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1658: A story inspired by the true life tale of Giulia Toffana
La Toffana
What you need to know before your trail
Stefano Bracchi will soon be in charge of a case that could mean he rises up the ranks in the Vatican. Giulia, girl from Palermo makes herself a promise. That she would dedicate her life to helping young women condemned to marry at fourteen to men three times their age or to bear child after child until exhaustion. To fulfill that promise, she takes a family secret with her to Rome in a velvet notebook: the formula for Acqua Toffana, whose mere mention will inspire terror for centuries.
Travel Guide
Rome and Giulia Tofana
Giulia Tofana died in Rome, 1651 but was born in Palermo and she was an Italian professional poisoner. She sold a poison called Aqua Tofana to women who wanted to murder their husbands. It was thought that she was the daughter of another Palermo poisoner, Thofania d’Adamo.
According to one version of events, Giulia Tofana fled to Rome and set up a poisoning ring that began to sell this poison to women who wanted to escape abusive or inconvenient spouses. There is said to have been 6 women in this poisoning ring active in the 1650s.
BookTrail Boarding Pass:
Destination/location: Rome Author/guide: Vanessa Montfort Departure Time: 1658
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