Rome is full of legends and anecdotes, especially with a pope as the protagonist. After all, the pontiffs had respectable political, military and religious power which, over the centuries, contributed to shaping the Eternal City as we see it today. And if you go to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, along the right nave, you can stop at this funerary monument, with an interesting inscription too. Why is it so special? Because a tour guide like me is about to tell you an episode that will spice up the story of a very interesting pontiff .

Here, now you are observing the funeral monument of Sylvester II, a pontiff considered a magician, a sorcerer and even capable of making a pact with the devil! There are numerous legends regarding this pope, who lived in 11th century Rome. Among them worth mentioning is the one that tells us how, upon the death of a pope, some water seems to come out of the tomb while, as the death of a cardinal approaches, the monument is struck by great humidity, as if it were oozing. And these strange phenomena still happen today... But there are numerous legends concerning Sylvester II himself. For example, it seems that, as happened on other occasions relating to saints (Santa Cecilia for example), when the tomb was opened in the seventeenth century, many were stunned. It seems that, according to the chronicles, the body of the deceased was extraordinarily well preserved, complete with perfectly intact sacred vestments. It only lasted a few moments, however, since upon contact with the air the corpse dissolved completely, leaving behind an effluvium resulting from the oils used for embalming. For this reason we can well say that the funerary monument can be defined as a cenotaph: a tomb without the body (much more famous is Michelangelo's one which you can read about here). Much more disconcerting, however, is the story that sees Sylvester II capable of making a pact even with the devil. According to one version, Satan himself gave him a magic book with which he could know, in advance, what would happen by making a certain choice. According to another version, however, the devil helped him build a Golem. Monstrous being who would have been imprisoned in a sort of large golden head that could guide Sylvester II in his choices, simply by moving his head in a certain way. A denial or not could be very useful, especially when the pope, as he was in the 11th century, had great temporal power. Among the questions that the pontiff asked himself there was, obviously, the one to which we all (perhaps) would like to know the answer. Sylvester II asked for news about his death, how and when he would die. The pontiff asked the Golem:"Will I die before singing mass in Jerusalem?", and at the negative sign of the monster Sylvester II calmed down. It was enough not to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy City to be saved, after all. Too bad that one day, after a mass, a serious illness struck him, making him quickly realize that the Golem was right. Why? Because the pontiff had just finished celebrating mass in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

Here is one of the many legends that make it worth visiting Rome, especially if you go to San Giovanni in Laterano . After all, this church is rich in history and charm, as well as other papal tombs, such as that of Martin V, which is beautifully displayed near the main altar. Are you still amazed by how many traditions, especially from the medieval era, make Rome even more intriguing?