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Mistress of the Vatican : the true story of Olimpia Maidalchini, the secret female pope by Herman, Eleanor is a work of fiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is Mistress of the Vatican : the true story of Olimpia Maidalchini, the secret female pope about?

"We have just elected a female pope." —Cardinal Alessandro Bichi, 1644 Today's Roman Catholic Church firmly states that women must be excluded from church leadership positions, but they neglect to mention that for over a decade in the seventeenth century a woman unofficially, but openly, ran the Vatican. Now, Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with the Queen, exposes one of the church's deepest secrets, laying bare facts that have been concealed for 350 years. Beginning in 1644 and for eleven years after, Olimpia Maidalchini, sister-in-law and reputed mistress of the indecisive Pope Innocent X, directed Vatican business, appointed cardinals, negotiated with foreign ambassadors, and helped herself to a heaping portion of the Papal State's treasury. Unlike the ninth century's Pope Joan, whose life is shrouded in mystery, Olimpia's story is documented in thousands of letters, news sheets, and diplomatic dispatches. Knowing of Pope Innocent's absolute dependence on his sister-in-law, Cardinal Alessandro Bichi angrily declared on the day of Innocent's election, "We have just elected a female pope." Mischievous Romans hung banners in churches calling her Pope Olimpia I. Cardinal Sforza Pallav

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Author

Herman, Eleanor

Publisher

HarperCollins e-books

Published

2008

Language

EN

ISBN

9780061827419

Category

work of fiction

Subjects

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Rating

3.93 / 5 (82 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14