Matteo Tafuri

Matteo Tafuri (born August 8, 1492, Soleto, Italy – died June 13, 1582, Soleto) was an Italian philosopher, astrologer, and physician. He was renowned for his divination skills and was also reputed to be a magician who practiced demonic arts. Born in Soleto, Apulia, Tafuri studied Hellenic culture under Sergio Stiso. He later pursued philosophy and medicine in Naples. In 1525, he met Zimaria in Padua and demonstrated his divinatory abilities to King Francis I of France in Venice. The same year, he traveled to England, meeting Thomas More and Thomas Wolsey, but was investigated for heresy. He continued his studies in Paris at the Sorbonne, attended the University of Salamanca in Spain, and traveled across Africa, Poland, and Greece. Upon returning to Soleto, he was accused of witchcraft and satanic powers by the Inquisition in 1569. He was imprisoned for 15 months and subsequently acquitted. In 1571, Juan of Austria visited him. Tafuri spent his final years in poverty in Soleto, respected for his knowledge but feared by the populace. He received a pension from the Archbishop of Capua and support from the Universitas of Soleto for his educational contributions. Tafuri was considered a significant personality in 16th-century Apulia, remembered in popular culture as a sorcerer. His "magic" is interpreted as an understanding of natural mysteries through astrology, alchemy, and medicine. Father Stanislao defended him, asserting that Tafuri never practiced demonic magic and that his reputation attracted wise men seeking his knowledge. Although many of his works are lost, surviving titles and contemporary accounts indicate his expertise in astrology and physiognomy. He studied herbs, medical plants, and anaesthetic substances, likely using "treacle" to treat plague victims. His work "Pronostico" (1571) offered ecclesiastical remedies for warding off evil.