The Roman Pantheon , built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa , stands as a remarkable example of ancient architectural brilliance, captivating modern minds despite the ubiquity of contemporary...
The eerie, sightless stare of wax-figure mannequins disconcerts many an onlooker, but the famous wax museums of today which host hyper-realistic looking wax models of celebrities and historical wax...
This artistic-anthropological mystery was solved after a team of researchers analyzed a curious stone, depicted in a 15th century French painting. Merging the Paleolithic Age with the Renaissance,...
In Renaissance Florence , Italy, fashion was a tapestry of elegance and refinement . The clothing of this era showcased intricate details and subtle displays of wealth. Women of the time donned silk...
Today, after 414 years, the castle of Vejano (once Viano), Italy opened its heavy doors to experts coming from seven countries. Prince Landolfo di Napoli Rampolli, whose family has owned the castle...
This Renaissance helmet , currently an exhibit at the New York Met, serves as an intriguing example of metal craftsmanship. In the refined circles of the Renaissance, connoisseurs examined such...
A large medieval or Renaissance castle has been discovered amongst the foliage of a hill in Lazio, Italy. The discovery was made after investigations based on satellite imaging, which clearly...
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...
In medieval art, depictions of babies are far from the cherubic, innocent infants we imagine today. Instead, they appear as miniature adults, complete with mature features that can be quite...
Throughout history, humanity has faced adversity, from the Black Death that wiped out much of Europe to the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. These challenges spurred significant transformations. The...
Florence, called by many the cradle of the Renaissance, is home to many architectural masterpieces that embody the artistic and intellectual glory of that era. Among these treasures, one stands out...
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century shook Europe's cultural identity to its core. It was a revolution that emerged from centuries of political and social grievances against the Christian...
Have you ever wanted to explore the mind of one of history's greatest polymaths? The Codex Leicester gives history experts and art gurus alike the opportunity to do so. This famous book is a treasure...
Foemina Instrumentum Diaboli can be translated as ‘Women are instruments of the devil’, which sums up the essence of Renaissance witch hunts in Europe. The word ‘witch’ evokes the figure of an...
In 1494, King Charles VIII of France launched an all-out war against the republics of the Italian peninsula, a watershed moment in history. Within months, 50,000 soldiers from his army had fled, not...
Although Leonardo da Vinci is predominantly remembered as a great artist, he was also a remarkable scientist and inventor. Many of his inventions were weird, some were wonderful, and more than a few...
For generations of Venetians, “guerra di canne” or “war with sticks” was a celebrated tradition. Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, Venice was divided into many different...
While most people have heard of Michelangelo , the majority have no idea that he had some pretty filthy habits. Nicknamed Il Divino (“the divine one”) by his contemporaries, Michelangelo was a master...
Everyone loves a good, harmless prank. This was especially true for Filippo Brunelleschi, a Florentine man who famously got back at his friend for having failed to show up at a dinner party in...
A pilfered copy of the Nostradamus manuscript written by Renaissance-era French physician, astrologer and psychic Michel de Nostredame, has been recovered and returned to the library from which it...
Women of the Middle Ages were often sadly lacking in rights. Across the world, this period was dominated by a patriarchal society, where the might and prowess of Lords, knights, Kings, warriors, and...