Religion founded in the 19th century by Angelo Manfredi. Angelo Manfredi was born in Crotone,
Italy in 1864
ad. He travled to
India with his
father in 1888 to study Hinduism and Buddhism. He adopted their belief in reincarnation but not
karma. Manfredi believed that the only way to liberate the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth is to become detached from all moral and material values. Eventually he and his
father were cast out of
india because of their ammoral practicies such as alcoholism and beastiality. Manfredi returned to Crotone, Italy in 1892. he began preaching his doctrines on the streets of Crotone and
soon developed a small cult following there. The men were known for dressing up as women and the women men, and for their reckless drunken behavior. The Apatheists toured all over Italy attracting diciples as well as public scorn wherever they went. When Mussolini came to power in 1922, Manfredi and his followers were some of the first intellectuals to be executed by the
Fascist regime. Manfredi was hanged naked in Rome, 1924. Though the
cult mostly died off during the 20's, 30's, and 40's, it was resurrected by Giordano Scarlatti in Naples, 1955. Scarlatti mixed Manfredi's doctrines with some of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche. It was estimated to have about 10,000 followers in 1999, mostly in America and Italy. It's headquarters are in Rome.
