Francesco Spiera facts for kids
Francesco Spiera (born 1502 – died December 27, 1548) was an Italian Protestant lawyer. The story of his death became a famous example in many religious writings of his time.
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Who Was Francesco Spiera?
Francesco Spiera was born in 1502 in a town called Cittadella. This town was about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Padua. At that time, Cittadella was part of the Republic of Venice.
Spiera was a respected person in his hometown. He had a nice house where his ten children grew up. He was a successful lawyer.
Spiera's Changing Beliefs
Francesco Spiera read many religious books. Besides the Bible, he read books like The Benefit of Christ's Death. These books introduced him to new ideas. They made him question some of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. For example, he started to have doubts about purgatory and praying to saints.
Many Protestants during that time saw Spiera's story as a warning. They believed he understood new religious truths. However, he later denied these truths in public. He did this because of outside pressure.
His Trial and Public Denial
Because of his new beliefs, Spiera and others were called before the Inquisition. The Inquisition was a powerful court of the Catholic Church. His trial happened in Venice between May 24 and June 20, 1548.
On June 20, Spiera had to publicly deny his new beliefs. He did this in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. He signed a paper saying he was wrong. The next Sunday, he repeated this denial in his hometown of Cittadella. He did this after mass in the local cathedral.
The Sad Consequences
After returning home, Spiera felt very guilty. He felt as if his conscience was telling him he had denied the truth. This feeling of sadness and hopelessness grew stronger over time. It affected his health so much that he became very ill.
He was taken to Padua to see doctors. But the doctors could not help him. Many people, including a writer named Pier Paolo Vergerio, saw his struggle. The conflict inside him continued until he died. He passed away shortly after returning to his home.
Some later stories claimed that Spiera hurt himself. However, this is not true. His death was caused by the deep emotional and mental distress he experienced.
