This paper examines the engagement of various officials and tribunals of the Roman Inquisition with the new anatomical studies of the early modern period. It argues that although inquisition officers were frequently very aware of the latest medical theories, they actively chose not to employ anatomical or medical evidence when evaluating the unusual physical symptoms that might be associated with false or affected sanctity. This attitude stands in contrast to the employment of anatomical knowledge by other ecclesiastical institutions – e.g. the Congregation of Rites – and suggests that the Inquisition held a different, and perhaps more modern, view about the relationship between natural knowledge and religion.

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The incorruption of a saint’s body became a key miracle for Counter-Reformation saints, as it signaled their connection to God and therefore the correctness of the Catholic faith. Most canonized and many prospective saints in the seventeenth century were subjected to a posthumous medical examination. Competing local factors affected the process, including popular support for the prospective saint, the involvement of ecclesiastical and secular authorities, and the strength of the medical community. In the end, the attempt to make the miracle of incorruption a matter of medical opinion resulted in a negotiated truth about the state of the body.

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