IAS Book Launch: Early Modern French Witchcraft

Thibaut Maus de Rolley will present his book Moi, Louis Gaufridy (Les Belles Lettres, 2023), a study of the 1611 witchcraft trial of the priest Louis Gaufridy in Aix-en-Provence, which examines how Gaufridy's confession was produced during his trial, and how it shaped in turn the contemporary accounts of the case that quickly circulated in France and Europe. He will also introduce his (co-authored) critical edition of the Discours des marques des sorciers (Jérôme Millon, 2024), a medical and demonological treatise published by the Aix physician Jacques Fontaine, one of the main protagonists of the trial. 

Switching from Provence to the Basque country, Jan Machielsen will present his new book The Basque Witch-Hunt: A Secret History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2024), which offers a radically new interpretation of the infamous witch-hunt led in 1609 by the French judge Pierre de Lancre. The Basque witch-hunt – France’s largest – ended with the execution of up to 80 women and men, causing a wave of suspects to flee into Spain and sparking terror there. Moving away from the narrative of a witch-hunt caused by a bigoted outsider (De Lancre), Machielsen shows that far from an outside imposition, Basque witchcraft was a home-grown problem; the consequence of factionalism, a struggle over scarce resources, and geo-politics.

This event will be followed directly by 'Celebrating our First Year, with Beaujolais nouveau!', a ‘Taster Event’ at the Centre for French and Francophone Research. Separate registration is required if you wish to stay for the wine tasting: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticketing/app/ev/24135