Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Episode Title: Who was the Husband Poisoner of Renaissance Italy?
Host: Dr. Kate Lister
Guest: Catherine Kemp (Novelist, author of A Poisoner's Tale)
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the shadowy, scandalous figure (or legend) of Julia Tofana, an alleged 17th-century poisoner in Renaissance Italy. Host Kate Lister and novelist Catherine Kemp investigate Tofana's mysterious background, the network of women working with her, and the broader social circumstances that enabled a flourishing trade in husband-poisoning. As they unravel a web of fact, myth, and folklore, they illuminate issues of gender, oppression, and creative resistance in early modern Europe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legend (and Mystery) of Julia Tofana

• Introduction to Julia Tofana:

  • Tofana is depicted as a notorious poisoner linked with hundreds of deaths, especially among married men in 17th-century Rome (01:54–07:09).
  • She supplied "undetectable" poison (Aqua Tofana) to women trapped in abusive marriages.
  • Her circle included various "outcast" women, such as herbalists, healers, and midwives.

• Fact vs. Fiction:

  • There’s minimal concrete historical evidence for Tofana’s personal identity.
  • She may have been a real individual, a composite of several women, or simply a “brand name” for the operation (11:06–12:41).

  "There are theories that Julia was actually a composite of those five women who were executed as witches and poisoners..." — Catherine Kemp (11:06)

2. Social Context: Marriage, Agency, and Desperation

• Lack of Options for Women:

  • Women of the era lacked agency. Divorce was rare and abuse commonplace, with no legal recourse (08:17–09:12).
  • Poisoning, grimly, could be seen as the only escape for some.

  "You had to marry for some kind of protection... often that went terribly wrong... so what do you do?" — Catherine Kemp (09:12)

• The Network (The “Saviour of Women”):

  • The poisoner’s circle included women of various social strata, from duchesses to washerwomen (09:37–10:44).
  • Distribution was clandestine but widespread, facilitated by connections in daily life (apothecary shops, churches, mass, washing streams).

3. The Poison: “Aqua Tofana”

• Composition and Use:

  • Likely a mixture of arsenic, belladonna (used as a beauty aid), and lead (21:56–22:42).
  • Odorless and tasteless, it was administered in small doses over time to simulate illness (22:42–23:03).

  "It was meant to be a slow acting poison so you could almost predict someone's death... with one drop in their broth or in their wine." — Catherine Kemp (22:41)

• Detection and Downfall:

  • The undetectable nature allowed it to go unnoticed, especially during periods of plague.
  • Over time, suspicions grew due to the number of young widows and specific "vitality" in the corpses of victims (24:25–24:57).
  • Confessions in the Catholic confessional and eventual informants led to a crackdown (24:25–25:57).

4. The Investigation and Crackdown

• Church Involvement:

  • The crisis reached such proportions that Pope Alexander VII personally intervened, ordering a major investigation (14:08–14:23).
  • Inquisitors hunted for the poisoners through Rome, leading to high-profile trials and executions (14:14–15:06).

• Arrests, Trials, and Executions:

  • Five main women were executed as witches and poisoners in 1659, others banished or imprisoned (32:54–33:07).
  • Many confessed under torture; the trial generated over 1,400 pages of documentation (27:44–27:56).

  "They brought in so many people... it was a huge operation... the trial papers are 1,400 pages worth of notes." — Catherine Kemp (27:44)

5. Repercussions, Legacy, and Cultural Impact

• Lasting Impact and Myth:

  • The husband-poisoning panic left a deep mark on social awareness—Mozart reportedly feared Aqua Tofana on his deathbed (33:34–33:47).
  • Poisoning became tied to notions of female agency—blurring lines between “murderer” and “saviour.”

  "Their legacy was one of real fear in the minds of men going forward—that women were capable of this and that they weren't actually very happy with being submissive, obedient, abused wives." — Catherine Kemp (33:35)

• Poison’s Gendered Reputation:

  • Although often regarded as a “woman’s weapon,” history shows poisoning was practiced by all genders—and used for varied motives (35:07–36:41).

  "It's almost like being rebranded, isn't it? ...by men telling women how they behave." — Catherine Kemp (35:54)

• Parallel Cases and Continuing Relevance:

  • Similar “husband poisoning syndicates” have surfaced throughout European history—even into the 20th century (36:41–37:27).
  • The story’s enduring allure lies in its combination of fear, agency, and unresolved questions of justice and resistance.

  “We do need to keep revisiting these stories. We do need to hear from figures in the past. Because we don't want to go back there, surely.” — Catherine Kemp (38:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the reasons women resorted to poisoning:

  "In those days, that simply wasn't there. As you say, you had to marry for some kind of protection and also for money to be able to live. And often that went terribly wrong... so what do you do?" — Catherine Kemp (09:12)

• On the allure and mythmaking:

  "So it could be that Julia Tofana is like a brand name, like Ann Summers or like Ashley Madison, that... this was a brand name they were operating under." — Kate Lister (12:41)

• On the undetectable nature of the poison:

  "Death and disease was commonplace, wasn't it?... All of that kind of… it could have been any number of diseases." — Catherine Kemp (23:03)

• On the intersection of gender and violence:

  "It gets right to the heart of that threat to the patriarchy... the woman can actually subvert all of that and take you down." — Kate Lister (28:35)

• On legacy and women's history:

  "It's really about the history of women's voices not being heard and women's place in society not being acknowledged... I think it's part of our history as women and how we have created our own agency in our own ways and ways that are very dark." — Catherine Kemp (38:18)

Important Timestamps

• Introduction and Setting the Scene:
  01:54 – 07:09

• Who was Julia Tofana?
  07:08 – 12:41

• Her Circle and Methods:
  09:37 – 10:44, 15:24 – 18:25

• Fact vs. Myth; Historical Documentation:
  11:06 – 12:41

• Details of the Poison (Aqua Tofana):
  21:41 – 24:00

• Discovery, Investigation, and Arrests:
  24:25 – 27:56

• Execution and Aftermath:
  32:54 – 33:47

• Discussion on Gender, Agency, and Legacy:
  33:47 – 39:27

Final Reflections

The story of “the husband poisoner of Renaissance Italy” is more than just a morbid curiosity or a prurient tale. It opens a window into the lives of early modern women, the structures of marital repression, and the creative (if dangerous) methods some used to reclaim agency. The episode’s mix of myth and fact echoes in contemporary conversations about gender, resistance, and the writing of history—reminding us of the shifting boundaries between villainy and heroism, silence and rebellion.

Find Catherine Kemp:

• Instagram: @catherine_kemp
• TikTok: authorcatherinekemp
• Website: kathleenkemp.com

Closing Note:

“Please don’t poison your husband. Try therapy first, please.” — Kate Lister (39:45)