«Non già l’huomo per le stelle, ma le stelle son fatte per l’huomo». La repressione dell’astrologia giudiziaria a Siena negli anni dell’emanazione della bolla Coeli et terrae (1586), in «Rivista di Storia del Cristianesimo», 18/1 (2021), pp. 97-122.

The paper aims to study how the repression of astrology occurred in southern Tuscany following the condemnation expressed in the bull Coeli et terrae, issued by the pope Sixtus V on January 5, 1586. The Sistine bull imposed the requisition of all books of astrology and related disciplines, both in print and in manuscripts, as well as the revocation of all concessions in force until then. The documents preserved in the archive of the Sienese court of the Holy Office clearly show how the new directives led not only to the confiscation of entire libraries, but also to a general increase of the fight against divination practices, which were then still particularly widespread in different social and cultural spheres but sometimes communicating. An overall look at the trials, however, also shows that the repressive action was more incisive in the eighties of the sixteenth century and then weakened considerably in the following period until the complete cessation of the accusations.