Do you believe in miracles, you sexy thing? In the second of three Halloween specials, Emma tells Gillian all about scandalous seventeenth-century Italian nun Benedetta Carlini, the wild visions she claimed to experience, and the lesbian acts that led to her downfall. They explore Benedetta's religious upbringing against the backdrop of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, her ambitious rise through the ranks of the convent where she lived, and the escalating series of religious experiences she claimed to have had – including an angel bestie and a mystical marriage to Jesus Christ Himself. But how can you tell whether a vision is divine or demonic? Was Benedetta the original bridezilla? And what did she get up to after dark with her 'companion', Bartolemea?

Unruly History is the podcast that blows apart the historical canon. This episode was hosted by Dr Gillian Kenny and Dr Emma Nagouse, and produced by Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow. We are a completely independent production, so please consider subscribing at patreon.com/unrulyhistory for all kinds of exciting bonus content.

Our cover art is by the supremely talented Aaron Kite, https://itsakite.com/

Sources:

Judith C. Brown, Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986).