1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Beneath the Church in Rome are small chapels 7 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: adorned with the skeletal remains of thirty seven hundred Capuchin friars, skulls, femurs, 8 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: you name it. Really, it's all on display. From doorways 9 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: and walls to ceiling art. Visitors come face to face 10 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: with the dead. You can even buy postcards to send 11 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: friends back home if you're so inclined. That's not the 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: darkest church attraction, though, there's one other. Visit the Basilica 13 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: San Giovanni, and you'll learn about a particularly dark and 14 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: corrupt moment at the church's past. You see. Bishops, cardinals 15 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: and a host of other ecclesiastical attendees filled the Basilica 16 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: in January of eight nineties seven for a synod basically 17 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: a court of the church, to try one of their 18 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: own formosis. Dressed in papal robes. Was unable to speak 19 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: at his trial, so a deacon spoke for him. Seated 20 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: in his chair, Formosis didn't move, not even during the 21 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: earthquake that shook and damaged the Basilica. He showed no emotion. 22 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: As Pope Stephen the Six screamed at him, demanding answers, 23 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: a deacon, reading from his script, replied for him. Found 24 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: guilty of all counts against him, Formosis was not only 25 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: stripped of his robes and his time as pope declared void, 26 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: but the three fingers on his right hand that he 27 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: had used during blessings were chopped off. His crimes ruling 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: more than one place at a time, and for publicly 29 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: seeking the papacy, achieving the papacy illegally and immorally, and 30 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: despite not being able to speak the act of perjury. 31 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: The trial wasn't formosis first run in with the papal 32 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: courts either. Back in the late eight hundreds, with the 33 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: empire crumbling all around them, small factions had cropped up 34 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: in the land, forcing political conflicts within the Church. All 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: of a sudden, men who had their sights set on 36 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: becoming pope now needed the backing of secular leaders, often 37 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 1: a new pope emerged every year. At that point in history, Formosis, 38 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: who was then a bishop, had been successful in converting 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: Bulgarians to Roman Catholicism. The Bulgarians even requested him as 40 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: their own bishop. His success didn't go unnoticed, though, and 41 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: with the competition to gain power, it also made him 42 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: some enemies in the papal courts, namely Pope John the eighth. 43 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: Pope John levied a string of accusations against Formosis, claiming 44 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: that he had brainwashed the Bulgarians into refusing any other 45 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: bishop and attempting to take over the papacy for himself. 46 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: Formosis asked for forgiveness. Perhaps Pope John thought the bishop's 47 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 1: rise was too close to comfort, or maybe he was 48 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: a bit paranoid in turbulent times, so he excommunicated for Moosis. 49 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: Pope John was later murdered by his own people, so 50 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: perhaps his paranoia was founded. When the poison failed to 51 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: work quickly enough, the killer used something more immediately, a hammer. 52 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: Pope John's successor reinstated Formosis as a bishop, and a 53 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: year later, Pope Adrian wore the papal robes before his assassination. 54 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: In his first year as the pope. Pope Stephen the 55 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: fifth wore the papal rope next, but was soon unseated 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: by Formosis, who remained pope for five years until he 57 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: suffered a stroke. Formosis successor ruled for fifteen days before 58 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: dying of gout or maybe it was poison, It's hard 59 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: to say. At this point, Pope Stephen the sixth was next. 60 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: Formosa had made Stephen the sixth the bishop years earlier, 61 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: and Pope Stephen still held the post while he served 62 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: as pope. Yes, there was a rule against that, now, Yes, 63 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,839 Speaker 1: Pope Stephen the sixth knew it. His solution put Formosis 64 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: on trial for the same crime. If Formosis was found guilty, 65 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: then no one would see that Pope Stephen was just 66 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: as guilty. By Pope Stephen's reasoning, a guilty verdict would 67 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: also make Foremos's post as bishop, while also pope null 68 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: and void, therefore doing the same. Look it made sense 69 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: to him, But there was a problem with his plan. 70 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: You see, Pope formosis stroke had been fatal. Maybe it 71 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: was due to old age he was eighty after all, 72 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: or maybe poison had caused the stroke. Regardless, he had 73 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: been dead for several months before Pope Stephen the sixth 74 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: had his corpse exhumed to stand trial. Not only did 75 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: this trial serve to cover Pope Stephen's own guilt of 76 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: papal lawbreaking, it stopped Formosis from being named a saint. 77 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: After the cadaver synod, as it became known, Pope Stephen 78 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: ordered Foremosa's remains to be buried at an obscure location, 79 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: but then quickly changed his mind, this time ordering it 80 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: tossed into the Tiber River. The next day, monks recovered 81 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: the body and buried Formosis in a monastery. Having had 82 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: enough of Pope Stephen's cadaver trial and exhumations, the people 83 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: imprisoned him and he was later found strangled in his cell. Eventually, 84 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: and a couple of popes later, Formosa's body was recovered 85 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 1: once more and buried in his final resting place in St. 86 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: Peter's Cathedral. Curious, you better believe it. His love for 87 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: her had no end. For her coronation, only the finest 88 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: jewels and robes would do. Once seated on the throne 89 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: next to him King Pedro, the first subjects knelt before her, 90 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: kissed her hand, and pledged their loyalty and obedience. With 91 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: the ceremony behind them, the King and queen traveled to 92 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: a beautiful monastery. There, the queen was placed into an 93 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: intricately carved and inscribed marble tomb, the finest in all 94 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: of Portugal, you see, and As de Castro had been 95 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: dead for two years. In fact, she had been murdered 96 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: by order of King Pedro's own father, his predecessor, King Alfonso. 97 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: But that didn't mean the good people of Portugal had 98 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: kissed a corpse's hand out of love or loyalty. No, 99 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: they'd done so, most likely because of King Pedro's nickname, 100 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: Pedro the Cruel, and you'll soon understand why. It all started. 101 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: In the year thirty eight, as part of an arranged 102 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: marriage between kingdoms, Prince Pedro met and wed Constanza of Castile, 103 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: declaring her the suitable suitable. That was until he met 104 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: Constanza's teenaged handmating and As was the beautiful, illegitimate daughter 105 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: of Lord de Castro, and she responded to Pedro's attention, 106 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: which began their not so secret love affair. Prince Pedro 107 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: became so infatuated with her that he neglected his wife 108 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: so much and so etent lee that it threatened the 109 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: already strained relations with the queen's home Kingdom Castile. In 110 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: an attempt to end her husband's affair, the queen made 111 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: and as the godmother of the couple's firstborn child. You see, 112 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: in the eyes of the Catholic Church, god parents were 113 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: family and that would have made their affair incestuous. Undaunted, 114 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: Pedro and Inez still refused to break it off. Then 115 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: a few years later, his wife died while giving birth 116 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: to their third child, Ferdinand. With his wife and queen 117 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: newly deceased, Pedro felt comfortable bringing the relationship with the 118 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: Nez public, but his father, King Alfonso the Fourth, forbid 119 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: his son to marry her and then banished her from 120 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: the kingdom in as, being of illegitimate birth, was not 121 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: eligible to become queen. Banishment didn't stop the two love birds, though. Instead, 122 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: Pedro moved in with his beloved mistress. They even had 123 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: children together, one of which was a healthy son. Meanwhile, 124 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: Pedro's son from his dead wife, Ferdinand, had become frail. 125 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: Soon after, Pedro announced that he had secretly wed Inez, 126 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: possibly making their son heir to the throne should Ferdinand die. This, 127 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: along with the Nez's brothers growing influence over Prince Pedro 128 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: prompted King Alfonso to dispatch three men to kill her. 129 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: The men did as the king asked and beheaded her. 130 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Needless to say, relations between the father and son were 131 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: a bit strained after that. Pedro's mother begged her son 132 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: for peace, and Pedro eventually promised he would not take revenge. 133 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: It was a promise Pedro wouldn't keep, though. King Alfonso 134 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: died a year later and Pedro became king, soon earning 135 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: the nickname Pedro the Cruel due to his direct involvement 136 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: in shall we say, serving justice both personally and publicly. Eventually, 137 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: he tracked down two of and Nez's assassins, capturing them 138 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: and bringing them back to the kingdom. Then he had 139 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: them put on trial and found guilty of murder. In 140 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: one of his public displays of justice, King Pedro ripped 141 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: their hearts from their chests, claiming that the killers were 142 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: heartless for crushing his. After the trial and his special 143 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: blend of justice, King Pedro ordered and Nez's body exhumed 144 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: and then held the coronation, where he demanded attendees pay 145 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: her the respect and death that he felt she deserved 146 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: in life, but Here's the thing. Despite the posthumous coronation, 147 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: and Nez was never a legal queen, Pedro had lied 148 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: to his father about secretly marrying her, and evidence suggests 149 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: that Pope Inescent the fourth had refused to marry Pedro 150 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: and Inez or legitimize their children. In the end, it 151 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: had been this lie that got Pedro's mistress killed. King 152 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: Pedro the Cruel died in thirteen sixty seven. He was 153 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: interred in a second, elaborate tomb near Anez. On the sides, 154 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: detailed carvings depicted the couple's lives, and when their tombs 155 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,599 Speaker 1: were placed together, the marble likenesses of Pedro and the 156 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: Nez faced one another, so that they looked upon each other, 157 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: as the inscription reads, until the end of the world, 158 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: and as far as I can tell, no one has 159 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 1: trying to separate them ever. Again. I hope you've enjoyed 160 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 1: today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for 161 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show 162 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created 163 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. 164 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore which is 165 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show and you can 166 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the world of Lore 167 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.