In the early modern period Naples was a European centre of learning where a number of scholars engaged with alchemy. Variously perceived as a legitimate scientific practice or as a mendacious trick for gullible minds, alchemy engaged Neapolitan scholars in an ongoing dispute that involved members of the clergy. In this article I consider convents as research centres mainly engaged with medical alchemy. Specifically, I reconstruct the activity of the Dominican friar Tommaso d’Eremita. Upon his arrival at the Neapolitan convent of Santa Caterina a Formello in 1609, d’Eremita set up a laboratory where he spent years working on alchemical procedures in order to produce an elixir of life for the benefit of all. Beyond this charitable mission, I argue that members of religious orders in Naples engaged with alchemy for different purposes. In so doing, I discuss the cases of some members of religious orders in Naples who practised chrysopoeia with the aim of producing artificial noble metals.

中文翻译：

---

书籍、黄金和长生不老药：早期现代那不勒斯的炼金术和宗教秩序

在近代初期，那不勒斯是欧洲的学习中心，许多学者在那里从事炼金术。炼金术被认为是一种合法的科学实践，或者被认为是容易受骗的人的一种骗术，炼金术使那不勒斯学者卷入了一场涉及神职人员的持续争端。在本文中，我将修道院视为主要从事医学炼金术的研究中心。具体来说，我重建了多米尼加修士 Tommaso d'Eremita 的活动。1609 年，德埃雷米塔抵达那不勒斯的福尔梅洛圣卡特琳娜修道院后，建立了一个实验室，在那里他花了数年时间研究炼金术程序，以生产出造福所有人的长生不老药。除了这项慈善使命之外，我认为那不勒斯的修会成员出于不同目的从事炼金术。这样做时，