The “witch hunts” had place during two centuries and knew two big waves: from 1480 to 1520 and other from 1560 to 1650. The supposed witches (and sometimes also their sons, above all if females), belonged generally to the class popular. Only one small minority of they could be considered like true and own criminals (was the case of the so-called “Voisin”, as an example, loan of satanic services for the black puttinges of the Marchesa di Montespan, also criminal, favorite she of Luigi XIV of France, to the aim of over a long time span makes sure the favors of the king), guilty of homicides, or sick mental. The overwhelming majority was instead of every age and condition, “often obstetricians” and healers, in a time in which medicines and doctors they risked to more easy send the patients in the other world of the decoctions and instilled made up of used plants the empiricist to know traditional of the guaritrici. The population, essentially rural, did not have other possibilities in order to cure itself of resorting to their remedies, less expensive than those of the doctors of the time. Many of these witches came tortured and burnt lives. Because young, because old, but - second some - above all because women, that it would have been the greatest reproached sin they give the authorities of the time. The two last episodes of burned witches alive happened one in Switzerland protestant in the 1782 and other in the catholic Polonia in 1793.
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