Prospero Farinacci | |
|---|---|
 Giuseppe Cesari called Cavalier D'Arpino, Portrait of Prospero Farinacci, 1607, oil on canvas (Museo nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy) | |
| Born | November 1, 1554 |
| Died | 31 December 1618 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | San Silvestro al Quirinale |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation(s) | Jurist, lawyer, judge |
| Known for | Praxis et Theorica Criminalis, one of the most influential works of criminal jurisprudence in Civil law countries until the reforms of Cesare Beccaria (1738–94). |
| Children | Ludovico Farinacci |
| Parent(s) | Marcello Farinacci and Bernardina Farinacci |
| Academic background | |
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| Influences | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Criminologist, legal theorist, criminal lawyer, defense attorney |
| School or tradition | Mos italicus iura docendi |
| Influenced | Virtually every area of criminal law in Western civil law countries under the Ancien Régime |
Prospero Farinacci (1 November 1554 – 31 December 1618) was an Italian Renaissance jurist, lawyer and judge. His Praxis et Theorica Criminalis (Practice and Theory of Criminal Law) was the strongest influence on criminal law in Civil law countries until the Age of Enlightenment. Farinacci defended Beatrice Cenci who was accused of killing her father in the most famous criminal case of the time. As a judge he was known for his harsh sentencing.