Creative Pranks and Hoaxes in History

Creative Pranks and Hoaxes in History

Khalid Elhassan - February 2, 2020

Creative Pranks and Hoaxes in History
Filippo Brunelleschi. Wikimedia

33. Putting the Final Touches on the Renaissance’s Greatest Prank

When Manetto came to the following day in his own home, he discovered that his house was in disarray, with furniture, tools, and other items rearranged. His confusion grew with the arrival of Matteo’s brothers, now addressing him by his real name, Manetto. They shared a fascinating story about the previous evening when their sibling got it in his head that he was Manetto.

The story was confirmed when Matteo arrived and described a puzzling dream in which he had been Manetto. That nearly drove Manetto around the bend, as he became convinced – at least for a while – that he had spent a couple of days morphed into Matteo. Eventually, when he discovered what had actually happened, Manetto felt so humiliated, that he left Florence and moved to Hungary.

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