Girolamo Cardano, the Italian Renaissance polymath, recounts a story of an Italian councilor named Lavisari. While walking alone by a river at night, Lavisari, unsure of where to cross, called out hoping for a response. An echo from across the water answered his question about where to ford the river, directing him towards a dangerous … Read more
The Jetzer affair was a religious scandal in Bern, Switzerland, in the early 16th century. Four Dominican friars attempted to discredit the Franciscan belief in the Immaculate Conception by staging apparitions and manipulating a novice named Jetzer. They used trickery to convince Jetzer that the Virgin Mary opposed the Franciscan view. The deception was eventually … Read more