Locana, Italy, 1877.
Maria Mezzanrosa had a perfectly normal pregnancy and labour...until the midwife screamed at the birth. Her babies were joined from the sixth rib down. They had two full heads and necks, two pairs of arms, but only one shared set of legs. Her husband Giovanni Tocci fainted in shock, but it didn't take him long to see a blessing, instead of a curse. After a mere four weeks later he was taking the tiny boys to Turin to exhibit them for money.
Regardless of the ethics, his business sense was spot on...the brothers were a sensation - and it led to 20 years of relentless touring throughout Europe and across America. It made the family rich.
Observers said the boys were surprisingly happy with their lot...but were they, really?
Join me for an emotional journey, exploring disability, difference, 19th century side shows and cultural change. Because I'm Peter Laws, and today on Hometown History we explore the remarkable life of The Conjoined Tocci Twins, of Locana, Italy.
NOTE: Today's episode explores the fascinating live of two boys with a shared disability. They lived in the 19th century to 20th and so some of the language used at the time may be offensive.
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