She is said to have ruled until Easter of 855 when, following a mass at St. Peter’s, the papal procession passed through the neighborhood of Celio en route to the 9th century papal residence, St. John in Lateran. The excited crowds surrounded the Pope’s horse at the crossroads of Via dei SS. Quattro and Via dei Quercetti. This caused the horse to rear, sending the pregnant Papessa Giovanna into premature labour, and thereby divulging her secret.
That spot is marked today by an ancient portico, where tourists and Romans alike stop by and leave flowers. This spot is just three blocks from the Colosseum, at the foot of the hill leading up to the medieval SS. Quattro Coronati abbey-fortress....
....Scholars for at least the past four centuries have rigorously debunked this myth, but legends which continue strong for over a millennium tend to weave themselves tightly into the local fabric and to still be worth celebrating.
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