In the sixteenth century, witch hunts peaked in Europe, particularly in northern Protestant regions. Secular magistrates, following Pope Innocent VIII's papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus (1484) and Heinrich Kramer's Malleus Maleficarum (1486), led brutal trials against women accused of satanic practices. Witchcraft was seen as a diabolical pact with the Devil, culminating in infamous sabbaths. Conversely, in the Italian peninsula, especially the Kingdom of Naples, witch hunts were less violent. Influenced by the Canon Episcopi, beliefs focused instead on women honoring the goddess Diana through magical rites. This contrast between diabolical and folkloric views of witchcraft is reflected in two emblematic works: Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Witches' Sabbath and Dosso Dossi's Circe and Her Lovers Turned into Animals. Bruegel's Witches' Sabbath (circa 1565) depicts a dark scene where women perform satanic rituals, embodying the northern European fear of witchcraft as a social menace and crime against God. Grotesque details, such as demonic figures, underscore moral corruption and spiritual danger. Witchcraft here is portrayed as a threat that must be eradicated. In contrast, Dosso Dossi's Circe and Her Lovers Turned into Animals (1522-1524) presents a more naturalistic and mythological approach to magic. Inspired by Greco-Roman tradition, Circe is depicted transforming her lovers into animals, symbolizing seduction and transformation. Magic in this context is rooted in nature, spells, and folkloric knowledge, seen as ambivalent rather than inherently evil. These two works reflect different cultural understandings of witchcraft. Bruegel's painting evokes fear and judgment, while Dossi's highlights beauty and mystery. Together, they illustrate how artistic expressions of witchcraft mirrored broader regional attitudes: northern Europe's association with diabolical cults versus southern Europe's link to tradition and ancient wisdom.