The biography of the monster

Wikipedia “forest man”: who is Petrus Gonsalvus in the year in the Canary Islands a very unusual boy was born-due to a genetic disease, his body from head to toe was covered with dark thick hair. The story is silent who his parents were and what they did, most likely, when they saw their son, they refused him and sold them into slavery. Petrus had congenital hypertrichosis - this is a disease manifested in the form of excessive hair growth on his face and the whole body.

Today it lends itself to treatment, but in the 16th century people had to live with this ailment and cope with persecution from the part of not only peers, but also adults. The boy was locked in a cage, fed raw meat, just like a wild animal, and curious passers -by with malicious smiles on his face watched his life. When Petrus was 10 years old, they were deprived of this entertainment - he was presented to the new king of France Henry II as a presentation right on the day of the coronation.

It was then that it became known that in front of them is not a beast, but an ordinary boy-thin, frightened, but still preserving the vitality and good nature. Upon learning of this, Henry wanted to personally meet him. Petrus, not bewildered, supported the conversation, demonstrated his living mind and a perky character and literally fascinated the king. So much that he decided to give him a classic gentleman's education.

Surprisingly, Gonsalvus on the fly grabbed accurate sciences, quickly mastered the court etiquette and began to speak three languages, including Latin. So from the court jester, he turned into a revered guest. Henry II died in the year, and from that moment on the fate of Petrus began to dispose of his wife - Ekaterina Medici. It was ordered to put a young man with a rare disease in a cage and demonstrate guests as a living attraction, and when this kind of entertainment was already bored, the Medici thought that it was worth marrying him, getting offspring and using his offspring in the same way to amuse visitors to the royal palace.

Of course, she could not abandon the will of the queen. The girl was famous for unearthly beauty and high intelligence, possessed brilliant manners and prudence. Until the day of the wedding, she did not know what her future husband would look like, and, according to legend, she fainted, being near the altar. However, very soon behind the shell of the “forest monster”, as he was nicknamed in the palace, she managed to discern the true nature of Petrus.

He appeared in her eyes as an educated, modest and generous person with a highly developed mind who was able to cope with all the hardships of childhood and youth and preserve a positive view of the world. The family life of the Gonzalvus was born seven children, four of whom inherited the disease of his father - what the queen was so longing for this union. The kids were taken by force from their parents and distributed to the close people of Catherine Medici as soon as they were fame around the world thanks to participation in various exhibitions, frequent travel and demonstrations to local aristocrats, as well as sales of custom -made portraits from the best artists.

Even after the death of Catherine Medici, they failed to return the kids to the family, and then they decided to move from France to a tiny Italian village with the remaining three children. There, under her guardianship, Margarita Parmskaya, the illegitimate daughter of Charles V, took them under her guardianship, thanks to which the Gonsalvus family received royal status.

However, this did not protect them from increased attention: many doctors and scientists wanted to carefully study what kind of illness this is hypertrichosis.

Portraits of Petrus, like his children with excessive hair growth, spread throughout Europe and hung in many yards. It is noteworthy that the whole family was depicted in luxurious robes, thereby emphasizing the contrast between their unattractive appearance and expensive outfits. And they actually lived, the real beauty and the monster, like the fairy -tale characters lived for a long time: Petrus died when he was 81 years old, and Catherine - after 5 years.

But it is impossible to say that their story was happy. Not a single day of their life passed without ridicule or visits of scientists, and they could not see their grown up children with a hyphentication. Read also:.