Abstract

Heresy and Inquisition are very fascinating subjects and this is even more true if the few documents survived are studied in connection with their conservation and transmission, because textual transmission opens new perspectives in this field of research. Starting from the most recent historiographical production, the article deals with methodological problems to offer a new approach in the edition of documents. Taken into consideration are the most known medieval heretics, mainly in the Italian contest, such as Guglielma, Dolcino da Novara, Cathars and Waldenses. So that sources, textual transmission, literacy, method of analysis and historiographical debates work all together to get a better knowledge of the heretics, but also of the inquisitors.