Biography

Born in Curitiba, Paraná, in Southern Brazil, I have always been passionate about history and religion. As an undergraduate at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, I became interested in how non-Christian practices and beliefs were viewed and dealt with in a Christian environment. My research and dissertation explored the idea of ‘maleficium’ in Regino of Prum’s ‘Canon episcopi’ and, later, my MA dissertation focused on how penance was used to regulate sexual practices in the 11th century ‘Corrector sive medicus’ as well as superstitions and magic. During my PhD at Cambridge I will study both the Valais Witchcraft trials (1428-c. 1436) and the accusations against the Waldensians in the second half of the 15th century, and how they compare to confessors manuals. My proposal for this thesis builds upon an ongoing interest in the formation of the stereotypical image of so-called ‘witches’ and its medieval origins. My research aims to focus on a comparison between the trials and the confession manuals in order to find out where they share similarities with inquisitorial culture and where they differ from it.

Previous Education

Universidade Federal do Parana History 2021
PUCPR History 2016