The killer duo of Italian Colloredo twins (8 photos)

This man didn't have to do anything to create chaos and panic. Just open the cloak. And then his brother got involved.





In the 1930s, one Betty Lou Williams was rumored to be earning $1,000 a week by performing her parasitic twin to the public. This is a pathology that develops at the stage of development of twin embryos, when one of them does not complete its formation. And the only way for him to feed and survive is the second one - the stronger twin.



But long before Betty, brothers Lazarus and Johann Baptista Colloredo were already running a similar business in Italy, making money on their dissimilarity. The boys were born in 1617 in Genoa, Italy. And during his life he managed to visit exhibitions and shows almost all over Europe. Colloredos are among the earliest and most unusual cases of parasitic twins. Danish anatomist Thomas Bartholinus described it in detail in his book The Marvelous and Eccentric Kirby Museum:



I saw Lazarus Colloredo, a Genoese, first in Copenhagen, then in Basile, when he was twenty-eight years old, but in both places with amazement. This Lazarus had a younger brother growing on his chest, who was born with him in this position. If I'm not mistaken, the bone, called the xiphoid, was fused in both of them; his left leg hung down lengthwise; he had two hands, but on each hand there were only three fingers: there was some appearance of secret parts. He moved his hands, ears and lips.

This younger brother does not excrete any excrement except through the mouth, nose and ears, and feeds on what the big one takes in: he has different animal and vital parts from the big one, since he sleeps, sweats and moves when the other is awake, resting and not sweats. Both received their names in the font: one was Lazarus, the other was Johann Baptista. The natural intestines, such as liver, spleen, etc., are the same in both. Johann Baptista's eyes are mostly closed, his breathing is small, so if you bring the pen to your mouth, it barely moves, but if you pass it with your hand, the breath will be small and warm.



His mouth is usually open and wet with saliva; his head is larger than Lazarus's, but deformed; the hair hangs down while the face is upright. Both have beards; Baptista's is shabby, while Lazar's is very neat. Lazarus is distinguished by his excellent height, decent physique, courteous behavior and gallant attire: he covers his brother’s body with his cloak, and at the first conversation with him you would not think that a monster lies inside. It seemed that he was always in his right mind, except that from time to time he worried about his end, for he was afraid of his brother's death, foreseeing that when it came, he too would die from the stench and rotting of his body; That's why he cared about his brother more than about himself.



This is a rare case of conjoined twins. And, judging by the description, the brothers must have died in the womb or at birth. But they survived and led quite an active life. In particular, Lazarus is a carrier.



The unusual couple was willingly received by noble and wealthy people to gaze at the rare ugliness. King Louis XIV of France even granted Lazar the rank of musketeer: in several surviving portraits, Colloredo appeared in appropriate attire.



Lazarus loved and cared for his brother, albeit underdeveloped. Once he even killed an insolent person who laughed at his appearance. The panel of judges decided to spare the criminal the death penalty, since as a result the dependent Johann would also die. Colloredo was pardoned. And from then on, it was enough for Lazarus to simply open his cloak to put any ill-wisher to flight.



Taking into account their peculiarities, the brothers lived quite a long life - 50 years. Lazarus was even married and had children, who, fortunately, did not inherit his specific feature.