The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara

In 1858 Bologna, a dramatic and heart-wrenching event unfolds as a police posse, acting under a Catholic inquisitor's orders, forcibly removes six-year-old Edgardo Mortara from his Jewish family's home, igniting a fervent battle for his return. The boy was taken due to a secret baptism by a family servant, leading to a deepening crisis that attracted international attention and involvement from influential figures across Europe and America. David I. Kertzer's gripping account examines how this single kidnapping not only affected the Mortara family but also became a symbol of resistance against the Catholic Church's power, ultimately contributing to the rise of a modern, secular Italy.