| Summary: | From the 1570s in Spain, theorists show deep concern about the impact of melancholy on religious life. Medical and spiritual authors attempt to describe a “religious” melancholy that, although it inherits some features of the old acedia, is completely new, being characterized by new signs: religious zeal, exacerbated guilt (illustrated by the recurring theme of scruples), exacerbated piety, visions and apparitions. These events are considered with utmost suspicion: attributed to the influence of the black bile, to a disordered imagination or to the influence of the devil, they are strongly condemned by medical and religious authorities. Our contribution will describe and analyse this new form of “religious” melancholy. We will examine the links that this new form of melancholy has with reality, its significance and implications.
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