Un grido soffocato: la lunga ombra di un processo per stupro nel Seicento

This essay examines a previously unpublished judicial case file concerning a rape that occurred during the first half of the seventeenth century. Through a close analysis of the legal proceedings, witness testimonies, and documentary evidence, the article reconstructs the circumstances of the crime while exploring the broader social and cultural context in which it took place. Particular attention is devoted to the ways in which gender-based violence was perceived, narrated, and prosecuted, as well as to the mechanisms of criminal investigation and the operation of early modern justice. The case provides a rare opportunity to investigate the experiences of victims, the responses of local communities, and the attitudes of judicial authorities toward sexual violence. By bringing this unpublished source to light, the essay contributes to current scholarship on gender, crime, and justice in early modern Europe.