The True Story Behind The Beauty and the Beast
Petrus Gonsalvus and Lady Catherine Story
A Love Story Rooted in Misfortune and Mystery
Many know the enchanting fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, a story of love, acceptance, and transformation. However, few realize that the origins of this tale may be rooted in the real-life story of Petrus Gonsalvus and his wife, Lady Catherine, whose lives were both tragic and extraordinary. Their story was not one of magic but of medical rarity, prejudice, and a complex love that defied societal expectations.
The Birth of the ‘Beast’
Petrus Gonsalvus was born in 1537 in Tenerife, part of Spain’s Canary Islands. Unlike other children, Petrus had a rare condition known as hypertrichosis, often referred to as ‘werewolf syndrome.’ This disorder caused excessive hair growth all over his body, including his face, making him appear more beast than man in the eyes of those around him. At the time, little was understood about such medical conditions, and people often regarded those with physical anomalies as cursed, bewitched, or even subhuman.
At just ten years old, Petrus was taken from his home and presented as a curiosity to the court of King Henry II of France. European nobility often displayed “wonders” and “oddities” for entertainment, and the young boy, covered in thick hair, became an immediate fascination. The courtiers viewed him as a ‘wild man’ who had been captured and tamed. However, rather than being treated as a mere spectacle, Petrus received an education, a rare privilege for someone in his position. He learned Latin, courtly manners, and even became well-versed in aristocratic customs. Despite this, he was never fully accepted as an equal.
The Arrangement of a ‘Beauty’
While at court, Petrus’s fate was decided in an unusual experiment: Could a “beast” become a true gentleman if raised among nobility? More importantly, could he marry and father children? In 1573, King Henry II’s wife, Catherine de’ Medici, decided to test this by arranging a marriage between Petrus and a noblewoman. A suitable bride was chosen, Lady Catherine, a beautiful young woman from a respectable family.
Lady Catherine’s reaction upon seeing her husband is unknown, but one can only imagine the shock and uncertainty she must have felt. She had no choice in the matter, as was common for noblewomen of her time. However, rather than rejecting Petrus, she chose to stay, fulfilling the role of a dutiful wife.
The Marriage and Family Life
Over time, Lady Catherine and Petrus built a life together. They had seven children, four of whom inherited their father’s condition. This meant that rather than being accepted as a noble family, they were treated as living curiosities. The court displayed their “beast-like” children as if they were exotic pets, often gifting them to other noble courts across Europe as curios.
Despite this cruelty, it is believed that a genuine bond developed between Petrus and Catherine. He was a learned and intelligent man, far from the “wild beast” many assumed him to be. Although their lives were constrained by society’s perception of them, their partnership endured.
The Fate of Petrus and Catherine’s Children: A Forgotten Legacy
Despite the unconventional circumstances of their union, Petrus and Catherine built a life together and had several children, by some accounts, at least seven. But what became of them?
A Genetic Gamble
One of the most intriguing aspects of their offspring was whether they inherited their father’s condition. Historical accounts suggest that out of their seven children, at least four were born with hypertrichosis, just like Petrus. This was both a blessing and a curse. While their uniqueness could have given them some level of intrigue and status in European courts, it also meant they were viewed more as curiosities than as regular members of society.
The “Wild Children” in Aristocratic Hands
Records indicate that the children with hypertrichosis were taken from their parents and given to various noble families across Europe. These aristocrats saw them as rare living treasures, oddities to be displayed and marveled at rather than treated as human beings. There are paintings of these children in luxurious clothing, depicted as little nobles, but their reality was far from glamorous.
Unlike their father, who was well-educated and granted a certain level of respect, the children seemed to have been treated more like living artifacts. The courts valued them for their novelty but did not offer them the same intellectual or social opportunities their father received.
The Fate of the “Normal” Children
The children of Petrus and Catherine who were born without hypertrichosis had vastly different lives. Since they did not bear the same distinctive appearance, they were more likely to integrate into society, marry, and live relatively ordinary lives. However, little documentation exists about them, as they lacked the spectacle that made their siblings famous.
A Vanishing Legacy
As time passed, the Gonsalvus children disappeared from historical records. Some historians believe that the descendants of those without hypertrichosis blended into European society, their extraordinary lineage lost to history. The children with the condition, however, likely remained in aristocratic circles as “pets” of the elite, eventually fading into obscurity.
A Life of Forced Isolation
Though they were married under the assumption that Petrus could be ‘civilized,’ society never fully accepted him or his children. Even those who did not inherit hypertrichosis faced the stigma of their father’s condition. The Gonsalvus family lived under the shadow of spectacle, their dignity repeatedly stripped as they were passed from one noble court to another. Their existence became one of constant observation, as physicians and scholars studied their condition rather than acknowledging them as people with real emotions and desires.
Eventually, Petrus and Catherine withdrew from court life, settling in Italy, where they attempted to live in peace. But even in their final years, they were never truly free from curiosity and scrutiny.
The Legacy of Petrus and Lady Catherine
The story of Petrus Gonsalvus and Lady Catherine is believed to have inspired Beauty and the Beast because it reflects the theme of looking beyond appearances to find true love. However, their reality was far from a fairy tale. They were subjects of fascination rather than true nobility, and their love story. though enduring, was marred by exploitation and prejudice.
Petrus lived into old age, but records of Lady Catherine’s later years remain unclear. Their children disappeared into history, possibly living lives just as difficult as their father’s. Today, their story serves as a reminder of how society has often mistreated those who are different, but also of the resilience of love against the odds.
Though their lives were tinged with tragedy, Petrus and Lady Catherine’s story remains one of the most unusual and compelling romances in history, a testament to love’s ability to endure even in the face of discrimination and suffering. image/wikimedia
