The old vinegar lady: sorcery and poisons

Once upon a time in Sicily “the old vinegar lady”, who was supposed to be a witch and a professional poisoner.

Her name was Giovanna Bonanno, she was born in 1713 and lived in Palermo during the reign of the Viceroy Domenico Caracciolo. We don’t know much about her life but one thing is sure: on 30th July 1789 she was executed by hanging because of sorcery.

The Devil’s letter hidden in Southern Sicily

One of Giuseppe Tomasi’s ancestors who lived in the 17th century, Isabella, was a nun of the Benedectine cloistered convent of Palma. One day Isabella received a mysterious letter: it was written in an unknown language, a unique combination of ancient Greek symbols, Arab language and obscure signs. The nun told she received the letter from Satan himself; that’s why it is known as the Devil’s letter.
The message written in the letter has never been decoded.