Sacconi, Raniero

SACCONI, RANIERO. - Dominican inquisitor, b. at Piacenza at the beginning of the 13th century, d. 21 July 1262.

Educated in heresy and a leader of heretics, through the work of St. Peter of Verona he abjured his error and took the Dominican habit (1245). From then on he collaborated with St. Peter for the repression of the Cathars. He escaped by chance the plot hatched against him and Peter of Verona, in which the latter fell as a martyr (6 April 1252). From 1254 he was head of the Inquisition of Lombardy. In 1259 he was forced to leave Milan because of the opposition of the new podestà Uberto Pallavicini. On 21 July 1262 Urban IV summoned him to Viterbo so that he might give him a report of his inquisitorial activity in Lombardy.

He wrote (in 1250) a Summa de Catharis et Leonistis seu de pauperibus de Lugdano (ed. in E. Martène-A. Durand, Thesaurus novus anecdotorum, V, Paris 1717, coll. 1761-76; in Duplessis d'Argentré, Collectio Judiciorum de novis erroribus, I, ibid. 1724, pp. 48-57; and in A. Dondaine, Un Traité, cited in the bibliography, pp. 64-78). It is a severe indictment against his former coreligionists; it is not properly a confutation of the errors but a list of errors useful to inquisitors. The work (divided into two parts: the first devoted to the Cathars, the second, shorter, to the "Poor of Lyons") is of great historical interest because, beyond the common doctrine, it enumerates the beliefs proper to the various heretical Churches. It is the best source for knowledge of the doctrine of Giovanni di Luigio.

Alfonso D'Amato