These Famous People May or May Not Be Real – The Truth May Shock You

Pope Joan

Pope Joan was known to be the first female pope who served during the Middle Ages. This came about as she had disguised herself as a man to enter religious training until she rose through the church ranks. Her true gender had always been concealed under her flowing robes. Stories about Pope Joan started in the 13th century in the chronicles recorded by Dominican friars and had spread in all of Europe.

Source: Horizon Times

A lot of people believed that she existed until her story was debunked by modern scholars. There are no historical records about her character during her lifetime. A few scholars would defend the story by saying that records about her reign may have been expunged as it was a grave scandal. But there was also the fact that her supposed reign as pope also overlaps with that of Leo IV and Benedict III.