'Familia inquisitionis': a study of inquisitors' entourage (13th-14th century).

The 13th and 14th century Medieval Inquisition in Italy and France has left many records about the inquiries undertaken, and inspired chroniclers and polemicists to write about the deeds and misdeeds of this very exceptional tribunal. However, very little specific material has been left on the 'familia inquisitionis', the group of people who, to various extents, helped inquisitors on their day-to-day management of the tribunal, run their houses and their jails, supported enquiries as professional officers, collaborators and spies. Official documentation (papal documents, episcopal letters, canon law and manuals) does not refer to them. Jailers, notaries, servants, spies and several supporters have thus drifted into historical oblivion. Yet, inquisitorial sources do provide glimpses of this 'family', which is accounted for especially in the expenses books.
While the most recent historiography has focussed on the connections between the Inquisition tribunal and the milieu within which it operated, re-visiting and investigating the relationship between political patterns and ecclesiological agendas at a local level, very little light has been shed on another aspect of the interaction between inquisitors and their environment.
This study will aim at a reconstruction of the patterns of co-operation between inquisitors and local communities. This will be seen not so much as a stark opposition (Inquisition versus local communities/authorities/communal structures), but as a mutual exchange. Inquisitors were often relatively local or familiar to the places where they operated, and to some degree were part of such groupings. Equally, local communities 'used' the Inquisition as a generator of income, a powerful way to solve disputes, a source of support.
Among the aspect that will be investigated are:
- the extent to which the world of these ecclesiastical officials relied on professional support provided by the notaries, and at the same time the advantages notaries obtained professionally and in terms of personal prestige by being employed by the tribunal over a length of time;
- whether or not historians can talk about a systematic management of the 'familia' throughout the areas regulated by the tribunal (with specific emphasis on France and Italy);
- the existence of strategies to handle conversion of suspects and their re-integration into the orthodox society;
- the management of possessions obtained through confiscation;
- the existence of a support network or financial support for the collaborators and spies;
- the extent of corruption as a general practice (corruption of both the inquisitors and of their employees).

1) The Inquisition is often considered among the 'hot' topics when popularising the Medieval period. Media often draw upon the darkest sides of its history (the stakes, torture, the 'holy war') in order to appeal to the wider public. On several occasions I myself have been approached by television (BBC, Channel 4) and newspapers (The Independent) to be interviewed, or to contribute to television programmes on the theme. I have declined the invitation, so far, as my interest lies more in the Inquisition's historical context and its repercussions on historical events, than in its exceptional features.
A study of the day-to-day management of the tribunal, could potentially overturn the general public's perception of this Medieval phenomenon, and highlight those aspects which - as will be shown further on - can be more easily related to our times. Increasingly current research is bringing to the fore the image of a tribunal made up by individual officials, dealing with individual suspects, on a one-to-one basis. Thus, the 'monolithic' image of the Inquisition as a 'repressive machine' is being successfully challenged. The potentially high impact on media and popularised history is therefore evident.
2) I have contacted the Vatican (Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, Vatican Secret Archives), and will continue to pursue this link while progressing with my research. The aim is to promote an awareness of recent historical findings among those institutions and practitioners who still deal with issues of doctrinal non-conformity (Congregation) and with the preservation of their archival possessions (Secret Archives). This fits in well with the recent move made by the Catholic Church under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II (Karol Woytila) towards the re-assessment of the role of the Church within this period of history. In 2000 the papacy has nominated an independent academic panel with a view to operate a necessary historical update on the theme. The Dominican and Franciscan orders, too, have followed in those steps by promoting conferences, tables rondes and publications to which I have been invited to contribute (2002-9).The proposed research will appeal to those organisations wishing to pursue further a clearer understanding of this controversial aspect of religious history.
3) Since its inception in the 1230s, the inquisitorial tribunal has set the methodological and procedural basis for legal practices still operating in some mainland European countries. The recent, and equally controversial focus of international affairs on modern examples of interrogation of suspects, makes the topic up-to-date for our society. Particularly, this proposal's focus on the interaction between tribunal and the communities within which it operated can potentially be of striking interest for the understanding of current policies. Legal practitioners, politicians and policy-makers alike will benefit from a clearer understanding of these patterns. Examples of areas where parallels could be found include: a) the employment and management of ex-offenders (here, ex-heretics) and ex-sympathisers as collaborators, spies and insiders; b) the impact of this recuperation on individuals' sense of duty and allegiance, and its repercussions on security policies; c) the effectiveness or appropriateness of schemes of support for informants; d) the impact of corruption and betrayal within close-knit 'illegal' organisations; e) the implications of the employment of local officials (notaries, jailers) on issues of trustworthiness for the institution.