The 17th Century Serial Poisoner, Giulia Tofana

Giulia Tofana began her ‘cosmetics line’ in 1633, shortly after her mother, Thofania d’Amado, was executed for murdering her husband. Aqua Tofana was the best-selling product, an odorless poison, or as the label said, a face cream that preserved a woman’s youth.

Giulia Tofana moved from Naples to Rome, selling Aqua Tofana to help women escape violent, suffocating, and loveless marriages. Aqua Tofana was only sold to women that Giulia Tofana knew or to women that were recommended by previous customers.

The odorless poison was given in three doses. The first dose caused physical weakness and fatigue. The second caused stomach aches and vomiting. The third or fourth dose, when needed, would kill them. When autopsies were performed, reports would say the deaths were caused by an illness or disease because the poison was undetectable, according to Syfy.

Everything went downhill after a young woman changed her mind. The woman had finished serving her husband a bowl of soup with a few drops of Aqua Tofana, but before the husband could eat the soup she begged him not to eat it. When the husband questioned her, the young woman disclosed everything about Giulia, and he contacted the police.

Before the police could arrest Giulia Tofana, somebody warned her, so she found sanctuary in a church. However, a rumor spread that Tofana had poisoned the water supply of the city and, as a result, the government got involved and arrested her.

Once Giulia Tofana was captured, she confessed to killing over 600 men in Rome from 1633 to 1651. In 1659, Tofana, her daughter, and her most loyal helpers were executed at Campo de’ Fiori in Rome.