Status
Available
Genres
Publication
William Morrow (2008), 464 pages
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.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member veiland
Mistress of the Vatican was one of the most compelling books that I've read in a long time. In an age when we are still debating celibacy for priests and the correct role for women within the church, it was amazing to learn that Olimpia Maidalchini effectively ruled the Holy See with an iron fist.
Olimpia operated on the premise that she would never be poor, powerless, or at the mercy of someone else after she left her father's house. In order to preserve his carefully built fortune in favor of his only son, Olimpia's father attempted to have her placed in a convent, where he would not have to pay a dowry. Instead, Olimpia out-wits her father and soon ends up married to a wealthy young man who has the decency to die early. Her second marriage is to the brother of Cardinal Giambattista, and it is characterized as being a mostly happy marriage (if not happy, at least content). However, Olimpia soon realizes that if she wants to be taken seriously by Roman society she must elevate the family. Using her money and charm, and aided by Giambattista's excellent reputation as a man inclined to think first (and long) and act (much much) later, Olimpia guides her brother through the papal hierarchy until he is elected pope. Better still, Cardinal Giambattista, i.e. Pope Innocent X lives a long time, instead of dying early as Popes were supposed to, giving Olimpia time to establish herself as the FIRST woman of the Holy See.
Admired, hated envied, and feared, Olimpia suffered the tragedy of being born an intelligent, ambitious, and cunning woman in a man's world, yet she triumphed, achieving her wildest dreams despite her gender. The day that Cardinal Gianbattista Pamphili was elected pontiff, Cardinal Alessandro Bichi angrily declared, “We have just elected a female pope.” Most of her contemporaries (including Innocent's successor, Pope Alexander VII) disliked Olimpia’s interference in Vatican affairs – she was far smarter than almost all the men in her environment, and it hurt. But some fair-minded ambassadors praised her for her intelligence, dignity, and financial acumen. The French ambassador Bali de Valençais admired Olimpia, informing Louis XIV that she was, without doubt, a “great lady.” Even Cardinal Pallavicino, who despised Olimpia, gave her grudging approval for her “intellect of great worth in economic government” and her “capacity for the highest affairs.” Even more amazingly, unlike to rumored Pope Joan, the existence of Olimpia Maidalchini cannot be ignored or forgotten, as there are diplomatic missives and internal church documents which exist to verify her influence.
I am giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I feel that about 50 pages of the book were unnecessary. I appreciate that the author took a considerable amount of time to explain the court protocol and procedure, but there were places in the book were the descriptions ran on for 4-5 pages. Otherwise, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend.
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Her brother-in-law, Cardinal Giambattista, the future Pope Innocent X, is characterized as a man who loved the church but was so indecisive as to be ineffectual.Olimpia operated on the premise that she would never be poor, powerless, or at the mercy of someone else after she left her father's house. In order to preserve his carefully built fortune in favor of his only son, Olimpia's father attempted to have her placed in a convent, where he would not have to pay a dowry. Instead, Olimpia out-wits her father and soon ends up married to a wealthy young man who has the decency to die early. Her second marriage is to the brother of Cardinal Giambattista, and it is characterized as being a mostly happy marriage (if not happy, at least content). However, Olimpia soon realizes that if she wants to be taken seriously by Roman society she must elevate the family. Using her money and charm, and aided by Giambattista's excellent reputation as a man inclined to think first (and long) and act (much much) later, Olimpia guides her brother through the papal hierarchy until he is elected pope. Better still, Cardinal Giambattista, i.e. Pope Innocent X lives a long time, instead of dying early as Popes were supposed to, giving Olimpia time to establish herself as the FIRST woman of the Holy See.
Admired, hated envied, and feared, Olimpia suffered the tragedy of being born an intelligent, ambitious, and cunning woman in a man's world, yet she triumphed, achieving her wildest dreams despite her gender. The day that Cardinal Gianbattista Pamphili was elected pontiff, Cardinal Alessandro Bichi angrily declared, “We have just elected a female pope.” Most of her contemporaries (including Innocent's successor, Pope Alexander VII) disliked Olimpia’s interference in Vatican affairs – she was far smarter than almost all the men in her environment, and it hurt. But some fair-minded ambassadors praised her for her intelligence, dignity, and financial acumen. The French ambassador Bali de Valençais admired Olimpia, informing Louis XIV that she was, without doubt, a “great lady.” Even Cardinal Pallavicino, who despised Olimpia, gave her grudging approval for her “intellect of great worth in economic government” and her “capacity for the highest affairs.” Even more amazingly, unlike to rumored Pope Joan, the existence of Olimpia Maidalchini cannot be ignored or forgotten, as there are diplomatic missives and internal church documents which exist to verify her influence.
I am giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I feel that about 50 pages of the book were unnecessary. I appreciate that the author took a considerable amount of time to explain the court protocol and procedure, but there were places in the book were the descriptions ran on for 4-5 pages. Otherwise, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member fglass
For over a decade in the seventeenth century a woman unofficially, but openly, ran the Vatican. 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
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foreign ambassadors, and helped herself to a heaping portion of the Papal State's treasury. The society she is part of includes the fact that "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. " Show Less
LibraryThing member AuntieClio
I enjoyed this book immensely. Eleanor Herman's lively writing brought Olimpia Maidalchini, and her time as the power behind the Vatican in mid-17th century, to life. (As cliche as that may sound.) That the Catholic Church was corrupt is an understatement by any stretch of the imagination. That
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Olimpia, despite her gender, was able to take advantage of that corruption to enrich herself and her family, is a tribute to her ingenuity, intelligence, and sneakiness. Make no mistake, Olimpia is not a likeable woman, but she can certainly be applauded for pulling herself from poverty to untold riches in a time in history when few women were even allowed to try. Thank you Eleanor Herman for bringing this little known woman to light (and life). Show Less
LibraryThing member madamepince
Despite its romance novel-like title, this is a biography of a woman who influenced Vatican politics during the time of Pope Innocent X. Detailed and involving.
LibraryThing member TeachArt1
This nonfiction account of Olimpia Maidalchini (1591-1657) who was the skirt behind Pope Innocent X (reigned 1644-1655) is both a fascinating biography of an intelligent and independent woman ahead of her time, but also an eye-opening account of the Catholic church of the 17th century.
Olimpia’s
Olimpia went directly to the bishop and thus had her first experience in getting what she wanted, or in this case, what she didn’t want. However, for the rest of her life she was shaped by the fear of being controlled by men.
At age 17, she married into a wealthy family, but her husband died within a few years. She made a second marriage into an impoverished noble family which was thrilled to have Olimpia’s fortune, while Olimpia received the social status of nobility that she desired.
Her second husband’s brother, a priest, was in a position to resolve family disputes and other legal matters for the church, but the man was hopelessly indecisive. He often consulted his sister-in-law, Olimpia, who understood each problem and devised expert solutions. Evidently, he could not make a decision without her.
Through cunning, bribes, promises, flattery, and deals which diluted the power of her enemies and increased her family’s standing, Olimpia worked for years to position her brother-in-law to become a Cardinal and eventually to be elected Pope Innocent X. Once he was pope, Olimpia effectively ran the Vatican.
Despite women’s lowly status at the time, I admired Olimpia for her courage, stubbornness, determination, independence, intelligence, expertise in foreign affairs, and ability to influence others, but when Olimpia became corrupt and greedy for power and wealth, I lost respect for her, as did the people of 17th-century Rome, and eventually Innocent X.
I learned much that I hadn’t known about Rome and the Catholic church during the 17th century. As background, the author often tells backstories of earlier Roman or church history. I also learned much about the relations of the Vatican with France and Spain (who hated each other) and how this caused rivalries that were resolved by bribes and inappropriate appointments to appease one side or the other. Although I was aware of church corruption throughout history, this book was filled, page after page, with the moral corruption of nearly everyone involved.
I have only touched on the wealth of information, every page filled with intrigue, greed, and a quest for power. It is well-documented with excerpts from letters, news sheets, diplomatic papers, church records, legal documents, wills, diaries and other writings of the day.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, especially Roman/Italian history and/or church history. I especially enjoyed the story of this independent, although flawed woman.
Olimpia’s
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father, who was unable to afford dowries for his daughters, decided to place his girls in nunneries. At that time, nuns lived in tiny, dismal cells with no comforts. However, because the availability of young women to reproduce new Catholics was dwindling, the church declared that no girl could be placed in a convent without her consent.Olimpia went directly to the bishop and thus had her first experience in getting what she wanted, or in this case, what she didn’t want. However, for the rest of her life she was shaped by the fear of being controlled by men.
At age 17, she married into a wealthy family, but her husband died within a few years. She made a second marriage into an impoverished noble family which was thrilled to have Olimpia’s fortune, while Olimpia received the social status of nobility that she desired.
Her second husband’s brother, a priest, was in a position to resolve family disputes and other legal matters for the church, but the man was hopelessly indecisive. He often consulted his sister-in-law, Olimpia, who understood each problem and devised expert solutions. Evidently, he could not make a decision without her.
Through cunning, bribes, promises, flattery, and deals which diluted the power of her enemies and increased her family’s standing, Olimpia worked for years to position her brother-in-law to become a Cardinal and eventually to be elected Pope Innocent X. Once he was pope, Olimpia effectively ran the Vatican.
Despite women’s lowly status at the time, I admired Olimpia for her courage, stubbornness, determination, independence, intelligence, expertise in foreign affairs, and ability to influence others, but when Olimpia became corrupt and greedy for power and wealth, I lost respect for her, as did the people of 17th-century Rome, and eventually Innocent X.
I learned much that I hadn’t known about Rome and the Catholic church during the 17th century. As background, the author often tells backstories of earlier Roman or church history. I also learned much about the relations of the Vatican with France and Spain (who hated each other) and how this caused rivalries that were resolved by bribes and inappropriate appointments to appease one side or the other. Although I was aware of church corruption throughout history, this book was filled, page after page, with the moral corruption of nearly everyone involved.
I have only touched on the wealth of information, every page filled with intrigue, greed, and a quest for power. It is well-documented with excerpts from letters, news sheets, diplomatic papers, church records, legal documents, wills, diaries and other writings of the day.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, especially Roman/Italian history and/or church history. I especially enjoyed the story of this independent, although flawed woman.
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LibraryThing member bookmarkaussie
I was worried that this book would be a feminist book, but after the first few chapters of girl power, the book settles down into a quite interesting biography of a fascinating women and the time and place that she lived in. The relations between people are detailed but still clear. The writing is
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the 1600's, the Vatican or in biography.
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good and I even got a chuckle or two out of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the 1600's, the Vatican or in biography.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
464 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
0061245550 / 9780061245558