Why did restless bodies dance to expel the poison of a spider?

In Restless Bodies (Corpi inquieti), Fabio Frisino explores the fascinating imaginary of tarantism—the famous cultural syndrome of the modern age. Set in an era where the practice of medicine coexisted with religious rituals and folk traditions, the book examines how "tarantati" danced in hopes of purging the venom of the Apulian tarantula.

This incredible mix of approaches was soon systematized within the medical and naturalistic debates of the 17th century, yet the elusive suffering behind the dance remained undeciphered. As centuries passed, tarantism migrated from village squares to the psychiatry of the Belle Époque, filling asylum records and ethnographic notebooks.

Today, while the malady has vanished, its expression has been reborn with a new aesthetic. Shedding the weight of shame and suffering, it has been replaced by the euphoria of major music festivals. This book offers a journey through the most captivating dance mania in Mediterranean history, revealing its unexpected and unsettling contours.