So I was talking to one of my professors today in class and I learned a little bit more about the woman who used to own our apartment building/old convent. The woman's name was Donna Olimpia Pamphili. She was known as the "Mistress of the Vatican." Apparently this woman caused a TON of controversy in the Vatican. Her husband, Cardinal Gianbattista Pamphili, was the late brother of Pope Innocent X. She was known as the Mistress of the Vatican because of her influential power over the Pope, the cardinals and the church in general. When Pope Innocent X came into power, many of the people in Rome and Italy were outraged. They knew that this meant that Donna Olimpia would be ruling the Vatican. They went so far as to call her Pope Olimpia I and portray her in pictures as the Pope with the keys of St. Peter and Innocent at her side looking like a woman in a bonnet and curls. This is one of the most interesting things I have learned about a place that affects me so much here in Rome!
*All of the information in this post came from http://www.mistressofthevatican.com/shock.htm . I strongly encourage you to check out this site!
2 comments:
Hi Allison: It's so cool you found my website. How did you do that? I hope you get the book when it comes out in August and like it. You have a great advantage living in Rome, because you can see the Piazza Navona, which she pretty much created, building what is now the Brazilian Embassy, the church of Saint Agnes, and Bernini's fountain. You can contact me through the website.
Eleanor
It is so awsome to know that other people are so interested in this story. I love it. I did just want to say though..Gianbattista Pamphili was actually her brother in-law who later became Pope Innocent X. At the time when she was looking to marry again Gianbattista was a priest trained as a canon lawyer so he was kind of off limits. His older brother Pamphilio Pamphili was single and would become her husband. He did die long before either of them and there was always controversy over her relationship with her brother in-law. She basicly used her money and power to make him a Pope and generaly made all of his decisions. I cannot imagine how wonderful it must be to live in Rome, We are planning a trip there within the next year and I cannot wait!
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