CommunalPiety and theMendicants 451
tiangrossi.Fra Guido wascontentus.^202 The next day, with his head bare and
a rope around his neck, Ser Paolo knelt in the bishop’s palace, confessed that
he had lied at his first interrogation, and begged for mercy. He was then
silent out of shame and respect. At the request of the bishop, the podesta,
the guild directors, the city councilors, and other officials of the commune,
Fra Guido refunded the money deposited and reduced the sentence out of
consideration for Trintinelli’s age and health. Ser Paolo would only have to
attend sermons for the remaining two weeks of June.^203 The most prominent
critic of the condemnation had been humiliated and could be reintegrated
into the life of the city. Or had the communal government and bishop tired
of Fra Guido’s high-handed procedures and the witch hunt for protesters,
which had now touched even the ruling class?
In the wake of the excommunication in San Martino, a flood of self-
denunciations had begun to pour into the Holy Office on the same Monday
Ser Paolo made his first appearance.^204 A procession of twenty-five women
and two men, eighteen from the parishes of San Martino dell’Aposa and
Santa Maria della Mascarella, and five from parishes next to them, came to
confess their transgressions and asked to be absolved from excommunica-
tion. Their confessions were virtually identical; they had criticized the inquis-
itor, the friars, and the condemnation of Bompietro. They often made
reference to the denial of Communion. Four women, only one of whom was
from Bompietro’s parish, admitted to having been at the execution and hav-
ing spoken against the burning of Rosafiore’s bones. Fra Giacomo’s dragnet
excommunication at Mass had produced its first haul. Most who confessed
on Monday were probably present when Ser Paolo exploded, and had in-
curred the ban by voicing support. The inquisitor may have been surprised
to hear objections to the bone-burning. Fra Guido took £ 10 bon. bail from
fifteen and let the rest go with a warning.^205
The following day, 19 May, saw the largest number of self-denunciations
of the entire period of the investigation; forty-six confessed. They included
Bompietro’s son Giacomo, who was let go with a warning after admitting he
thought the inquisition had treated his father badly.^206 Santa Maria della
Mascarella was more heavily represented (thirteen depositions) that day, so
the excommunications may have been announced there after the haul of
penitents from San Martino on Monday. From the total of 320 self-denunci-
ations, 144 would be made by 26 May. All the rest, except for two, would be
202 .ASOB,no. 397 , 1 : 247.
203. Ibid., nos 45 , 574 , 1 : 75 – 76 , 2 : 326 – 29.
204. The depositions from this inquest form a collection in their own right in Bologna, Biblioteca
dell’Archiginnasio,msB. 1856 (ca. 1300 ). Fol. 36 ris the title page of the inquest. Fol. 35 vis blank. The
depositions begin on fol. 36 v.
205. Cf. Paolini,Eresia, 69 (who thinks thecautioneswere imposed only four times); the imposition of
cautioneswas common, especially in the early days of the inquest.
206 .ASOB,no. 214 , 1 : 184.