Was there ever a female pope, or is Pope Joan a medieval fabrication?

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For centuries, the story of a learned woman who disguised herself as a man to ascend the papal throne was accepted as historical fact. From the 13th century until the Reformation, the legend of Pope Joan shaped church processions, art, and even the rituals used to verify a new pope's gender.

The legend first appeared in 13th-century chronicles, notably in the work of Jean de Mailly and later in the influential Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum by Martin of Opava. These accounts describe a talented scholar, often named John Anglicus, who rose through the church hierarchy before being elected pope. Her secret was allegedly revealed when she gave birth during a public procession, leading to her death and a subsequent tradition of avoiding the street where the event occurred.

For hundreds of years, the story was treated as an exemplum in sermons and even featured in the Siena Cathedral, where a bust of Joan stood among the popes until 1600. It was not until the 17th century that Protestant historian David Blondel systematically dismantled the narrative, pointing to the chronological impossibility of inserting a reign between the well-documented lives of Leo IV and Benedict III in the 850s. Modern scholars overwhelmingly view the figure as fictional, likely born from anti-papal satire or misunderstandings of historical records.

Despite the lack of evidence, the legend persists in cultural memory, fueled by its dramatic elements and the mysterious existence of 'dung chairs'—pierced seats used in papal consecrations that some observers mistakenly linked to gender verification rituals. While recent attempts to find archaeological evidence, such as analyzing papal coin monograms, have been met with skepticism from historians, the story of Pope Joan remains a powerful cultural touchstone, appearing in novels, plays, and films as a symbol of subversion and historical mystery.

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