Dissident Affiliation, Residence, and Occupation in the Inquisition Register of Bologna, 1291–1310
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | This paper explores the relationship of dissidence to occupation, residence, and socioeconomic conditions as portrayed in the inquisition register of Bologna (1291–1310). It investigates whether the occupational composition of heresy suspects reflected broader patterns in Bologna’s urban social fabric and whether wealth profiles of parishes and occupational groups shaped involvement in dissidence. While earlier scholarship – both in Italy and in the Languedoc – has emphasized craftsmen occupations, particularly textile and leather workers, as especially inclined towards Catharism, this analysis challenges that assumption in the Bolognese context. Comparing the proportions of the occupational groups and parishes among suspects of heresy to their proportions in the general population (using the 1296–97 estimo, or tax declaration, as a proxy), the analysis reveals no significant overrepresentation of these occupational groups among heresy suspects. Instead, the findings point to the role of professional zoning and neighborhood dynamics in shaping patterns of religious dissent, suggesting that heresy spread through communal ties rather than being tied to specific economic classes or professions. |
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