The Vatican holds many secrets with invaluable historic references tucked away in its archives, which help us understand our past and present. It wasn’t until 1998, by order of Pope John Paul II, that many of these secrets finally saw the light of day. One of the most interesting stories that drew the attention of many historians was related to the Convent of Sant’Ambrogio della Massima. The daily rites of the institution turned out to be shocking.
The myths of this place began in 1806. Maria Agnese Firrao was a nun who inhabited the convent, famous for her stigmas on her feet, hands, and face. Every day she was visited by the faithful who wanted to be reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice. However, in the eyes of the Inquisition, these visitations went against the power of the Church, specially if a woman was involved.
In 1816, Maria was charged with lascivious conduct and false holiness and found guilty. She was sentenced to live in isolation for the rest of her life.
The story continues in 1858 with Katharina Von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a princess and a devotee of the catholic faith, who was born in Stuttgart, and entered the Roman Convent of Sant’Ambrogio della Massima. A year after she entered the convent, she reported cases of sexual perversion, assassination, and false saintliness.
The Princess arrived to this holly sanctuary by recommendation of the Cardinal Von Reisach, after the death of her second husband. The joy she experienced at the beginning of her spiritual journey would soon vanish.
Maria Agnese Firrao orchestrated illicit activities at the convent via smuggled correspondence with followers like Sor Maria Luisa, a 26-year-old novice who claimed to have direct contact with God. Letters, allegedly written by Virgin Mary, gold rings, and relics were given to her by Him.
Princess Katharina spotted some irregularities in the established spiritual rites; for instance, the tradition of not serving meat on Fridays was not followed.
Von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen spoke to her confessor, Father Leziroli, about the strange demeanor of the nuns. She reported how Maria Luisa spent hours in her bedroom with Giuseppe Peters (another priest in charge of confessing the novices). However, Leziroli shared the secrets of the princess with Maria Luisa and tried to convince the princess that the Devil was trying to trick her.
One day, after finding out that the princess was reporting these irregularities to her confessor, Maria Luisa claimed to have visions where Katharina would fall sick and eventually die. The princess, fearing for her life, was afraid her food and drink would be poisoned. Finally, she was able to escape this hell with the help of her cousin, who had close ties to the Pope.
Following the accusations, an inquisitorial investigation was carried out with shocking results. It was discovered that Maria Luisa engaged in sexual activities with the novices, and she would bless them with the fluids of their own orgasms. The acolytes and priests, who also had sex with the nun, denied everything and blamed her. They said the devil had taken the shape of a woman and seduced them into sin.
The investigation took five years and was led by Vicenzo Sallua, who eventually uncovered the stories of sexual abuse, poisoning, and false holiness that occurred in the Convent. Young Sor Maria Luisa pleaded guilty to all charges and confessed how she tried to poison Von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen by giving her small doses of opium, mercury, and glass powder. She was sentenced to live in an isolated convent, just like Maria Agnese Firrao in her time. Rumor has it that Maria Luisa didn’t spent her last days in isolation, but rather returned to her parents’ home, where she died in miserable conditions.
Her name was erased from all the church’s records, but the man, Giuseppe Peters, (originally named Joseph Kleugten) with whom she had a sexual relationship, was never charged of lascivious acts, and eventually became a theological adviser for the Vatican Council.
