I never thought that something cruel like that was still happening in Florence in 1641. But otherwise many innocent women and men were tortured by members of the Catholic Church in this century. The cruelty done by the Catholic Church in the name of God is hideous. Interesting is that already at that time at least the Grand Duke Ferdinand II. of Tuscany was not convinced of the "terrible things" supposedly done by Pandolfo Ricasoli and Faustina Mainardi. In G. F. Young, The Medici, Vol. 2, London 1930, pp. 412-413 we read the following: "... in the great hall of the refectory of Santa Croce there took place, in the presence of the Princes of the Blood, the nobility, and the whole of the Ministers and high officials of the Government, the celebrated trial of Pandolfo Ricasoli, a canon of the cathedral, and a man of much learning and respectability, who was accused of grave and scandalous immoralities; and he and one Faustina Mainardi, who was asserted to be his accomplice, after first doing penance in the Piazza Santa Croce “in garments painted with flames and devils”, were condemned to be walled up alive in one of the dungeons of Santa Croce, which sentence was carried out. It is evident that Ferdinand had strong doubts whether the whole charge was not simply due to bitter animosity on the part of another ecclesiastic. ... [who was afterwards] promoted to the high office of head of the Inquisition in Florence." I have to tell you, I am not sorry to be so sarcastic: But since when have the Catholic clerics not using "scandalous immoralities" to get rid of competitors? There were and are many Catholic clerics of the highest and lowest ranks in history who sexually abused women and little children in their care. If they were all punished like that there would hardly be any of them left!