Mazzatello

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The Mazzatello (abbreviated mazza), more properly mazzolatura ('to strike or bludgeon with a mace'), is an Italian term that refers to a method of capital punishment involving the use of a mace, mallet, or club-like weapon to inflict head trauma. It was historically used in Italy, particularly by the Papal States, for executing individuals convicted of particularly odious crimes. The method was named after the implement used in the execution: a large, long-handled mace, mallet, or pollaxe, which is a heavy, blunt weapon or tool used for striking or bludgeoning. The term mazzolatura comes from mazza, which means mace, mallet, club, or sledgehammer in Italian. A stone base was often used on which the executioner forced the criminal to place their head; traces of it can be found in some squares of Italian cities, including Modena. It was abolished in Italy during the Napoleonic era but was later reinstated in some states, notably in the Papal States. Giovanni Battista Bugatti (known as Mastro...

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