Balthazar Cossa

Balthazar Cossa — a man whose name is shrouded in legends. He entered history under the name of Pope John XXIII, but even half of the sins attributed to him would be enough for the greatest sinner. For more than five centuries, the name John — particularly popular among pontiffs — was considered tainted, as in the early 15th century it was claimed by Cossa, who gained fame as a pirate, murderer, and debauchee…

«Balthazar Cossa» — the last completed novel by the writer and philologist Dmitry Mikhailovich Balashov, author of the grand cycle «Moscow Sovereigns». This time, inviting readers to journey into the turbulent era of the Great Schism of the Roman Church, Dmitry Balashov offers his vision of the personality of Balthazar Cossa, John XXIII — either slandered by detractors or truly deserving of his grim fame.

This collection also includes novellas and stories by Dmitry Balashov.