Riccardo: The Man Who Blew Up the Pope
A corpse that explodes inside the Vatican. A papal doctor who hides behind secrecy, lies, and forbidden photographs. This is not fiction — it’s a true story. For decades, the scandal surrounding Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi, personal physician to Pope Pius XII, has been buried under shame and silence. Now, after years of research in hidden archives and forgotten testimonies, the truth comes to light. From Nazi-occupied Rome to the shadowy dawn of the Cold War, this investigative series blends true crime and history to reveal one of the strangest, most unsettling sagas the Catholic Church has ever tried to forget. Hosted on A...
Episodes
7 - Who Owns the Pope's Body?
In 1954, Pius XII’s health collapses — and with it, his trust in his lifelong doctor, Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi. Newly unearthed diaries from Cardinal Domenico Tardini expose a year of rivalries, deception, and failed cures: rectal feeding, fa…
6 - Paranormal Activity
As the Montesi scandal fades, it leaves deep scars on Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi and his bond with Pius XII. In the aftermath, Riccardo descends into a forbidden world: by 1954, he is promoting M.B.R. 36, a fraudulent cancer cure, while secretl…
5 - The Killer Footbath
1953. On the beach at Capocotta — before the hunting estate of Dr. Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi — the body of young Wilma Montesi is discovered. What should have been a routine investigation quickly turns into a true crime scandal. Police rush to…
4 - The Doctor Who Outlived Hitler
The Vatican under siege. Nazi forces occupy Rome and tighten their grip around St. Peter’s Square, as Hitler plots to kidnap Pope Pius XII. At the Pope’s side stands Dr. Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi — an unorthodox physician, gambler, and keeper …
1 - The Devil's Hour
Every papal death revives a haunting memory: the secret science of preserving the body, and the grotesque disaster of 1958, when Pope Pius XII’s corpse exploded. This first episode rewinds to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tracing …
2 - All the Pope's Men
Rome, 1930: a city under fascist rule, where the Vatican seethes with spies, secret deals, and political violence. In this shadowed world, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli — soon to become Pope Pius XII — rises to power, while at his side emerges t…
3 - The Bones of Saint Peter
As Nazi troops invade Poland, Pope Pius XII faces the most terrifying choice of his life: condemn Hitler and risk the Church’s destruction, or remain silent and watch the world burn. In the shadows of Saint Peter’s Basilica, secret excavati…
Trailer
A true crime podcast uncovering Vatican secrets and scandals. Pope Pius XII — Eugenio Pacelli — the wartime Pope, the most powerful pontiff of the modern era. At his side for thirty years stood Dr. Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi: eye doctor, homeop…