Minn sħaħar u qaddisin għal nisa devoti: kif in-nisa sfidaw il-patrijarkat f’Malta tal-aħħar tas-seklu 17 – Taħdita Pubblika minn James Debono

What can Inquisition records reveal about the everyday experiences of ordinary women in Malta over three centuries ago? Find out at a public lecture by James Debono taking place at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu on November 19th at 7:00pm. Despite their limited social standing, these women were far from passive participants in a male-dominated society. The historical documents reference women who wielded religion, magic, and popular superstitions as tools for navigating a world where they possessed minimal formal authority. During the Counter-Reformation period, the Church sought to expand women's roles within religious life and domestic spheres while restricting their influence in broader communities, where women had traditionally exercised considerable power through magical practices in areas such as healing. Economic hardship and social constraints meant many women turned to practices beyond ecclesiastical oversight. Several employed magic to attract romantic partners or influence their husbands' behavior.