Aqua Tofana: The 17th Century Husband Killer

Sometime in the summer of 1791, or perhaps even earlier, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart fell ill. His biographer, Franz Niemetschek, described him as pale and melancholy. Despite his declining health, Mozart remained dedicated to his work, focusing on completing his Requiem. He even conducted the premiere of The Magic Flute on 30 September. However, by late November, his condition worsened dramatically. He became bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain, and persistent vomiting. Around two weeks later, on 5 December, he died at his home in Vienna.

The cause of Mozart’s death has been the subject of much speculation and debate. With few eyewitness accounts and no thorough medical examination, researchers have proposed various possibilities, including streptococcal infection, rheumatic fever, kidney failure, and even poisoning. Mozart himself was deeply troubled by his deteriorating health and feared he was being poisoned. “I feel definitely,” he confided to his wife, Constanze, “that I will not last much longer; I am sure I have been poisoned. I cannot rid myself of this idea.”

“Death Comes to the Banquet Table” by Giovanni Martinelli, circa 1635.