Rome and the legend of Pope Joan

On our way to see Santi Quattro Coronati we passed a deserted shrine - said to have originally been dedicated to Pope Joan.  Legend has it that in the 9th or 11th C. (versions vary) there was a young woman that was so bright and eager to learn she disguised herself as a male in order to get schooling.  She rose in the ranks of the church, was so learned and impressive in her knowledge of scripture that on the death of Leo IV she was elected pope, reigning 2 years and 34 days (give or take).  Her womanhood was revealed when she went into labor while on horseback during a procession from St. Peter's to the Lateran.  The shrine is supposedly located at the site of the 'revelation'. This legend was very popular until the 17th century, when the Catholic church made a concerted effort to expel it because the legend was used by Protestants in mockery.  Whatever the truth, it is a fascinating legend and Donna Woolfolk Cross wrote a compelling novel based on the legend citing various evidence and inconsistencies.  Either way we paid brief tribute to the possibility of a woman infiltrating the male hierarchy of the Church.