Calabrian Conspiracy 1599



Spanish rule over the Kingdom of Naples had had significant impact on the history of Calabria; the Jewish population was expelled in 1541; the region's Waldensian population had been massacred in 1571.
In October 1599 a conspiracy was foiled Tropea, in the region of Calabria, in the Kingdom of Naples, against oppressive Spanish rule. The idea was to liberate the Italian peninsula of Spanish rule, with the aid of the Turks. The disembarkation of Turkish forces in aid of the Calabrian rebellion was planned for September 10th.
The conspiracy had begun in 1598, the leader being Fabio Furzi, a pupil of Dominican philosopher Tommaso Campanella; the latter was accused of being among the conspirators, and tried for treason and witchcraft. Sentenced to imprisonment in 1603, he was released only in 1626/1629, and - because of another conspiracy in Calabria, accused again; he fled to France, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1599, Campanella had written De Monarchia Hispanica, a Utopian description of a Spanish monarchy co-ruled by pope and king in a just way, a concept which was construed by followers and opponents as critical to Spanish rule in reality.
Our knowledge of the event is based on De Rebus Rheginis by Giannangelo Spagnolio (1610-1645).



EXTERNAL
FILES 		Biography Tommaso Campanella, from Kaulon, in Italian; from Catholic Encyclopedia
Un precoce anelito di liberta : Fabio Furci, congiurato di Tropea nel 1599 (A premature strife for freedom, the conspiracy of Tropea in 1599), from Tropea Magazine, in Italian
Tommaso Campanella Utopista ?, from La Citta del Sole - Rosarno, in Italian
Calabria History, by Pietro de Leo; from Calabria Web
Summarized History of Calabria, by Armando Orlando
The Philosophy of Tommaso Campanella, from Radical Academy
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on March 31st 2004, last revised on November 18th 2004

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