Pope Joan. A concealed pontificate of a woman or a fictitious legend? In 1277, Martin of Troppau mentioned in his chronicle the pontificate of a woman who, as John Anglicus, had held the office of pope for two and a half years around 850 and was later removed from the list of popes. Since then, the world has been puzzling over the question of whether this is the truth or whether it is a legend tha...