Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope (P.S.) - Softcover

Herman, Eleanor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061245569 ISBN 13: 9780061245565

Publisher: William Morrow & Company, 2009

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

"...immensely readable and compelling...An expert on--and descendant of--European royal families, she skillfully uses letters, diaries, newssheets of the time, and biographies to tell this personal tale, set during unforgiving times. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover:

Born without a dowry, nearly forced into a convent, and later married off to a man she didn't love, Olimpia Maidalchini vowed never to be poor, powerless, or beholden to any man again. Instead, using her wits, Olimpia became the unofficial ruler of the most powerful institution in the world: the Roman Catholic Church.

The Church firmly states that women must be excluded from church leadership positions--but for more than a decade in the seventeenth century, Olimpia ran the Vatican. As sister-in-law and reputed mistress of the indecisive Pope Innocent X, she appointed cardinals, negotiated with foreign ambassadors, and helped herself to a heaping portion of the Papal States' treasury.

In Mistress of the Vatican, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman brings to life not only an extraordinary woman lost in history but an entire civilization in all its greatness . . . and ignominy. This is the unforgettable story of a woman ahead of her time.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0061245569
• ISBN 13: 9780061245565
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496