Rome was the adopted hometown of the Borgia; they were originally from the Catalan region of Spain. The Roman branch of the Santacroce family had lived in Rome for a few centuries. In this episode,...
How did people unwind in the Renaissance? Well, spa baths were still popular since the days of the Roman Republic, but also competitions, and of course, who doesn’t love a good feast? All of these...
The current castle at Bracciano - Orsini-Odescalchi Castle - was built by Napoleone Orsini and his son Virginio starting in 1470. It is one the best maintained castles in Italy and host to numerous...
Having a home in the fascinating historic town of Vejano, north of Rome, fueled Marcello Assandri’s curiosity about the history of the area. He has scoured the National State Italian Archive, the...
From under the quiet north Italian town of Sarsina, archaeologists have unearthed an enormous Capitolium temple built by the Romans in the 1st century BC. Found in an exceptional state of...
Castellaccio di Messina, an abandoned castle situated in Sicily , carries a rich history dating back centuries. Built in the medieval era, it served as a defensive fortress, guarding the surrounding...
Sicily's enigmatic mummy rituals have captivated researchers and historians alike for decades. Originating with the capuchin monks of Palermo , the tradition of mummification rapidly spread across...
La Marmotta, an ancient lakeshore settlement submerged in Lake Bracciano near Rome, Italy, has captivated underwater archaeologists since its discovery in 1989. Now, archaeologists have located some...
Beneath Osimo, Italy, lies a concealed network of tunnels and chambers connecting the city's palaces. This underground maze carries an air of mystery, as it once held strategic importance for the...
One of the most famous British folk tales is that of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. According to the various versions of the story, the sword could only be pulled out of the stone by the...
As Mount Vesuvius erupted violently in 79 AD, the skies above Pompeii turned dark and ominous. A deadly cloud of super-heated gases spewed forth, reaching a height of 33 km, and molten rock and hot...
Emlyn Dodd/The Conversation Recent excavations at the Villa of the Quintilii uncovered the remains of a unique winery just outside Rome. The mid-third-century AD building located along the Via Appia...
Underwater archaeologists searching just off the western Mediterranean coast of the city of Pozzuoli in central Italy discovered the remains of a submerged 2,000-year-old Nabatean temple dedicated to...
The highly advanced and powerful culture of the ancient Etruscans could not persevere in the face of the rising Romans. By 500 BC, the political situation in the Italian Peninsula was quickly...
A recent discovery in Italy has left archaeologists scratching their heads. A stone structure of unknown purpose has been unearthed near the town of Torreano, near Udine in the Friuli Venezia Giulia...
Throughout history, humans have sought refuge and safety in the mountains. These towering natural wonders have served as sanctuaries for communities, armies, and leaders, as well as housing some of...
Throughout the world’s history, many of the kingdoms, empires, and rulers depended on some sort of a secretive assistance. Powerful realms are like intricate machines - filled with secrets. To...
A detailed examination of the skull of a woman who lived in central Italy in the medieval settlement of Castel Trosino more than 1,300 years ago has revealed something both astonishing and...
Built in the early first century BC during the Augustan era in Naples, Italy, the “Aqua Augusta” is one of the largest and most sophisticated aqueducts in the Roman Empire. Now, a previously unknown...
An American tourist traveling through the streets of Florence, Italy this past week took a seriously wrong turn and ended up in a heap of trouble as a result of his mistake, CNN reports . While...
The romantic city of Venice is known by many names, including the floating city, the city of canals and even the Queen of the Adriatic. This city of water was built on dozens of tiny islands located...
After 20 years of restoration, the lavish and opulent House of the Vettii has been opened up to the public, offering a glimpse into the life of ancient Pompeii’s elite. It was owned by two former...
In a “case of raw violence” in medieval Italy, four sword blows to the head killed a man, a team of scientists investigating the case 700 years later has determined. Interestingly, the study...
Italy is famous for many things, but did you know it’s also famous for mummies? The Venzone mummies are a collection of over forty mummies found in Venzone, Italy in the 17th century. Although these...
