Giulia Tofana

Giulia Tofana (also spelled Toffana, Tophana, Tophania) (died in Rome, 1651) was an Italian professional poisoner.

She sold a poison called Aqua Tofana (supposedly invented by Thofania d'Adamo, who may have been Giulia's mother) to women who wanted to murder their husbands.

Speculation by historians that she may have taken the first name of her mother as her last name (a common practice at the time) led them to believe that she was the daughter of another Palermo poisoner, Thofania d’Adamo.

The only recorded evidence of poisoning activities was the executions of Thofania d'Adamo in 1633, and Girolama Spara in 1659 (claimed to be the daughter of Giulia Tofana).

[2][1] Confusion of her activities with other poisoners active in the area has led to tales that she died in 1659, or 1709, or 1730, with further elaboration that she took sanctuary in a convent and continued to manufacture and distribute poison for many years until she was found out, executed, and her body thrown over the wall of the church that had provided her with sanctuary.