Historical method: a recorded belief or accusation is not independent proof of the supernatural event described.
A public name
The translated source discusses Moduco as a public crier in Cividale and reports that he identified as a Benandante. This is an unusually specific social description, but still only a fragment of a wider life.
What witnesses attributed
Accounts describe him speaking about going out at night and participating in gatherings. The source includes people who heard him directly as well as people repeating what they heard. This difference matters when assessing a reported belief.
Limits of reconstruction
A court record provides a narrow, consequential frame. It cannot by itself establish how his neighbors generally regarded him, how widespread his ideas were, or how often he repeated them. Historians should resist adding narrative certainty to make the record easier to read.
Source and revision record
- Trial transcripts: Paolo Gasparutto and Battista Moduco, 1575–1581 (translated excerpt via University of Washington)Edited translation of primary record · A modern publication of translated trial testimony, not a facsimile of the original manuscript. Copyright may apply.
- Carlo Ginzburg, The Night Battles (2013 edition)Publisher listing · Accessible edition record with table of contents.