All'ombra di Muratori. La riduzione delle feste religiose nel Ducato di Modena (1741-1790)

The essay intends to reconstruct, on the basis of previously unexplored archival documentation, the initiatives undertaken in the second half of the 18th century by the political and religious authorities of the Duchy of Modena in order to reduce the number of religious holidays. These initiatives were inspired, at least originally, by the ideas of Ludovico Antonio Muratori, who had tried in the 1740s to convince Benedict XIV to introduce a reform of the religious holidays valid for the whole Church, but without success. The number of holidays was first reduced in the Duchy of Modena by the pope in 1756, at the request of Duke Francesco III, who aimed to increase the working days. However, this reform was not very effective and was poorly applied by the local clergy. A new and more radical reduction was therefore made by the Este government in 1786, without consulting nor asking Rome for authorization, and this fact produced some contrasts with the bishops of the Duchy.