy – represented by members of two deeply entrenched Roman families and their popes, the Barberini and Pope Urban VIII and the Pamphili and Pope Innocent X – and the Farnese dukes of Parma, who controlled Castro and its surrounding territories as the Duchy of Castro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Farnese</span> Influential family in Renaissance Italy

The House of Farnese was an influential family in Renaissance Italy. The titles of Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Duke of Latera and Duke of Castro were held by various members of the family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma</span> Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1622–1646

Odoardo Farnese, also known as Odoardo I Farnese to distinguish him from his grandson Odoardo II Farnese, was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1622 to 1646.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Farnese</span> Duke of Parma

Antonio Farnese was the eighth and final Farnese Duke of Parma and Piacenza. He married, in 1727, Enrichetta d'Este of Modena with the intention of begetting an heir. The marriage, however, was childless, leading to the succession of Charles of Spain, whose mother, Elisabeth Farnese, was Antonio's niece, to the ducal throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma</span> Hereditary Prince of Parma

Odoardo Farnese was the eldest son of Duke Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza. Odoardo was the Hereditary Prince of Parma from his birth until his death. He was the father of the famously domineering Elisabeth, Queen of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata</span> Church in Parma, Italy

The Shrine of Santa Maria della Steccata is a Greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy. The name derives from the fence in the church. A Nursing Madonna is enshrined within, crowned on 27 May 1601 by a Marian devotee, Fray Giacomo di Forli of the Capuchin order. Pope Benedict XVI raised the Marian sanctuary to the status of Basilica minor on 9 February 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella d'Este, Duchess of Parma</span> Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza

Isabella d'Este was Duchess of Parma, and second wife of Duke Ranuccio II Farnese. She was the paternal grandmother of Elisabetta Farnese, Queen of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margherita de' Medici</span> Duchess of Parma and Piacenza from 1628 to 1646

Margherita de' Medici was Duchess of Parma and Piacenza by her marriage to Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma. Margherita was regent of Piacenza in 1635, and regent of the entire duchy from 1646 until 1648 during the minority of her son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Margaret Yolande of Savoy</span> Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza

Margaret Yolande of Savoy was Princess of Savoy from birth and later Duchess consort of Parma. A proposed bride for her first cousin Louis XIV of France, she later married Ranuccio Farnese, son of the late Odoardo Farnese and Margherita de' Medici. She died in childbirth in 1663.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria d'Este</span> Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza

Maria d'Este was a Modenese princess and Duchess of Parma as the wife of Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma. She was a daughter of Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena and Maria Caterina Farnese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Caterina Farnese</span> Duchess consort of Modena and Reggio

Maria Caterina Farnese was a member of the Ducal House of Farnese. She was Duchess of Modena as the first wife of Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena. In some sources she is known simply as Maria Farnese.

Margherita Maria Farnese was an Italian noblewoman born into the House of Farnese. She was the Duchess of Modena and Reggio by marriage to her first cousin Francesco II d'Este, Duke of Modena. Her niece was Elisabeth Farnese, wife of Philip V of Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margherita Farnese</span> Hereditary Princess of Mantua

Margherita Farnese, was an Italian noblewoman member of the House of Farnese and by marriage Hereditary Princess of Mantua between 1581–1583.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margherita Aldobrandini</span> Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza

Margherita Aldobrandini, was an Italian noblewoman member of the Aldobrandini family and by marriage Duchess consort of Parma and Piacenza during 1600–1622. She was also Regent of both Duchies during 1626–1628 on behalf of her minor son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vittoria Farnese</span> Duchess consort of Modena and Reggio

Vittoria Farnese was an Italian noblewoman. She was born in Parma, the daughter of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Margherita Aldobrandini, niece of Pope Clement VIII. On 12 February 1648 she married Francesco I d'Este, widower of her sister Maria Farnese. Vittoria died in Modena in 1649, dying while giving birth to the couple's only child, also called Vittoria (1649–1656). Francesco then married a third time, to Lucrezia Barberini, in Loreto in October 1654.

Ottavio Farnese was an Italian nobleman of the House of Farnese, which ruled the Duchy of Parma from 1545 to 1731.

Olimpia Aldobrandini, Princess of Meldola was an Italian noblewoman, known by historians as Olimpia Aldobrandini the Elder to distinguish her from her granddaughter Olimpia Aldobrandini the Younger (1623-1681).

References

  1. ↑ Francesco Luigi Campari, Un processo di streghe in Piacenza (1611-1615), in: Bollettino Storico Piacentino, I, 1906, p. 70-75. Sur le procès en sorcellerie de Claudia Colla.
  2. ↑ "Thousands of women, accused of sorcery, tortured and executed in Indian witch hunts". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  3. ↑ Ceriotti, Luca; Dallasta, Federica (2008-06-30). Il posto di Caifa. L'Inquisizione a Parma negli anni dei Farnese: L'Inquisizione a Parma negli anni dei Farnese (in Italian). FrancoAngeli. ISBN   9788846493804.
  4. ↑ Harrison, D. (2022). Ondskans tid: En historia om trolldom och häxeri. Sverige: Historiska media.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.