The Nuns of Sant'Ambrogio: The True Story of a Convent in Scandal

by Hubert Wolf

  Deufel’s study has received some harsh criticism for its technical deficiencies.37 In his review of the book, Herman H. Schwedt calls the Inquisition trial, as sketched by Deufel, a “modern-day witch trial” in which witnesses (meaning Kleutgen) were “convicted alongside the defendants.”38 He also unjustly condemns Deufel for regarding “the much-discussed attempt by the novice mistress to poison Katharina von Hohenzollern as a fact,” although there was no public announcement of a conviction for attempted murder, and such cases lay entirely outside the Holy Office’s jurisdiction.39 Still, Deufel’s initial, brief reconstruction of the Sant’Ambrogio affair, supported by a certain amount of source material, did achieve some recognition, and has been cited in many subsequent books. Giacomo Martina draws on Deufel in his lengthy monograph on Pius IX,40 as does Elke Pahud de Mortanges in her study on Jakob Frohschammer,41 and Aidan Nichols in his Conversation of Faith and Reason, which mentions “The Kleutgen Fiasco.”42

  Deufel claimed that the mystery surrounding the case up to that point, and in particular the reason for Kleutgen’s fall from grace, had been “largely illuminated” by the report from the Sigmaringen state archive. Information from Rome, he said, could “only provide something new in the formal sense.”43 This has proved inaccurate. The opening of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s archives by John Paul II in 1998 made the Holy Roman Inquisition’s files accessible to researchers for the first time. The files from the Sant’Ambrogio trial, which had been hidden for a century and a half in the most secret of all Church archives, finally saw the light of day. At last, the secret could be revealed—and what had sounded like an outrageous fantasy turned out to be a true story of a convent in scandal.

  Acknowledgments

  The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio would not have been written without the support I received from many sides. Thanks are therefore due to:

  The Historisches Kolleg in Munich: this unique establishment for historians afforded me working conditions that made a year’s residency go by in a flash. I would like to thank the board of trustees for the faith they placed in me; the Fritz Thyssen Foundation for financing my year at the college; the managing director, Dr. Karl-Ulrich Gelberg, for the smooth organization of everything; Dr. Elisabeth Müller-Luckner for all the stimulating conversations; Gabriele Roser and Elvira Jakovina for making life in the college so pleasant; and my two student assistants, Edith Ploethner and Franz Quirin Meyer, for a great many books, photocopies, and intelligent questions. I would also like to thank my fellow stipend recipients for the interesting insights into their subjects and research aims. Dr. Elisabeth Hüls made the workshop “Wahre und falsche Heiligkeit” (True and False Holiness) in January 2012 into a wonderful forum. It is also thanks to her that the conference volume, “Wahre” und “falsche” Heiligkeit. Mystik, Macht und Geschlechterrollen im Katholizismus des 19. Jahrhunderts was published so quickly, appearing as volume 90 in the series Schriften des Historischen Kollegs, Kolloquien in spring 2013. Many things that The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio touches upon are given in-depth consideration there, from a variety of perspectives. I would like to thank all the conference participants and moderators for contributing their ideas to the workshop and reworking their chapters for the conference volume.

  The foundations: I discovered the files on the Sant’Ambrogio case in the Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (ACDF) in 1999. At that time, researchers were seldom permitted to make copies, so it was necessary first to gain a proper understanding of the files, and then to write parts of them out. The Gerda Henkel Foundation kindly financed this effort. And without years of support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for my studies in this archive, I would never have been able to bring this case to light, let alone work on it.

  The archives: even after twenty years as a professor of Church history, my fascination for archive work remains undiminished. This is partly thanks to the archivists. I would like to thank Monsignore Dr. Alejandro Cifres, the director of the ACDF, and his colleagues Daniel Ponziani, Fabrizio De Sibi, and Fabrizio Faccenda for making the central collections available and providing helpful answers to all my questions. Dr. Johan Ickx, who spent many years at the ACDF and is now the head of the Secretariat of State’s historical archive, was always an important contact, particularly as his wife, Elizabeth Ickx-Lemens, took on the task of copying out parts of the collections relevant to Sant’Ambrogio. This book also makes use of material from a number of other archives. Along with many other people, I would like to thank Dr. Clemens Brodkorb from the Archiv der Deutschen Provinz der Jesuiten in Munich, and Birgit Meyenberg from the Sigmaringen state archive, for making files available and responding conscientiously to all inquiries. Prof. Dr. Peter Walter used his profound knowledge of the theological history of the nineteenth century to help me date the Passaglia affair, among other things. I spent a fascinating afternoon with Prof. Dr. Christa Habrich, who gave me an exemplary introduction to the world of poisons. If I should ever find myself needing to commit the perfect murder, I will certainly consult her again. I thank her, and with her everyone who, whether as archivist, librarian, colleague, or private individual, has provided me with pieces of the great puzzle of Sant’Ambrogio.

  The Seminar for Middle and Modern Church History: my year in Munich would not have been possible without my team in Münster. Everyone there, but particularly my managing director, PD Dr. Thomas Bauer, and my substitute for the year, Prof. Dr. Klaus Unterburger, kept me free of any obligations. In working on the manuscript, I was able to rely on translations provided by Alex Piccin und Elisabeth-Marie Richter, among others. During the editing process and while conducting difficult research, I was as always grateful to have recourse to the expertise and vast experience of my collaborators in scientific communication. The conversations I had with them were hugely beneficial—and not just to the manuscript. I would therefore like to thank Dr. Holger Arning, Sarah Brands, and Katharina Hörsting. I am also grateful to Dr. Judith Schepers und Birgit Reiß from my seminar, and to Sabine Höllmann, for their thorough proofreading. And these thanks would not be complete without mentioning two collaborators in particular: Dr. Maria Pia Lorenz-Filograno, my “Signora di Sant’Ambrogio,” for her translations, research, checks, and motivation, and Dr. Barbara Schüler, for her criticism, copyediting, polishing, and general organization of everything.

  The first readers: curious to know how the “true story” would come across, and how different people would react to it, we gave the manuscript to people with an interest in history but who were not experts in the field. I would like to thank Michael Pfister, Christiane Richter, Christa Schütte, und Heribert Woestmann, among others, for their nuanced opinions and suggestions.

  C. H. Beck: as an author, I feel I am in the best of hands with my long-standing editor, Dr. Ulrich Nolte. I am greatly honored that my book has been published by C. H. Beck in its 250th anniversary year.

  Munich, September 2012

  Hubert Wolf

  Notes

  The material from the Roman archives is largely written in Italian and Latin. Translations into German have been commissioned by the author, placing an emphasis on faithfulness and readability. The English translations of all quotes have been made from the German. In the notes, the Italian titles of these sources have been retained (where these exist), as they appear in the archives. It has not always been possible to provide page numbers. All emphases within the quotations are taken from the originals and set in italics, whether they were originally underlined or picked out in some other way. All names mentioned in the text, with the exception of the popes and famous figures from world history, are given a biographical note; if no details for a person could be found, no special mention is made. The full versions of all abbreviated archive collections and book titles used in the notes can be found in the “Sources and Literature” section.

  PROLOGUE “Save, Save Me!”

  1. Fogli manoscritti consegnati in atti dalla Principessa Caterina de Hohenz
ollern il 15. Settembre 1859. Sommario della Relazione informativa no. XXII; ACDF SO St. St. B 7 c.

  2. Christiane Gmeiner started work as a governess for Princess Rosa zu Hohenlohe-Bartenstein, born Countess von Sternberg, in March 1870. She accompanied her to Prague. Katharina had obviously recommended her confidante for this task. HZA Archiv Bartenstein, box 130, addendum 56.

  3. Erlebnisse von S. Ambrogio, von Fräulein Ch. Gmeiner notiert im Jahr 1870; StA Sigmaringen, Dep 39 HS I Rubr 53 no. 14 UF 9m, p. 76.

  CHAPTER ONE “Such Turpitudes”

  1. Cf. Stefanie Kraemer and Peter Gendolla (eds.), Italien. Eine Bibliographie zu Italienreisen in der deutschen Literatur. Unter Mitarbeit von Nadine Buderath (Frankfurt am Main, 2003). There is also an extensive bibliography online: www.lektueren.de/Lehrveranstaltungen/Bibliographie%20Italienreisen.pdf (5/18/2012).

  2. On the following, cf. Weitlauff (ed.), Kirche; Wolf, Kirchengeschichte, pp. 114–21; Zovatto (ed.), Storia, pp. 508–15. The relevant sections of the Handbuch der Kirchengeschichte, vol. 6/1 are still also worth reading, as is Schmidlin, Papstgeschichte, vol. I. On the suppression of the Jesuits, see Hartmann, Jesuiten, pp. 84–90; Martina, Storia. The concepts used in the following section for theological and ecclesiastico-political directions, such as “enlightened,” “intransigent,” “liberal,” “modern,” “establishmentarian,” and “Ultramontanist” are not entirely unproblematic, as they were the object of serious controversy themselves at the time. They also have a different meaning outside their religious context, and imply different values according to one’s standpoint.

  3. Ercole Consalvi was born in 1757. He was the cardinal secretary of state from 1800 to 1806, and again from 1814 to 1823. He died in 1824. For more on him, see Wolf (ed.), Prosopographie, pp. 340–46.

  4. Cf. Giacomo Martina, “Gregorio XVI,” in DBI 59 (2003), online: www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/papa-gregorio-xvi_(Dizionario-Biografico) (5/22/2012); Reinermann, Metternich, pp. 524–48; Georg Schwaiger, “Gregor XVI.” in LThK, 3rd ed., vol. 4 (1995), pp. 1023–24; Wolf, Index, pp. 105–16.

  5. Mauro Capellari, Il trionfo della Santa Sede e della Chiesa contro gli assalti dei Novatori (Venice, 1799).

  6. Cf. Hasler, Pius IX. Ickx, Santa Sede, pp. 293–568; Lill, Ultramontanismus, pp. 76–91; Martina, Pio IX, 3 vols; Weber, Kardinäle, 2 vols; Wenzel, Freundeskreis, pp. 190–355; Wolf, Index; Wolf, Kirchengeschichte, pp. 137–52.

  7. Cf. Seibt, Rom, pp. 111–89.

  8. Cf. Franz Hülskamp and Wilhelm Molitor, Piusbuch. Papst Pius IX. in seinem Leben und Wirken (Münster, 3rd ed., 1877), p. 7.

  9. Diary entry from November 10, 1852; Gregorovius, Roman Journals, p. 3.

  10. Cf. Descrizione topografica, pp. 201–8; Hergenröther, Kirchenstaat; Kruft/Völkee, Einführung, in Gegorovius, Tajebücher, pp. 21–30; Sombart, Campagna; Stefani, Dizionario corografico; Weber, Kardinäle vol. 1, pp. 1–183. On the development of Rome from 1870 to the present, see Seronde-Babonauz, Rome.

  11. This biography of Katharina von Hohenzollern is principally based on the (admittedly rather hagiographic) description of her life by Zingeler, Katharina; also Deufel, Kirche, pp. 56–67; Fiala, Jahrhundert, pp. 47-52; Gustav Hebeisen, “Hohenzollern, Katharina,” in LThK, 1st ed., vol. 5 (1933), p. 106 (for the date of her trip to Rome and meeting with Reisach); Wenzel, Freundeskreis, pp. 359–81.

  12. On the House of Hohenlohe and its various lines, cf. Adelslexikon, vol. 5, pp. 302–7; Taddey, Unterwerfung, pp. 883–92; Zingeler, Katharina, p. 3.

  13. Fiala, Jahrhundert, p. 48; Zingeler, Katharina, p. 4.

  14. See Garhammer, Regierung, pp. 75–81; Garhammer, Seminaridee, pp. 11–74; Anton Zels, “Reisach,” in Gatz (ed.), Bischöfe, pp. 603–6.

  15. Hofbauer, who was born in 1751, was the first German Redemptorist. He died in 1820. See Werner Welzig, “Hofbauer,” in NDB 9 (1972), pp. 376–77.

  16. Adam Müller was born in 1779. He studied in Göttingen and Berlin, where he came into contact with the literary Romantics. In 1815, he entered the Austrian civil service, and was knighted in 1826, becoming Ritter von Nitterdorf. He died in 1829. See Silvia Dethlefs, “Müller Ritter von Nitterdorf” in NDB 18 (1997), pp. 338–41.

  17. The Collegio Romano was founded in Rome in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyola, as the Jesuits’ central training institute. In 1773, following the suppression of the Society of Jesus, it passed into the hands of the secular priests. In 1824 it was returned to the Jesuits by Leo XII. In the mid-nineteenth century, the Jesuits’ school lay on the Piazza del Collegio Romano, off the main street, the Via del Corso. Since 1873, the former Collegio Romano has been known as the Gregorian Pontifical University. This was also when it moved to Via del Seminario, between the Piazza Veneziana and the Trevi Fountain. Cf. Ricardo García-Villoslada, Storia del Collegio Romano (Rome, 1954); Benedetto Vetere and Alessandro Ippoliti (eds.), Il Collegio Romano. Storia di una costruzione (Rome, 2001). On the history of the Gregorian University, cf. Robert Leiber and Ricardo García-Villoslada, “Gregoriana,” in LThK, 2nd ed., vol 4 (1960), pp. 1195–96; Steinhuber, Geschichte, 2 vols. The Collegium Germanicum is a seminary led by Jesuits, which was founded in 1552 by Pope Julius III. In 1580, the Collegium Germanicum was merged with the Collegium Hungaricum, and since then it has carried the official name Pontificum Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum de Urbe. The seminary lies on the Via Leonida Bissolati in Rione Sant’Eustachio. Cf. Schmidt, Collegium.

  18. Garhammer, Regierung, p. 79. The Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide lies in the Rione Borgo, on the Via Urbano VIII, near Lungotevere Vaticano, and is now called the Pontificio Collegio Urbano. On the Congregation for the Propagation of Faith, cf. Nikolaus Kowalsky, “Propaganda-Kongregation,” in LThK, 2nd ed., vol. 8 (1963), pp. 793–94.

  19. Cf. Wenzel, Freundeskreis, p. 360.

  20. Marie zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst was born in 1855 in Venice, and married Prince Alexander von Thurn und Taxis (1851–1939) in 1875. She spent a large part of her youth in Italy, and died at Schloss Lautschein in 1934. See Hans Friedrich von Ehrenkrook (ed.), Genealogisches Handbuch der Fürstlichen Häuser, vol. 1 (Glücksberg, 1951), p. 432.

  21. Thurn und Taxis-Hohenlohe, Jugenderinnerungen, p. 76.

  22. Franz Erwin von Ingelheim, born in 1812, was the fourth son of the Imperial Austrian and Royal Bavarian privy councilor Friedrich Karl Joseph von Ingelheim. He died in 1845. See Harald Kohtz, “Von Ingelheim. Ritter—Freiherren—Grafen,” in François Lachenal/Harald T. Weise (ed.), Ingelheim am Rhein 774–1974. Geschichte und Gegenwart (Ingelheim am Rhein 1974) pp. 299–312 (family tree p. 308); Josef Meyer (ed.), Das große Conversations-Lexikon für die gebildeten Stände 15 (1850), p. 1019.

  23. On the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Prince Karl, cf. Platte, Hohenlohe-Sigmaringen, pp. 10 and 17 (family tree); Gustav Schilling, Geschichte des Hauses Hohenzollern in genealogisch fortlaufenden Biographien aller seiner Regenten von den ältesten bis auf die neuesten Zeiten, nach Urkunden und andern authentischen Quellen (Leipzig, 1843), pp. 300–306.

  24. Contract between Katharina von Hohenzollern and Prince Karl Anton von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, February 5, 1854; HZA Archiv Waldenburg Wa 270, smaller estates 206.

  25. Cf. Alfred Hillengass, Die Gesellschaft vom heiligen Herzen Jesu (Société du Sacré Cœur de Jésus). Eine kirchenrechtliche Untersuchung (Kirchenrechtliche Abhandlungen 89) (Stuttgart, 1917); Provinzial-Correspondenz 22 (1873), online: www.zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/amtspresse/ansicht/issue/9838247/1856/4/ (6/27/2012)

  26. Quoted in Zingeler, Katharina, p. 68.

  27. Ibid., p. 70.

  28. Ibid., p. 69. On Reisach’s elevation to cardinal, cf. Garhammer, Erhebung, pp. 80–101.

  29. Katharina’s stay in the pope’s city even made it into the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung. The paper reported her presence in Rome, saying she was “received by His Holiness in the Vatican with great honor.” Cf. Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, no. 197, October 24, 1857, p. 4743. The writer was the philologist Albert Dressel
in Rome, according to the editors’ copy in the DLA. The “Palazzo alle Quattro Fontane” probably refers to the Palazzo Albani del Drago, which stands at the crossroads of the Via delle Quattro Fontane and the Via XX Settembre.

  30. Cf. Schlemmer, Gustav, pp. 373–415; Weber, Kardinäle, vol. I, pp. 306–28 and elsewhere; Wolf, Eminenzen, pp. 110–36; Wolf, Gustav, pp. 350–75. Katharina’s father was Karl Albrecht, the third Prince zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst (1776–1843). Gustav Adolf’s father was Franz Joseph zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1787–1841). Franz Joseph and Karl Albrecht were cousins, and their fathers were brothers, making Gustav Adolf and Katharina second cousins. Cf. Genealogisch-historisch-statistischer Almanach 17 (1840), pp. 432–40.

  31. Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst was born in 1819, and was made minister of Bavaria in 1866. He was the president of the Bavarian Council of Ministers until 1870. In 1871 he became a member of the Reichstag, and served as the German ambassador in Paris from 1874 to 1885. From 1894 to 1900, he was the German imperial chancellor. He died in 1901. Cf. Stalmann, Fürst Chlodwig.

  32. Diepenbrock was born in 1798, and was ordained a priest in 1823. He became prince-bishop of Breslau in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1850, and died in 1853. Cf. Erwin Gatz, “Diepenbrock,” in Gatz (ed.), Bischöfe, pp. 686–92.

  33. Döllinger was born in 1799. After his ordination in 1822, he became a professor of canon law and church history, first in Aschaffenburg, and then in Munich. He was excommunicated in 1871, after speaking out against the infallibility of the pope to the priesthood. He died in 1890. Cf. Bischof, Theologie.