Seven Things Hidden in the Vatican Archives

The Vatican is possibly the most powerful single institution on the planet. As the spiritual head of the Catholic church, the Pope can claim to reach an audience of around 1.3 billion people, making Rupert Murdoch look like a soapbox ranter by comparison.

The Vatican’s reach is equaled only by its secrecy: a country unto itself, few know what secrets are hidden in the vast and subterranean archives said to run for miles beneath the Papal Palace in the heart of Rome. However, from time-to-time rumors leak out, and strange stories surface of arcane devices and monstrous skeletons.

Whether any of these are true is very much a matter for debate, but nonetheless the rumors persist. Here are seven of the weirdest things said to be hidden away in the Vatican archives.