Venice appears to have been the first city of Italy in which the Reformation took root. This was chietly due to its constant intercourse with German}', and to the in- dependent position maintained by that republic towards the see of Kome. As early as 1520 Luther received news from Venice that a great need was felt there of evangelical preachers and books, and in 1528 he was in- formed that the cause was making good progress. The fact that Venice was a refuge for all who in other parts of Italy were persecuted ibr their faith was likewise fa- vorable to the progress of Protestantism. The proceed- ings of the Diet of Augsburg (1530) excited the atten- tion of the friends of the Reformation at Venice to a liigh degree, and Lucio Paolo wrote a jjressing letter in their name to IMelancthon, imploring him to resist to the last. Even priests were found in the evangelical party, as Valdo Lupetino, provincial of the Franciscans, who advised his relative, M. Flacius, of Illyria, after- wards one of the champions of Protestantism, to go to Germany, where he woukl learn a better theologj' than he woukl find in a convent (1537). Through such men, who were in personal communication with the reform- ers, Venice remained regularly connected with Witten- berg. In 1539 Melancthon addressed an ei)istle to Ven- ice which affords most valuable information concerning the position of the evangelical party in that city at that time. The evangelical party increased not only in the city of Venice, but in the whole territory of the repub- lic, particularly at Vicenza and Treviso, and it does not appear that tlio government ever interfered with its IV.— Y V
peaceful development. It is only after 1542 that, at the instigation of Rome, the Protestants of the Venetian republic began to experience serious difficulties. Al- though very numerous, they had not till then organized themselves into a society. They were obliged to ob- serve the greatest caution and secrecy. They were without a leader, and, besides, there were differences (if opinion dividing them. Balthasar Altieri, a native of Aquila, and secretary of the English ambassador, suc- ceeded in uniting them. He also wrote to Luther, ask- ing him to obtain for the Protestants, through the in- tercession of German Protestant princes, permission from the senate to act according to the dictates of their con- science, at least until the council should decide on the points of difference. He also invoked the mediation of Luther to allay the manifold divisions which weakened the Protestants of Venetia. As Italy had intercourse with Switzerland as well as with (icrmany, both the Re- formed and the Lutheran rci'ormations had found their adherents; and, in j)articular, disputes arose about the doctrine of the luicliarist. Buccr had in vain endeav- ored to heal these difficulties, and it was now expected that Luther would be more successful. The answer of Luther expressed, however, distrust towards the Swiss and their doctrines, and warned the people against the works of Bucer. Melancthon was deeply grieved at the tone of Luther's answer, as he knew the Italians to be only too prone to indulge in discussions and arguments on disputed points of doctrine. Probably about this time secret societies began to be formed for the discus- sion of theological doctrines, principally concerning the Trinity ; and those anti-Trinitarian schemes which, in the following century, .separated Italian Protestantism from that of other countries, originated in them. About 1542 the principles of Protestantism were introduced into Istria bj' Paolo Vergcrio, bishop of Capo d" Istria, and for a while made rapid progress, which, however, was soon interrupted. After opposing Protestantism for a long while, particularly in Germany, Avhere he was for a while papal legate, and took part as such in the Conference of Worms, Vergerio was, by the reading of Luther's works, ^vhich he had procured for the ]iu;- pose of refuting them, brought to embrace their views. His first convert was his brother, the bishop of Pola. Both now labored zealousl}', and with great success, to evangelize their dioceses, until in 1545 the Inquisition finally interfered, and Vergerio was obliged to fiee.
Next to Venice, Ferrara became one of the central points of Protestantism. It was introduced there by Kenata, wife of Hercules II, duke of Ferrara, and the daughter of Louis XII, king of France. She had be- come acquainted with the doctrines of the Reformation through Margaret of Navarre, and when she came to Ferrara in 1527, she soon found iierself surrounded by- persons holding the same views. Some were scholars who held ofhces in the university or at court, while others were refugees who, persecuted in their own comi- try for their Protestant oj)inions, found there a safe ref- uge. Calvin himself spent a few months there in 1536, and ever after remained in active correspondence with the duchess; also Hubert Languet, who distinguish- ed himself in the history of the French Reformation. Among the Italians were Flaminio and Calcaguini, a friend of Contarini and Poole ; Peter jMartyr Vermigli, Aonio Paleario, and Celio Secundo Curione, who won over Peregrino Morata, the tutor of the duke's brother, to Protestantism. The learned daughter of IMorata, Olympia, whose letters express a truly evangelical spir- it, was one of the ornaments of the court, and the com- panion of the young daughter of Renata.
From Ferrara jirobably the movement spread over to Modena, which belonged also to the duke of Ferrara. Already in 1530 a papal rescrijU commanded the Inqui- sition to use every exertion to suppress the heretical tendency among the monks of tlie diocese of Ferrara. Yet the movement did not really break out luitil 1540, when the learned Sicilian Paolo Ricci came to Modena