Cover image of show Riccardo: The Man Who Blew Up the Pope

Riccardo: The Man Who Blew Up the Pope

Podcast by Rob Ferraro

English

True crime & mysteries

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About 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 Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All episodes

11 episodes

episode 10 - The Man Who Blew Up the Pope artwork

10 - The Man Who Blew Up the Pope

The embalming of Pope Pius XII ends in catastrophe: his body decomposes before horrified witnesses, exploding during the funeral procession. As the Vatican scrambles to contain the disaster, scandal erupts. "Paris Match" publishes a secret medical diary and a shocking deathbed photograph of the pontiff — the first time a Pope has ever been seen stripped of all dignity. At the center is Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi, accused of betrayal, deprived of his medical license by the Medical Association, and branded the man who profaned the Pope. But new documents, revealed here for the first time, uncover a hidden truth. With Tom Ponzi, Europe’s legendary private detective, drawn into the investigation, the story becomes a noir tale of espionage, medicine, and faith. Galeazzi-Lisi is ruined, forgotten, and left to die in obscurity — yet history will forever remember him as the doctor who blew up the Pope. But perhaps, after today, everything could change. Discover more at RiccardoPodcast.com — where, starting September 17, 2025, you’ll find documents, research, and exclusive insights expanding on the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

5 Nov 2025 - 30 min
episode 9 - Anatomy of a Pontiff artwork

9 - Anatomy of a Pontiff

Pope Pius XII is dead. His longtime physician, Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi, remains at his side, carrying out his final duty. But above all looms Cardinal Eugène Tisserant — the iron-fisted Dean of the College of Cardinals — determined to dismantle Pacelli’s inner circle. Sister Pasqualina, the Pope’s housekeeper and right hand, is forced out. And Riccardo makes a desperate gamble: an experimental embalming with the mysterious Dr. Oreste Nuzzi — an “aromatization” tinged with the occult, promising miracles. Under the glare of the foreign press, Galeazzi-Lisi insists he has preserved the Pope as Christ was prepared for burial, with oils and resins. But the body of Pius XII is beginning to tell another story… Discover more at RiccardoPodcast.com — where, starting September 17, 2025, you’ll find documents, research, and exclusive insights expanding on the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

29 Oct 2025 - 21 min
episode 7 - Who Owns the Pope's Body? artwork

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, false medical bulletins, and the clash between Riccardo and the charismatic Dr. Paul Niehans. As the Pope suffers visions and humiliation, medicine turns into politics, and the Vatican becomes a battlefield of egos. This episode reveals the hidden struggle for control over the dying pontiff’s body — and his legacy. Discover more at RiccardoPodcast.com — where, starting September 17, 2025, you’ll find documents, research, and exclusive insights expanding on the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

15 Oct 2025 - 29 min
episode 6 - Paranormal Activity artwork

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 secretly dabbling in séances and the occult — practices condemned by the Church. Newly uncovered documents and unheard testimony reveal how this descent pushed one of the Pope’s closest insiders to the brink of sorcery and quackery, dragging the Vatican into perilous shadows it could not control. Discover more at RiccardoPodcast.com — where, starting September 17, 2025, you’ll find documents, research, and exclusive insights expanding on the story. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

8 Oct 2025 - 36 min
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