Acqua Tofana
In 1630, in Palermo, there lived a woman of extraordinary beauty who had been born into extreme poverty. In order to escape her miserable condition and improve her life, she chose to engage in an activity that was both unusual and dangerous: helping women rid themselves of violent and oppressive husbands. Her influence spread far beyond Sicily, reaching cities such as Perugia, Naples and, above all, Rome. Her name was Giulia Tofana.
Thanks to this invention, Giulia became wealthy and powerful. Her success relied on the willingness of many wives who, at a time when divorce was not legally recognised, saw widowhood as the only possible escape from unhappy marriages. After several years, however, one of her clients, the Countess of Ceri , raised serious suspicions when she used the entire contents of the vial in an attempt to kill her husband. His death drew the attention of relatives and authorities.
Giulia Tofana was consequently arrested, imprisoned and tortured. During her interrogations, she confessed to having sold, particularly in Rome and during the years of the plague, enough vials to cause the deaths of around six hundred people, over a period spanning from 1633 to 1651.
The composition of the poison, known as Aqua Tofana or Manna of Saint Nicholas, is known today, although the exact quantities of its ingredients remain uncertain. The mixture contained water, arsenic, lead, antimony and an extract derived from belladonna berries. The result was a colourless, odourless and tasteless liquid, extremely difficult to detect.
Once ingested, the poison initially caused vomiting and fever, symptoms that could easily be mistaken for ordinary intestinal illnesses. This feature made it particularly insidious, as death occurred slowly, sometimes after several weeks, without immediately arousing suspicion.
