Aqua Tofana (also known as Acqua Toffana and Aqua Tufania and Manna di San Nicola ) was a strong poison created in Sicily around 1630 that was reputedly widely used in Palermo , Naples , Perugia , and Rome, Italy . It has been associated with Giulia Tofana , or Tofania, a woman from Palermo, purportedly the leader of a ring of six poisoners in Rome, who sold Aqua Tofana to would-be murderers.
8-425: The first recorded mention of Aqua Tofana is from 1632–33 when it was used by two women, Francesca la Sarda and Teofania di Adamo, to poison their victims. It may have been invented by, and named after, Teofania. She was executed for her crimes, but several women associated with her including Giulia Tofana (who may have been her daughter) and Gironima Spana moved on to Rome and continued manufacturing and distributing
16-489: A poison called Aqua Tofana (supposedly invented by Thofania d'Adamo , who may have been Giulia's mother) to women who wanted to murder their husbands because of domestic abuse or other forms of violence at home. Information about Giulia Tofana's background is sparse. She was thought to have been born in Palermo . Speculation by historians that she may have taken the first name of her mother as her last name (a common practice at
24-460: A will and repenting. The antidote often given was vinegar and lemon juice. The legend that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was poisoned using Aqua Tofana is completely unsubstantiated, even though it was Mozart himself who started this rumor. Giulia Tofana Giulia Tofana (also spelled Toffana , Tophana , Tophania ) (died in Rome , 1651) was an Italian professional poisoner. She sold
32-478: The 1650s, including Girolama Spara , who took over after Giulia's death. Tofana's involvement in all of this is not confirmed. The only recorded evidence of poisoning activities was the executions of Thofania d'Adamo in 1633, and Girolama Spara in 1659 (claimed to be the daughter of Giulia Tofana). Historians point to Giulia Tofana dying in her sleep in 1651 with no one aware of her poisoning activities. Confusion of her activities with other poisoners active in
40-422: The effects of arsenic poisoning. Those poisoned by Aqua Tofana reported several symptoms. The first small dosage would produce cold-like symptoms. The victim was very ill by the third dose; symptoms included vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, and a burning sensation in the digestive system. The fourth dose would kill the victim. As it was slow acting, it allowed victims time to prepare for their death, including writing
48-542: The poison. The 'tradename' "Manna di San Nicola" ("Manna of St. Nicholas of Bari ") may have been a marketing device intended to divert the authorities, given that the poison was openly sold both as a cosmetic and a devotional object in vials that included a picture of St. Nicholas. Over 600 victims are alleged to have died from this poison, mostly husbands. Between 1666 and 1676, the Marchioness de Brinvilliers poisoned her father and two brothers, amongst others, and she
56-480: The time) led them to believe that she was the daughter of another Palermo poisoner, Thofania d'Adamo. d'Adamo was accused of poisoning with an arsenic concoction of her own invention, Aqua Tofana, and executed on 12 July 1633. According to one version of events, Giulia Tofana fled to Rome and set up a poisoning ring that began to sell this poison to women who wanted to escape abusive or inconvenient spouses. There may have been 6 women in this poisoning ring active in
64-513: Was executed on July 16, 1676. The active ingredients of the mixture are known, but not how they were blended. Aqua Tofana contained mostly arsenic and lead , and possibly belladonna . It was a colorless, tasteless liquid and therefore easily mixed with water or wine to be served during meals. Poisoning by Aqua Tofana could go unnoticed, as the substance is clear and has no taste. It is slow acting, with symptoms resembling progressive disease or other natural causes. The symptoms seen are similar to
#988011