Cantarella

For other uses, see Cantarella (disambiguation).

Cantarella was a poison allegedly used by the Borgias during the papacy of Pope Alexander VI. It may have been arsenic,^[1] came in the shape of "a white powder with a pleasant taste",^[2] and was sprinkled on food or in wine. If it did exist, it left no trace in the works of contemporary writers.^[3]

Etymology

The exact origin of the term cantarella is unknown.^[4] It may have been derived from kantharos (Ancient Greek: κάνθαρος), a type of ancient Greek cup used for drinking, or the Neo-Latin word cantharellus ('small cup'), in reference to the cups in which the poison would have been served.^[4][5] The word may also be related to kantharis (Ancient Greek: κάνθαρις), referring to the Spanish fly and other blister beetles that secrete cantharidin, a substance that is poisonous in large doses.^[4]