The child victim of Jewish ritual murder. The metamorphosis of a hagiographic model (15th - 20th centuries)

The meeting focuses on hagiographic and devotional aspescts linked with the worship of presumed victims of Jewish ritual murder. 

Particular attention will be given to the role of storytelling in the education of children and in the construction of models of child sanctity

Speaker: Tommaso Caliò

The meeting is part of a series of appointments proposed by the Museum as part of the exhibition Inventing the culprit.The ‘case’ of Simonino da Trento, from propaganda to history  (open until 13 April 2020). It is dedicated to the 'case' of Simonino da Trento, a child who was a presumed victim of Jewish ritual murder, and venerated for centuries as an innocent 'martyr'. The story, dating back to the 15th century, could be defined today as a resounding fake news of the past, in which anti-Jewish sentiments, devotional needs and ecclesiastical political ambitions are intertwined. The exhibition aims to draw the public's attention to one of the darkest pages of anti-Semitism, to stimulate reflection on the mechanisms of 'building the enemy' and the power of propagand