Alta Vendita


The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita is a document, originally published in Italian in 1859, produced by the highest lodge of the Italian Carbonari and written by "Piccolo Tigre", which, according to George F. Dillon, was supposedly the pseudonym of a Jewish Freemason.

Alta Vendita Lodge

The Alta Vendita were a lodge of the Carbonari, who used the book to announce their objective to spend decades overthrowing the Papacy. Many participants in the instruction posed as various Catholic figures to make their way into the church. The book was issued to every Carbonari lodge under the signature of "Nubius", thought to be the pseudonym of the supreme leader.

Content

The document details an alleged Masonic plan to infiltrate the Catholic Church and spread liberal ideas within it. The Carbonari had strong similarities to Freemasonry and so the document is seen by some as a Masonic document. The Carbonari had ties to the Freemasons, who are known for their Anti-clericalism. The author, who wrote under the pseudonym "Piccolo Tigre" has been found to be the author of other Masonic documents in the 19th century.

Outcome and Legacy

Although the Carbonari never overthrow the Papacy, thanks to the publication of the Permanent Instruction, they managed to gain significant influence in it, before disbanding.
In the 19th century, Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII both asked for it to be published. It was first published by Jacques Crétineau-Joly in his book L'Église romaine en face de la Révolution in 1859. It was popularised in the English speaking world by Monsignor George F. Dillon in 1885 with his book the War of Anti-Christ with the Church and Christian Civilization.
It is still circulated by many traditionalist and sedevacantist Catholics, who believe it accurately describes the changes in the church in the post-Vatican II era.
Alta Vendita is mentioned in The Prague Cemetery, the novel by Umberto Eco, as well as being the subject of a scholarly paper by John Vennari in the Catholic Family News, which outlined the content of the Instruction.