Trascrizione
The most important work in this room is the reconstruction of the funerary monument of Prince Bishop Johannes Hinderbach, who administered the diocese of Trento from 1465 to 1486. Originally placed in the southern nave of the Cathedral, both the upper wooden panel and the inclined tombstone show the profound devotion of Hinderbach to Mary and the Saints.
A jurist, diplomat, and astute administrator, Hinderbach was also a cultured humanist and passionate hagiographer - in other words, a scholar of the lives of the Saints. It was he who conceived the project of a diocesan library and, most probably, introduced printing to Trento, which he used in the aftermath of the sad affair of Simon of Trento.
Simon, a child of about two years old, the son of a German tanner, disappeared in Trento on Maundy Thursday in 1475. His tortured body was found on Easter Day in the ditch that bordered the city's synagogue, leading to the accusation and arrest of the entire local Jewish community. Subjected to torture, all the detainees ended up confessing to a crime they had not committed and were executed in June of the same year.
Hinderbach, very attentive to the legal-disciplinary and inquisitorial aspects of his role, orchestrated the trials and used printed materials to justify them. The powerful visual propaganda of the bishop contributed to the spread of the story, arousing compassion for Simon and hatred towards Jews.
We will return to the story of Simon later in the visit.