Marriage annulment lawsuits in XIX century Sicily

In the recent historiographical panorama, marriage processes represent a precious source in the broader study of the dynamics linked to the themes of family and marriage, understood as an essential basis for maintaining correct social balance. Women, seen at the same time as a weak link in society, pawns to safeguard heritages and status, dangerous “stray mines” in a strictly vertical social pyramid, are almost always the protagonists of causes of marriage nullity. In the passionate pamphlets addressed to the bishop, they tell about humiliations and coercions suffered by the family of origin and, often, repeated by the spouse. But much more can emerge from the study of these precious documents, which often see members belonging to the highest categories of society as protagonists. A rich documentary source about this issue is preserved in the archive of the diocese of Catania and opens an extremely interesting and suggestive scenery. It was decided to analyze three cases of matrimonial nullity concerning members of the different branches of the Paternò Castello lineage, one of the most influential families of the city. The results of the survey are certainly emblematic for fully understanding the methods and management of precise family strategies, even if marked, in these cases, by clamorous failures.