false 2455239 4 <p> "We have just elected a female pope." <br> &#8212;Cardinal Alessandro Bichi, 1644 </p> <p> 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 <i>Sex with the Queen</i>, exposes one of the church's deepest secrets, laying bare facts that have been concealed for 350 years. </p> <p> 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. </p> <p> 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 Pallavicino bewailed the "monstrous power of a woman in the Vatican." One contemporary wrote that women might as well become priests, since one of them was already pope. </p> <p> Born in modest circumstances, Olimpia was almost forced into a convent at the age of fifteen due to the lack of a dowry. She used deceit to escape, and vowed never to be poor and powerless again. Throughout her life, Olimpia exacted excruciating vengeance on anyone who tried to lock her up or curb her power. But her grisly revenge on the pope who loved her would be reserved for after his death. . . . </p> <p> Seventeenth-century Rome boasted the world's most glorious art and glittering pageants but also suffered from famine, floods, swarms of locusts, and bubonic plague. Olimpia's world was kleptocratic; everyone from the lowliest servant up to the pope's august relatives unblushingly stole as much as they possibly could. Nepotism was rampant, and popes gave away huge sums and principalities to their nephews instead of helping the poor. Dead pontiffs were left naked on the Vatican floor because their servants had pilfered the bed and stripped the corpse.<i> Mistress of the Vatican</i> brings to life not only a woman, and a church, but an entire civilization in all its greatness . . . and all its ignominy. </p> 2462434 1 9 2008 Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope total:60|5:10|4:31|3:14|2:3|1:2| 60 224 263 32 0 1 false false Tue Oct 14 11:28:54 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 14 11:29:46 -0700 2008 by Eleanor Herman

When I'm at the bookstore or library I tend to pick up anything that has "Vatican" in the title, so I couldn't pass up something as titillating as "Mistress of the Vatican" when publisher William Morrow offere...more...]]> 3 1 false false Mon Oct 20 21:26:25 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 28 18:38:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 1 false false Tue Sep 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 30 15:02:36 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 08 15:35:50 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 01 17:52:57 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 07:01:19 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 09 05:59:35 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 01 18:44:43 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Apr 01 21:42:14 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 02 16:26:26 -0800 2009 Wed Apr 01 21:42:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Dec 11 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Sep 08 16:27:14 -0700 2008 Thu Dec 11 09:08:18 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Sep 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 11:18:20 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 26 06:15:27 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 17:04:16 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 17:10:41 -0700 2009 In those days popes weren't very respected after they died. Their bodies were left out in the rain, etc. This one was stuffed in a janitor'...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Aug 06 20:12:26 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 15:26:35 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 20:12:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 12:43:57 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 12:45:22 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 16:29:35 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 16:32:14 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 10:33:43 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 13:29:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Feb 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 13:54:34 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 12:43:27 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu May 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 08:44:27 -0700 2009 Thu May 07 13:05:47 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Apr 23 10:12:05 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 12:08:50 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 23 10:12:05 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Nov 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 13:07:41 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 23 13:07:41 -0800 2008 1 5 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 19:57:43 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 19:59:06 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Feb 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 12:53:50 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 12:55:23 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jun 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 22:06:36 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 04 22:11:10 -0700 2009