While this particular story is fictional, there are parts of the premise that are based on actual history. After all, witch hunting was a very real issue a mere 400 years ago when the show is set. In Luna Nera, the witch hunters are the benandanti, a group of people in northern Italy, who believed they had powers to fight off the witches, who did things like spoil their crops and land. The benandanti (which means "good walkers") believed their spirits left their bodies and that they were chosen by God to protect against witches, as explained by Ancient Origins. The belief was formed from a combination of Christianity and agrarian rituals, and existed around the time of the Roman Inquisition.