Mistress of the Vatican
The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope
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4.2 • 29 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Eleanor Herman, the talented author of the New York Times bestselling Sex with Kings and Sex with the Queen goes behind the sacred doors of the Catholic Church in Mistress of the Vatican, a scintillating biography of a powerful yet little-known woman whose remarkable story is ripe with secrets, sex, passion, and ambition. For almost four centuries this astonishing story of a woman’s absolute power over the Vatican has been successfully buried—until now.
A Secret Female Pope: Meet Olimpia Maidalchini, the ambitious sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X, who wielded such immense power that Romans hung banners in churches calling her "Pope Olimpia I."Vatican Intrigue: Explore the back rooms of Baroque Rome, where cardinals were appointed, fortunes were made, and foreign policy was decided—often at the direction of a woman the Church tried to erase from history.A Buried True Story: Drawing from long-suppressed archives and diplomatic dispatches, this narrative nonfiction account uncovers a scandalous chapter of Catholic Church history that has been hidden for 400 years.Papal Nepotism: In an age of rampant corruption, one woman outmaneuvered the most powerful men in Europe to build a dynasty and secure her own fortune against all odds.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this engrossing "forgotten story" of the Vatican, Herman (Sex with the Queen) relays not only the life of 17th Cenutry Papal puppet-master Olimpia Maidalchini, but the political and social history of her age, including glimpses of art and architecture, family relations, medical care, religious traditions and daily life. Born into a family of average means, Maidalchini rebelled successfully against her father's plans to place her in a convent. This early triumph gave her a will that she'd eventually use to grab the ultimate seat of power in 17th century Italy, the Papacy, through the likely accomplice of her indecisive brother-in-law, a lawyer with holy orders who was dazzled by Maidalchini's intelligence, planning and accounting capabilities. He submitted to the her plans, and she eventually ushered him into power as Pope Innocent X. As her wealth and strength grow, so does the resentment around her, but her fate would be sealed by the bubonic plague. Exhaustively researched, with historical vignettes interwoven seamlessly, Herman's latest provides a window into an age of empire, nepotism and intrigue that rivals any novel for fascinating reading.
