Astrology and Alchemy Before the Spanish Inquisition

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Place: 6th Floor Conference Room, Chemical Heritage Foundation

Information: 215-873-8289 or bbl@chemheritage.org

This paper will discuss research that aims to study the attitude of the Spanish Inquisition toward astrology and alchemy, through an analysis of inquisitorial trials of men who were accused of being astrologers or of practicing alchemy, in order to identify accusations against specific people and the content that caused certain astrological and alchemical texts to be forbidden or expurgated.

Tayra Lanuza-Navarro holds a Ph.D. in history of science from Universitat de València. Her research has dealt with the history of astronomy and astrology in the 16th and 17th centuries, publishing several articles about the polemics on astrology in Early Modern Spain and the role of astrology in the interactions of early modern science, religion, and society. Her current research project focuses on early modern alchemical works, with the objective of charting the persecution of these works and of the practitioners of alchemy by the Spanish Inquisition.