Lombrosian Creatures: Literary Devices for an Effective Popularisation of Science

Abstract

Whenever Cesare Lombroso needed to develop a new theory, he sought evidence in the criminal history of an individual, to persuade his readers – and perhaps himself as well – of the truth of his argument. He sourced these stories from old books and newspapers or selected criminal investigations in which he took part as a consultant. Thus, Cesare Lombroso popularised stories of ordinary criminals, such as Giuseppe Villella, the study of whose skull would convince him to have found the true nature of crime; or Vincenzo Verzeni, a strangler of women who loved to drink the fresh blood of his victims; and Giovanni Cavaglià, known as “Fusil”, a murderer who drew childish figures on a jug to tell his story before committing suicide. Cesare Lombroso used these cases both to validate his hypothesis and captivate the attention and interest of the audience. Unlike some of his colleagues, he did not shun the “volgarizzamento scientifico”, i.e. the popularisation of science. Conversely, Lombroso cleverly used this channel of scientific communication to spearhead his own ideas: sometimes he exaggerated certain aspects of his stories, while other times he added new narratives and meanings. This paper aims to highlight Cesare Lombroso’s narrative skills in the communication of science and to show how they were instrumental in promoting and disseminating his ideas and theories.