Trent 1475: Stories of a Ritual Murder Trial

by R. Po-chia Hsia

"A highly readable report of one of the most notorious chapters in the history of anti-Semitism. The book gives the modern historian and the general public access to the stunning spectacle of medieval ’due process,’ the assumptions of the persecutors, and the experiences of the victims."—Heiko A. Oberman, author of Man between God and the Devil

On Easter Sunday, 1475, the dead body of a two-year-old boy named Simon was found in the cellar of a Jewish family's house in Trent, Italy. Town magistrates arrested all eighteen Jewish men and one Jewish woman living in Trent on the charge of ritual murder—the killing of a Christian child in order to use his blood in Jewish religious rites. Under judicial torture and imprisonment, the men confessed and were condemned to death; their womenfolk, who had been kept under house arrest with their children, denounced the men under torture and eventually converted to Christianity. A papal hearing in Rome about possible judicial misconduct in Trent made the trial widely known and led to a wave of anti-Jewish propaganda and other accusations of ritual murder against the Jews.

In this engrossing book, R. Po-chia Hsia reconstructs the events of this tragic persecution, drawing principally on the Yeshiva Manuscript, a detailed trial record made by authorities in Trent to justify their execution of the Jews and to bolster the case for the canonization of "Little Martyr Simon." Hsia depicts the Jewish victims (whose testimonies contain fragmentary stories of their tragic lives as well as forced confessions of kidnap, torture, and murder), the prosecuting magistrates, the hostile witnesses, and the few Christian neighbors who tried in vain to help the Jews. Setting the trial and its documents in the historical context of medieval blood libel, Hsia vividly portrays how fact and fiction can be blurred, how judicial torture can be couched in icy orderliness and impersonality, and how religious rites can be interpreted as ceremonies of barbarism.

Published in cooperation with Yeshiva University Library

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Jewish, Politics, Italy, Academic

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 1992

About the author

Ronnie Hsia is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA.

His research is focused on the history of the Protestant Reformation, Catholic Renewal, anti-Semitism, and the encounter between Europe and Asia.

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

R. Po-Chia Hsia’s Trent 1475 is a succinct and informative case study, sitting at the crossroads of Medieval law and religious history. In it, Hsia examines the moral panic that gripped the city of Trent, Italy, following the death of Simon Unferdorben, a two-year-old boy whose body was found on Easter Sunday of 1475. Accusations of a blood libel quickly ensued, as charges were immediately leveled against members of the city’s small Jewish community. With careful attention to detail, Hsia unpacks the ways in which Catholic law and order functioned to confirm, codify, and perpetuate the deeply entrenched anti-Semitic beliefs at the time. The torture suffered by these men and women was truly horrific, and – as Hsia puts it – the court documents reveal nothing less than a “Christian ethnography of barbarism.”

Trent 1475 also spends a considerable amount of time tracking the development of “Simon of Trent” as a symbol against the wider backdrop of Catholic symbol-systems. This foray into religious anthropology and semiology was a nice touch. As Hsia’s research shows, Simon Unferdorben transitioned from being a real deceased person into “Simon of Trent” – an image cultivated for a variety of reasons throughout the entire legal ordeal and beyond. The “Simon” icon evolved along several trajectories, and it was manipulated in different ways, depending on the needs of the belief-holders. Beginning with “Simon”, the boy-victim, we see his icon becoming “Saint Simon”, the martyr. In other places, he was characterized as “Little Simon”, the Christ-child incarnate. Yet, perhaps even above the other symbols, he also became “Simon of Trent” – a racialized tragi-hero and anti-Semitic shorthand.

It seems that the icon proved just flexible enough to accommodate an array of meanings over time, and it is this point that I found to be the most fruitful part of Hsia’s book. Not only does the symbol illuminate the adaptive function of anti-Semitism at large, but it also points toward the potential future of anti-Semitism as well. For instance, Hsia makes a keen observation on the compatibility between anti-Semitism and the printing press, and therefore globalizing communication technologies in general. He writes:

“Thus the printing press, introduced to Italy from central Europe, with many German masters among the first generation of printers, was indispensable in creating a major cultural event out of the Trent blood libel. Far from reflecting a mood of optimism, often attributed to the revival of classical learning, this new technology expressed the deeply felt anxiety of Christian Europe.”

Racial hatred in general, and anti-Semitism in particular, have an especially close relationship with communications technology. The people who distribute such hateful ideologies are often quite tech-savvy, and tend to have a vested interest in promoting technological development.

In much the same way that the printing press enabled anti-Semitic texts to reach a global audience, the internet has allowed anti-Semitism to penetrate even further. Trent 1475 was published in 1992, during the infancy of the internet age – well before the current age of online disinformation and chat-forum conspiracy theories, such as QAnon. In 1992, Hsia could not have predicted how the iconography and martyrdom of “Little Simon” would be re-appropriated by hate groups and far-right sleuths online. In fact, he concludes his book on an optimistic, if slightly naïve, note:

“If the record of the ritual murder trial still contains different voices from the past, monuments to the death of Little Simon have lost their original signification. Once, the spirit of the martyred boy pervaded the buildings and monuments to his memory. Then, after 1965, his remains were removed from St. Peter’s and laid to rest. Today, a visitor to Trent can walk up the Via Manci from the State Archive and, within a few minutes, stand before the Palazzo Salvadori, on the site of Samuel’s house in 1475, and the scene of the alleged slaughter. On the façade of the Baroque palace are two bas-reliefs depicting the death and ascension of Simon. For centuries, these images without words told the official stories of Simon, Samuel, Tobias, Engel, and the Jews of Trent. Today, they have lost the power of enchantment and have turned back to stone.”

If Hsia extended his examination of the printing press into the emergent digital culture of the early 1990s, he may have been able to see how anti-Semitism would appear on the distant horizon.

From the vantage point of 2023, we can see how the “Little Simon” iconography has been re-animated online, once again awoken from the stony slumber characterized by Hsia. Case in point – in 2022, some QAnon supporters interpreted blood libel images of “Little Simon” as ‘proof’ that an international underground ring of Satanists and Cabalists have been extracting adrenochrome from the blood of innocent children for centuries. These individuals believe that this blood libel is still being perpetuated today by wealthy elites, politicians, bankers, and Hollywood executives. Not coincidentally, all of those occupations have stereotypically Jewish undertones.

It is tempting to just turn away and ignore these ridiculous conspiracy theories. However, when we take a closer look at them, and give them a serious close-reading, we can see how they are part of a very long, very deeply rooted history of racialized paranoia, with Jews at the centre of a changing set of anxieties across time and space. I would love to see a follow up study of the transformation of the “Little Simon” image into the digital space. His martyrdom is another clear example of the presence of the past, and how we never really seem to outgrow old prejudices.

I’ll end this commentary on the relationship between communications technology and discrimination with a reference to Oliver Stone’s 1988 film, Talk Radio. Toward the end of the film, the protagonist – played by Eric Bogosian – gives a wonderful, desperate performance. Ranting blindly into his microphone to an imagined audience, Bogosian cries: “Marvelous technology is at our disposal, and instead of reaching up to new heights, we’re gonna see how far down we can go! How deep into the muck we can immerse ourselves!” His concerns are as valid now as they were thirty-five years ago. More than ever, we have the wonders of technology at our fingertips and in our pockets. We have the entire world in the palms of our hands, and yet we seem to be getting even more entrenched in propaganda, falsehoods, and hatred. In showing the intimate, archetypal connection between technology, communication, and hate, perhaps studies like Hsia’s book can shed some light on our otherwise dimming relationship with free speech and media.

[Noah Lederman Greis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinary and useful, though I wish it was longer and had more direct quotations from the trial records. The drama of their dialogue is simply astounding. Full-on crazy that the cult of Simon of Trent, and the boy's body only removed from the S:t Peter's Church, two years before my mother was born.

SARA: [I] was promised yesterday that [I] would not be asked anymore questions. So [you] should stop asking.
PODESTA: Does she now not want to say the truth? If so, [I] will let [you] be led off and bound.
SARA: [I] will now say the truth, if it does not cost [me] [my] life.
PODESTA: She should say the truth.

He ordered her to be bound and hoisted up.

SARA: I see that you desire my death. You want mer to say something which will result in my death.
PODESTA: She should speak the truth.
SARA: What did Shölein confess to?
PODESTA: She repeated the truth.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent documentation of a real tragedy. The entire Jewish community of Trent (a small town in northern Italy) was wiped out when they were accused of murdering a Christian child in order to use his blood in their religious rituals. For my characters Benjamin and Esther Catalan, who in THE HERETIC escaped the Church's persecution in Spain, this is a powerful reminder that their problems are not over. The sequel is titled THE POPE'S CONSPIRACY.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little microhistory of a horrific case of Jewish persecution for a fictionalized charge of blood libel. The author does not dig too deep beyond the story, which is fascinating in and of itself, to make larger observations or conclusions, but overall a good read and a nice bit of historical writing.

[Lou Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class:
This book was okay, the murder trial in Trent is horrible and upsetting, but this book tells it in such a roundabout and distancing way that there are many places where I forgot exactly what was happening. It felt like so much of this could have been cut, the parts that I wanted to be explained more were so short and the extended parts were so long. It would have been interesting to have an in depth look at the interviews and what each person ends up confessing to or discrepancies in the trial records, however so much more time is spent on the history of different clergy members.

[Joshua Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a strong piece of history on a difficult subject; would be useful to do more tracking of this trope before and after this particular case, as it does limit the interest of the book to those who are more concerned with the broader picture of the development in anti-Semitism. However, if you are interested in the history of the blood libel/ritual sacrifice myths, Hsia's telling is a careful handling of the most prominent case.

[Pirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the unequivacle tone condemning the blood libel, but I got lost in the details.

[Jackson B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, interesting work of microhistory accessible to the layman. If you can manage to keep the different Seligmans and Moses apart and remember the dates, it’s a not a terribly complicated narrative, though he does frequently jump back a few months to focus on one or a handful of characters at a time. Make sure you do not skim over the names and dates.

Given the limitations of the genre, one can’t ask for much more, but I was intrigued by the suggestion that Trent was a turning point in the history of blood libel (or, at least, a link between what would have been unrelated incidents) and would have have liked more contextualization, comparing it to earlier and later accusations. Hsia also points out that the theology of the eucharist as developed in the middle ages brought with it claims of host desecration directed against Jews and heretics, which makes for an interesting analogy between it, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the “martyrdom” of Simon. I would have liked more exploration of the relationship between theology and rising antisemitism in the period, though that would likely be out of the scope of such a limited book.
An expansion of his “levels of meaning” of the narrative would have been welcome, and likely more appropriate for the topic.

If nothing else, this book has made me want to read Hsia’s, “The Myth of Ritual Murder” to learn more about early modern blood libel in general, but this is a good overview of the Trent incident in particular.

[Tam Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chưa bao giờ quan tâm đến Do Thái và Thiên Chúa Giáo trước khi đọc cuốn này. Không ngờ thời Trung cổ ngày xưa người ta mơ mộng kiểu gì mà nghĩ rằng người Do Thái giết trẻ con Thiên Chúa giáo để giúp phụ nữ "chữa" bệnh kinh nguyệt. Rồi đủ thứ tra tấn để người ta phải phải thú nhận bằng cách nói dối. Sau quyển này đau đớn nhận ra rằng chả có tí công lí nào trên thế giới này cả. Và hơn nữa, niềm tin mang lại khổ đau cho con người. Con người chia rẽ vì nó. Không hiểu tại sao trong các tôn giáo Thiên Chúa lại khó hòa hợp với các tôn giáo khác đến như thế. Bao nhiêu sự thật bị giấu kín, bao nhiêu máu đã chảy. Chả còn có thể tin vào niềm tin và con người nữa.

[KMaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very in depth record and analysis of a blood libel trial, offering a detailed overview of life and the justice process in 15th century Italy, the powerful impact of anti-semitic hate, and an intriguing glimpse of the role individuals in varying parts of society played in seeking to protect and aid the accused in the face of violent bigotry and hatred.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent must read about Trent in 1475. Really delves into the life in Trent's community as Christians and Jews lived in relative harmony prior to a tragedy that reshaped the town. A good monolith on one of the earlier persecutions against Jews.

[saizine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating microhistory. The narrative of the events and the critical analysis is well-balanced; the prose is engaging and evocative, particularly in the chapter regarding the accused women. (Read for a university course.)

[Jenniet Galvan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite read. Humans do really bad things to each other. It was a difficult read.