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The Poem of the Man-God, Vol. 1
Part 1 of a long and epic novel narrating in detail the life and teachings of Jesus Christ according to 20th century Catholic visionary Maria Valtorta.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
778 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
33 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Maria Valtorta
190 books40 followersMaria Valtorta was a Roman Catholic Italian writer and poet, considered by many to be a mystic. She was a Franciscan tertiary and a lay member of the Servants of Mary who reported reputed personal conversations with, and dictations from, Jesus Christ.
In her youth Valtorta travelled around Italy due to her father's military career. Her father eventually settled in Viareggio. In 1920, aged 23, while walking on a street with her mother, a delinquent youth struck her in the back with an iron bar for no apparent reason. In 1934 the injury eventually confined her to bed for the remaining 28 years of her life. Her spiritual life was influenced by reading the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and, in 1925, at the age of 28, before becoming bedridden, she offered herself to God as a victim soul.
On 23 April 1943, Good Friday, Valtorta reported the voice of Jesus suddenly speaking to her and asking her to write. From then until 1951 she produced over 15,000 handwritten pages in 122 notebooks, mostly detailing the life of Jesus as an extension of the gospels. Her handwritten notebooks containing close to 700 reputed episodes in the life of Jesus were typed on separate pages by her priest and reassembled, given that they had no temporal order, and became the basis of her 5,000-page controversial book The Poem of the Man God. The Holy See placed the work on the Index of Prohibited Books and the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano accompanied publication of this decree with an article that called the book a badly fictionalized life of Jesus.
Valtorta lived most of her life bedridden in Viareggio, Italy where she died in 1961. She is buried at the grand cloister of the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.
(source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Va...)
Fondazione Maria Valtorta CEV
http://www.fondazionemariavaltortacev...
In her youth Valtorta travelled around Italy due to her father's military career. Her father eventually settled in Viareggio. In 1920, aged 23, while walking on a street with her mother, a delinquent youth struck her in the back with an iron bar for no apparent reason. In 1934 the injury eventually confined her to bed for the remaining 28 years of her life. Her spiritual life was influenced by reading the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and, in 1925, at the age of 28, before becoming bedridden, she offered herself to God as a victim soul.
On 23 April 1943, Good Friday, Valtorta reported the voice of Jesus suddenly speaking to her and asking her to write. From then until 1951 she produced over 15,000 handwritten pages in 122 notebooks, mostly detailing the life of Jesus as an extension of the gospels. Her handwritten notebooks containing close to 700 reputed episodes in the life of Jesus were typed on separate pages by her priest and reassembled, given that they had no temporal order, and became the basis of her 5,000-page controversial book The Poem of the Man God. The Holy See placed the work on the Index of Prohibited Books and the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano accompanied publication of this decree with an article that called the book a badly fictionalized life of Jesus.
Valtorta lived most of her life bedridden in Viareggio, Italy where she died in 1961. She is buried at the grand cloister of the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata in Florence.
(source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Va...)
Fondazione Maria Valtorta CEV
http://www.fondazionemariavaltortacev...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 20, 2025
I am reading this collection for the fourth time. I am finding many things that I missed . Well worth reading more than once.
June 2, 2025
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote in 1988 that Maria Valtorta's texts are ‘a collection of childish fantasies, historical and exegetical errors presented in a subtle sensual context’, and he is absolutely right. The author presents her work as an authentic revelation of God, which it is by no means:
"DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
Press Release
Regarding the Writings of Maria Valtorta
The Holy See frequently receives requests from both clergy and laity for a clarification about the Church’s position on the writings of Maria Valtorta, such as her work, Il poema dell’Uomo Dio (The Poem of the Man-God), now known by the title, L’Evangelo come mi è stato rivelato (The Gospel as Revealed to Me), and other publications.
It should be reiterated that alleged “visions”, “revelations,” and “messages” contained in the writings of Maria Valtorta—or, in any case, attributed to them—cannot be regarded as having a supernatural origin. Rather, they should be considered simply as literary forms that the author used to narrate the life of Jesus Christ in her own way.
In its long tradition, the Church does not accept as normative the Apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts since it does not recognize them as divinely inspired. Instead, the Church refers back to the sure reading of the inspired Gospels.
Vatican City, 22 February 2025"
(https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/co...)
"DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
Press Release
Regarding the Writings of Maria Valtorta
The Holy See frequently receives requests from both clergy and laity for a clarification about the Church’s position on the writings of Maria Valtorta, such as her work, Il poema dell’Uomo Dio (The Poem of the Man-God), now known by the title, L’Evangelo come mi è stato rivelato (The Gospel as Revealed to Me), and other publications.
It should be reiterated that alleged “visions”, “revelations,” and “messages” contained in the writings of Maria Valtorta—or, in any case, attributed to them—cannot be regarded as having a supernatural origin. Rather, they should be considered simply as literary forms that the author used to narrate the life of Jesus Christ in her own way.
In its long tradition, the Church does not accept as normative the Apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts since it does not recognize them as divinely inspired. Instead, the Church refers back to the sure reading of the inspired Gospels.
Vatican City, 22 February 2025"
(https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/co...)
January 30, 2021
A must read for all Christians. I am reading through for the third time, and feel blessed to have "found" these books. Amazing, awe-inspiring. Will bring you to a level of love for Jesus and God you may have not found possible before.
December 2, 2019
Gives great insight into the life of Jesus, Mary and St Joseph. Interesting read.
January 31, 2020
THIS AMAZING BOOK GOD GIFT GIVEN TO ME THIS BOOK I LIKE SO MUCH .THANK GOD
August 2, 2020
I got deep knowledge about my Jesus
July 18, 2021
I enjoyed all 5 books, they were well written and detailed. It was as if you were the fly on the wall and watching it as it was happening.
July 23, 2021
This book is a must read.
February 24, 2022
I'd give it a hundred stars if I could. So good.
June 27, 2022
Beautiful and inspiring and true
June 21, 2023
It's an amazing book. Once you start reading it, you just can not stop. The more you read, the more you want more. You'll be always thirsty for the word of God.
December 10, 2023
"Poem of the Man-God" details the life of Jesus. There are five volumes. I just read Volume 1.
May 23, 2021
It is a very descriptive book. It is only the first volume of the 16 books series. A good book for knowing more of the times of Jesus. It also consists of some reflections from the incidents. It is a christian mystical spiritual book.
February 27, 2016
Getting to know and love Jesus and His Mother is one of the wonderful things I gained from reading this series. LOVE IT!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews