Forbidden Prayers Library. Shaping Private Piety in Counter-Reformation Europe (16th-18th)

EU-funded FORPRAL focuses on the analysis of vernacular prayers prohibited in Spain, Portugal and Italy between the 16th and 18th centuries. These prayers were used as protection against adversity or illness, and were effective whether they were read, carried or worn around the neck like talismans. Because of the variety of uses, they were widely, but not exclusively, used by uneducated people, implying consideration in the category of text-object. FORPRAL will explore this pan-European heritage of piety by recovering preserved or indirect testimonies and will perform a rigorous analysis of the censorship policies aimed at regulating simple forms of religiosity. The project will culminate with the compilation of the Forbidden Prayers Digital Library, an open-access digital repository.