Abstract

In 1690s Sicily the Inquisition observed a remarkable diffusion of quietistic mysticism, which was later connected with crimes of feigned sanctity and moral depravity. The convent of San Nicolò da Tolentino in Palermo was the core of the diffusion of this new mysticism, based on the so-called "orazione di quiete and orazione passiva". This essay illustrates the origin and features of this practice of meditation, its subversive character if contrasted with catholic tradition, and the role played by the Palermian friars in its diffusion among non-clerical people from a culturally weak social context, people with whom the friars established an exclusive relation of spiritual guidance.