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Petrus and Catherine Gonsalvus

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Oddity

The Resume

    Pedro Gonzalez (1537–1618), born in Tenerife, on the Canary Islands
    Suffered from the rare condition known as hypertrichosis or Ambas syndrome (excessive body hair growth)
    Lady Catherine (?-1623), daughter of a servant in the royal palace
    Married in 1573 on orders of Margaret of Parma and Catherine de' Medici
    Toured the Royal courts of Europe, with their children, as 'curiosities' throughout the 1580s and early 90s
    Real life inspiration for the 'Beauty and the Beast' fable

Why they might be annoying:

    Next to nothing is known about Lady Catherine's life independent from Petrus (not even her maiden name).
    They took part in an arranged marriage because the nobility wanted to see if Catherine would give birth to 'beast children.'
    Catherine was not informed of her betrothed's condition and literally found out at the altar at the wedding (she allegedly fainted at first sight).
    They disappointed the Royal court by giving birth to healthy 'normal' children the first two times.
    They were seen as such a social experiment that the Court physicians had their bed chamber equipped with a peep hole enabling them to spy and ensure that they were sexually active.

Why they might not be annoying:

    Petrus was raised in the court of King Henry II of France.
    He was initially believed to be an unthinking animal but became well versed in social protocol and etiquette, even becoming fluent in Latin.
    They were received by Kings and Queens across Europe who greeted them like rock stars.
    There has long been speculation as to whether Catherine 'truly loved' Petrus, however, the last known artistic likeness of the two shows Catherine putting her hand on Gonzales' shoulder (at the time interpreted as a sign of affection).
    Those of their children who inherited the condition were parceled out and gifted to nobles as 'pets.'
    Despite being horribly mistreated by society they eventually settled on a private estate off the coast of Italy and lived quietly the rest of their lives (the last known record of Petrus is his being present at the christening of his grandson).
    They partially inspired one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying