One of the oldest stories of persecution of Masons involves John Coustos, a native of Switzerland, who was taken to England by his father. He went to Portugal on business and was arrested by the Inquisition on the charge of being a Freemason. He was tortured and questioned over a period of time and then sentenced to the galleys. In 1744, he was released as a result of the intercession of George II of England. Coustos wrote a book giving all the details of his experience at the hands of the Inquisition.*

In 1736 a Masonic lodge in Florence, Italy was investigated by the Roman Catholic Church. On June 25, 1737, the lodge was condemned by the Chief Inquisitor in Rome. On May 9, 1739, Tommaso Crudeli, a physician of the city, was taken into custody and questioned about his Masonic affiliation. The questioning started on August 10, 1739, and he was tortured as they demanded from him the "secrets" of Freemasonry. He was imprisoned and not released until April, 1741. His health was ruined as a result of the experience. He died on January 27, 1745. *

We'll add more from time to time....

*From 'The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction' by Alphonse Cerza, published by the Masonic Service Association in September, 1967.