Voices on Trial

This chapter mentions the prosecution of sodomy in sixteenth-century Rome that was dealt with by the court or the Vicario, while the Inquisition only became involved in cases where there was a suspicion of false belief. It elaborates that in cases involving marriage, it would be dealt with by the Inquisition as they are involved in a sacrament called into question by Protestant Reformers. It also highlights the trial involving the boatman, Battista regarding his part in the marriage of two men, considering him as an interesting figure that have been sexually passive. The chapter elaborates how Battista represents another kind of person that the history of sexuality has not frequently been able to identify in the past and has often associated with modernity. It analyzes Battista's report of being guided to San Giovanni by two youths, which directly reverses the pederastic scenario of adult men abducting boys for sexual purposes.