by Deb McCoy | Sep 29, 2021 | Popes
It was “all in the family” for the Tusculum counts. Brothers, Popes Benedict VIII and John XIX, ruled twenty years between them before dying. There was one brother left and he was filthy rich and very powerful. Wanting to keep the papacy in the family, he...
by Deb McCoy | Sep 14, 2021 | Popes
Romanus of Tusculum was the brother of Pope Benedict VIII. While his brother was on the throne of Peter, Romanus, a layman, was both counsel and senator of Rome, wielding much power. When Benedict died in April 1024, Romanus may have paid his way onto the empty...
by Deb McCoy | Sep 4, 2021 | Popes
This, in some ways is the story of two families who used to be close, but over the generations, grew to hate each other. You may remember Theophylact, the Roman dictator, who married Theodora, a member of the Crescenti family. Their daughter, Marozia, became a...
Recent Comments