POPES
by Deb McCoy | Dec 4, 2021 | Popes
Giovanni Graziano, in English, John Gratian, was born in the late 900s, in Rome Italy. It is probably a sure thing that his family was well established, since he became the godfather of the child of the very wealthy Tusculum family. About the same time, he was...
by Deb McCoy | Nov 16, 2021 | Popes
There was once a time when distant cousins vied for the papacy. This was no small family squabble. This included major politics and murder. The two families were the Crescenti and the Tusculum counts. Giovanni de Crescenti-Ottaviani was born in about 1000, while his...
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...
by Deb McCoy | Aug 26, 2021 | Popes
Sergius is the pope who made the taking of another name common among popes. He was born Peter, son of Peter the Shoemaker and his spouse Stephanie. Apparently, he was referred to as Peter Pig Snout. Young Peter was born around 970 and grew up in the Pina area of Rome,...
