Abstract

This essay presents the unique and mysterious story of Pomponio Algieri, born in Nola, student of the University of Padua; he was persecuted for heresy and transferred from Venice to Rome, where he was executed in August 1556 under the intransigent Pope Paul IV Carafa. The paper takes its cue from the recent volume written by Umberto Vincenti, who tried to sum up Algieri’s story by exploiting the scientific literature and the available sources. The author reviews old and recent historiography which has focused on Pomponio Algieri and questions the “uniquenessµ of his case, also reflecting on the possibilities of historical research to shed light on his religious and cultural background and on his uncommon fortitude in the face of a horrible death