In 1444, after several treks across the European map on behalf of the Holy community, Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini began work on what would later become one of the best-selling erotic novels of the century. Titled "The Tale of Two Lovers" (or, as it's called in Italian, "Historia de duobus amantibus"), the work tells the story of a forbidden love that takes place between a married woman and a representative of the Duke of Austria, both of whom develop feelings for one another despite their better judgment. While it's certainly not akin to anything the Marquis De Sade would deem erotic, the notion of a pope publishing a story about lust and marital malfeasance was highly controversial.
Of course, Piccolomini wasn't actually a pope at the time the work was penned. Per the National Library of Scotland, he received his holy coronation in 1458 and officially became Pope Pius II on September 3. However, he only held the title for a total of six years, dying in August of 1464. "A Tale of Two Lovers" was published posthumously three years later.
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