The Unholy Roman Empire
The Renaissance is seen as a time where artistry and scientific thought flourished in Europe. Some of the world’s greatest artists, scientists and thinkers such as Michelangelo, Isaac Newton and René Descartes appear and work to advance human ingenuity. But through this, progress is layered in suspicion and quack science, like alchemy, was pursued with great vigour. It seems strange then that this period of enlightenment in European history would see the rise of a large number of witch hunts, with many of them beinghysteria. This panic was aimed at the supernatural as a way of trying to cope with the calamities that had befallen communities. A scapegoat was needed and witchcraft, ungodly and in league with the devil, ticked all the boxes.
