Lazarus Colloredo and his parasitic twin, Joannes Baptista, were born in Genoa, Italy in 1617. The twins were joined at the chest and Joannes Baptista was fully formed, but lacked vital organs and simply hung from his brother's body, though some accounts claim Joannes Baptista could feel sensations. When not exhibiting himself, Lazarus kept his brother hidden under a heavy cloak. The brothers died in the late 1640s or early 1650s. A number of poems and songs were written about the twins, including Martin Parker's "Ballad of the Inseparable Brothers". Bondeson's The Two-Headed Boy includes a chapter about the Colloredos.