Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed: Blood Countess or victim of political persecution?  Her story is a web of intrigue, privilege, and gruesome accusations that continue to captivate us to this day.  Rumors circulated that she tortured and killed over 650 women and girls.  But interestingly, some modern scholars argue that Elizabeth's alleged atrocities may have been exaggerated or even fabricated altogether. 

In a time when women in 17th-century Italy were often seen as property rather than individuals, unhappily wedded to their husbands, Giulia Tofana emerged as an unlikely heroine. She operated an apothecary shop in a society marked by unchecked patriarchy, where powerful men could buy off law enforcement, leaving abused wives with no protection and no means of escape.  Her best-selling product?  Aqua Tofana.

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