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Alatri acropolis cyclopean wall by the Porta Maggiorre. Source: Laura Tabone

The Cyclopean Problem: Who Built Italy’s Astounding Ancient Walls?

Megalithic cyclopean masonry is found in many parts of Italy, including Lazio , Abruzzo, Campania, Umbria, Tuscany and Molise. This type of masonry involves fitting together huge differently shaped...
Jean-Paul Laurens, Le Pape Formose et Étienne VII ("Pope Formosus and Stephen VII"), 1870. Source: Public domain

​In 897 AD a Dead Pope Was Dug Up and His Rotting Corpse Put on Trial

The ‘Cadaver Trial’ of the dead Pope Formosus would have to be one of the most absurd events in Rome’s history. Nine months after the Pope died, his body was exhumed and his rotting corpse was placed...
Baths of Caracalla Source: Fabio Caricchia / Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma

2,000-Year-Old Frescoes Discovered Under the Baths of Caracalla

2,000-year-old frescoes dating back to the time of Emperor Hadrian will be on public display at the site of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. The frescoes, which belong to different time periods and...
Excavation site of the settlement believed to be Bassania, on a hill near Bushat village, Albania. Source: M. Lemke / Science in Poland

Has the Lost Illyrian City of Bassania Finally Been Exposed in Albania?

Archaeologists believe they are uncovering the lost city of Bassania, an ancient Illyrian settlement mentioned by Livy as lying between two important ancient centers - the Illyrian capital of Shkodër...
Fresco from the Vatican depicting the Battle of the Milvian Bridge that took place on October 28, 312 between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Maxentius. Source: CC BY-SA 2.0

The Battle of Milvian Bridge: The Battle That Brought Christianity to Rome

In October of 312, a battle would take place that would not only make Constantine I the ruler of the entire Roman Empire but would change its course in history forever. The Battle of the Milvian...
Christopher Columbus and His Son at La Rábida by Eugène Delacroix (1839) National Gallery of Art (Public Domain)

The Papal Public Relations Operation Behind Christopher Columbus’ Discovery Of The New World

Was there a Papal conspiracy around Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America? Is it possible that the history of the ‘discovery of America’ has been told omitting details that only now re-emerge...
The gold Ides of March coin going on auction which was minted to commemorate the assassination of Julius Caesar. Source: Numismatica Ars Classica

Gold Coin Minted by Assassins of Julius Caesar To Sell For Millions

A remarkable artifact from the final days of a decaying Roman Republic is going on auction in Zurich, Switzerland on May 30th 2022. It is expected to be sold for an impressive amount of money,...
Zhang Qian leaving emperor Han Wudi around 130 BC, for his expedition to Central Asia. Mural in Mogao Caves, high Tang Dynasty (Public Domain)

A Tale of Silk and Faraway Lands: Did the Romans Meet the Chinese?

Although located on opposite ends of the globe, ancient Rome and China were remarkably similar in their stature, as both commanded respect from the weaker kingdoms enveloped in their spheres of...
This Italian copy of the Nostradamus manuscript was stolen in the mid-2000s from a library in Rome, but a member of the Italian military’s Cultural Heritage Conservation Command (Carabinieri) spotted it online in a German auction and “saved” it.		Source: Carabinieri

Stolen Nostradamus Manuscript Returned to Library in Rome!

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...
Evidence of ancient gambling is shown on this 540BC ceramic illustrating Achilles and Ajax playing dice.	Source: Nick Thompson / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Gods and Gambling in Ancient Greece

When you talk about gambling usually your mind goes to casinos, baccarat, roulette, lottery, dice etc. But have you ever thought about when or how gambling first originated? The fact is that some...
The ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy. Source: scaliger / Adobe Stock

McDonald’s Banned from Building Fast Food Chain at Rome’s Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla were built from 212 to 216 AD during the rule of Emperor Caracalla, formally known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who reigned between 198 to 217 AD. This enormous and iconic...
Detail of ‘Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down)’ by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Source: Public Domain

Ancient Rome Didn’t Exist, Claims a Qualified Bachelor of History

Teens might tell you that TikTok is a comfort zone where they can discuss relevant issues free from adult judgement because all other teens are going through the same thing. Closer to reality perhaps...
Fresco of Dante and the Divine Comedy (1465), Domenico di Michelino, Florence cathedral, Italy

A Pilgrimage of Thought, Pt 1: the Politician, Poet, and Pilgrim called Dante Alighieri

Born in Florence in the late thirteenth century, Dante Alighieri would grow up to become one of the most famed and well-read authors of the Italian Middle Ages. The scope of his political and...
The Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and the Pyramids in the background, Cairo, Egypt. Source: AlexAnton / Adobe Stock

10 Must See Ancient Cities to Add to Your Bucket List

Everyone ought to have a bucket list and for passionate history buffs, that list invariably includes visiting ancient cities. While reading about them in history books, or in news reports about...
Commodus the Roman Emperor

Commodus: The Outrageous Emperor Who Fought as a Gladiator

Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed...
Replica Roman slave collars, after Zoninus. Source: nikhg / Adobe Stock.

“Hold Me Or I Will Run!” Roman Slave Collars Came With A Warning

Slavery was a large part of the Roman Empire. Military expansion brought captives, to compliment the material wealth taken back to Rome. And there is strong evidence that these slaves were not always...
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's famous painting of The Banquet of Cleopatra (painted 1743–44) shows Cleopatra's pearl above the tall glass of vinegar as Mark Antony looks on.	Source: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo / Public domain

Roman Historian’s Cleopatra’s Pearl Story: Is It Fact or Fiction?

“Cleopatra’s Pearl” is a story told by the Roman author Pliny the Elder in his famous long-read book Natural History . According to this tale, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra VII, drank...
A place that sold street food, buried beneath volcanic debris for almost 2000 years, is to reopen in Pompeii, Italy next Easter. The Pompeii food stall is an amazing discovery for so many reasons.

Spectacular 2000-Year-Old Pompeii Food Stall Reopens for Business!

A place that sold street food, buried beneath volcanic debris in Pompeii for almost 2000 years, is reopening. The Pompeii food stall is an amazing discovery for so many reasons. For decades,...
A baroque carved relief (at the Church of Saint Benedict in Venice, Italy) from the life of St. Benedict showing Totila, the king of Ostrogoths, on his knees. During the invasion of Italy, Totila ordered a general to wear his kingly robes to see whether St. Benedict would discover the truth. Immediately Benedict detected the impersonation. Impressed, Totila came to pay his respects to the man of the cloth. Totila was the leader of the Ostrogoths in the Third Siege of Rome. Source: Renáta Sedmáková / Adobe S

The Third Ostrogothic Siege of Rome: Byzantine Armies Battle the Ostrogoths

The Third Ostrogothic Siege of Rome occurred in 549-550 AD and was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Ostrogoths. The former was in control of the city, whilst the latter tried to seize the...
Submerged Settlements On Roman Road Discovered In Venice Lagoon

Submerged Settlements And Roman Road Discovered Under Venice Waters

An underwater sonar mapping project by archaeologists in Italy has determined that the bottom of the Venetian Lagoon was once dry land. The team of researchers have confirmed that an ancient Roman...
The Roman ruins at Valeria in Castilla-La Mancha. Source: Cultura Castilla-La Mancha

Valeria: Thriving Roman Holiday Resort Emerging From Abandoned Ruins

Standing at these Roman ruins in the Spanish province of Cuenca, it’s hard to imagine that Valeria was a bustling Roman city 2,000 years ago. “You have to imagine a visitor entering the city through...
Multi-Dimensional Ancient Boundary Stone Discovered In Rome

Multi-Dimensional Ancient Boundary Stone Discovered In Rome

A Roman Empire boundary stone has been discovered in Rome, and while thousands of similar stones exist across the empire, this one is being viewed with extra attention. While most Roman boundary...
The decadence of Rome, as depicted in Thomas Couture's famous painting, is still celebrated today in film and literature. And no event was reported as more scandalous than the Banquet of Chestnuts in 1501, held the night before Halloween.

The Banquet of Chestnuts: A Perverse Pastime at the House of Borgia?

On October 30, 1501, the most decadence of festivals occurred in the papal palace of Cardinal Cesare Borgia. A party that his own father, Pope Alexander VI, not only attended but participated in. The...
Colosseum underground. Source: David Carillet / Adobe Stock

Rome Offers Visitors An Underground Gladiatorial Experience

Rome's famous 2,000-year-old Colosseum has a vast underground world called the “hypogeum” and it’s now open to the public for the first time. The Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheater, was a gigantic...

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