In our constant fight to dispel some of the stereotypes that surround our homeland, sometimes we have to struggle to undo the work of some of our compatriots, who seem a little bit too eager to be liked and tend to stick to whatever works best with the audience. While understandable when you're trying to sell a product, this is much more questionable when it comes to our very own history. Our regional government, for example, has chosen November 30th as the day to celebrate Tuscan heritage, the very day back in 1786 when the Grand Duke of Tuscany granted a new penal code, the first in the world to outlaw capital punishment and torture. While the gesture earned him a fair amount of praise in progressive circles all over Europe, the reasons behind were a lot more practical and had a lot more to do with public relations than adhering to some principles. The story of the complex relationship between Tuscany and the death penalty gives us the chance to delve deep into the history of capital punishment in our region throughout time and several very interesting stories. Rather than just some funny tidbits of history, they are a way to shed a bit of light into the Tuscan character, ready to joke and make fun of everything except death. We just don't do it, for a variety of reasons that you'll find amply described in this week's episode. From the time when the hated guillotine was burned in the main square and the blade thrown in the sea in Lucca to the other time in Siena when a botched execution prompted the crowd to try to lynch the executioner. You'll also find details on the danse macabre that accompanied every execution in Garfagnana and the remarkable life of Tuscany's last "master of death", who was paid twice as much as a tenured college professor. Stick around for this very unusual episode and let us know at the links below if we've had a good hunch or just wasted everyone's time :-)
Email: podcast@larno.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.lanazione.it/cronaca/almanacco-30-novembre-1.7068295
https://www.storiadifirenze.org/?temadelmese=novembre-1786-abolizione-della-pena-di-morte-e-la-festa-della-toscana
https://www.risorgimentofirenze.it/labolizione-della-pena-di-morte-in-toscana-30-novembre-1786/
https://iltirreno.gelocal.it/regione/2009/11/26/news/pena-di-morte-il-ducato-di-luccae-quella-ghigliottina-finita-negli-abissi-1.1761280
http://www.luccamuraurbane.it/ultima_ghigliottina_porta_san_donato.php
https://www.verdeazzurronotizie.it/lucca-tra-leggenda-e-realta-lultima-ghigliottina/
http://www.ortodepecci.it/webnew/a-tavola-con-la-storia-le-condanne-capitali-a-siena-tra-xv-e-xix-secolo/
http://paolomarzi.blogspot.com/2015/12/la-condanna-morte-in-garfagnanala-sua.html
https://www.ilgiunco.net/2021/03/07/chicche-di-maremma-lultima-ghigliottina-a-grosseto/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Stand Up
Artist: Pipe Choir
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Links: www.pipechoir.com
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-stand-up-creative-commons