Abstract

This article examines the trial against a small group of devotees, leaded by a visionary woman and belonging to the regular and secular clergy of Asti, all convicted of «quietism» by the Holy Office in Rome: through the anlysis of this episode, I propose to study the «quietism» not only as a doctrinal and theological issue, but also as a competition problem among religious practices. The essay offers some initial reflections, as a part of a larger study, about the relationship between devotional practices and jurisdictional conflicts in early modern Piedmont: rather than concentrating on the examination of the relationship between Rome and political institutions in the State of Savoy, it focuses on local devotional practices and their role in both political and social conflicts.