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Vatican

The Borgia Family by Dante Gabriel Rossetti		Source: Public Domain

Machiavellian Maneuvers Of The House Of Borgia (Video)

The House of Borgia , one of the most infamous families of the Renaissance, is synonymous with ambition, power, and scandal. Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, epitomizes their controversial...
Remains of garden structures found in Rome

Garden From Emperor Caligula’s Reign Unearthed Near the Vatican

Archaeological excavations near the Vatican have unearthed the remains of an ancient garden that likely belonged to the Roman Emperor Caligula (reigned 37-41 AD). This discovery was made during the...
Image of an ancient pope.

John XXIII: How A Pirate Became A Pope (Video)

In the tumultuous era of the Western Schism , an unexpected figure emerged from the shadows to claim the highest seat in the Catholic Church. Baldassare Cossa, whose reputation was marred by tales of...
Painting A Glass of Wine with Caesar Borgia, by John Collier. Source:           Public Domain

The Worst Popes and Their Dirty Secrets (Video)

Throughout history, the papacy has been a beacon of spirituality and moral guidance for billions of Catholics worldwide. However, nestled within its illustrious lineage lies a trove of scandalous...
Pope Leo X and his cousins, by Raphael. Pope Leo X was a prominent member of the Medici Dynasty and Pope of the Catholic Church. 	Source: Public domain

The Medici Dynasty: Unraveling the Legacy of the Masters of Florence

The Medici family, prominent during the Italian Renaissance, wielded immense power in Florence and beyond. Rising from humble beginnings as bankers, they ascended to become one of Europe's most...
Records on the shelves of one of the Archives' storage areas, known as the Scaffali in Ferro, which contains 13 kilometers of shelving over two floors. Source: Vatican Apostolic Archives

The Extraordinary Tale of a Pope, a Pirate, and a Dead Bishop’s Treasure

Documents published from the Vatican archives in 2014 revealed an incredible tale of pirate attacks and corruption involving a 14th century bishop, whose lifelong accumulation of treasure was...
Representational image of the anti-Freemasonic standoff between Catholic Elites and the Freemasons. A 1884 satirical cartoon of Pope Leo XIII at war with Freemasonry by Joseph Keppler. Source: Public domain

Catholic Elites Wage War on the Freemasons

In 1738, Pope Clement XII banned Catholics from becoming Freemasons, and in 1983 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger reminded Catholics that being a Freemason placed them “in a state of grave sin.” Now Rome is...
The Vergilius Vaticanus and How It Survived 1,500 Years

The Vergilius Vaticanus and How It Survived 1,500 Years

The Vergilius Vaticanus is an illuminated manuscript from the Late Antique period, said to have been created in the 400’s. Containing one of the few surviving fragments of Virgil’s Aeneid , as well...
What Really Lies Hidden in the Vatican Secret Archives?

What Really Lies Hidden in the Vatican Secret Archives?

Mystery and intrigue are inherent to the Holy See. People will always wonder what religious authorities are conspiring to behind closed doors, what treasures lie within the vaults of the Vatican...
Angels holding the Veil of Veronica

The Mysterious Veil of Veronica: Masterpiece or Miracle?

According to the Catholic Stations of the Cross, there was once a woman who wiped the sweat and blood from the face of Jesus Christ with a cloth as he endured the torturous walk carrying his own...
Vatican City’s Necropolis Shows How Roman Non-Elites Lived and Died

Vatican City’s Necropolis Shows How Roman Non-Elites Lived and Died

Beneath Vatican City, excavations of a Roman era necropolis have revealed fascinating details about Roman burial rituals and funerary practices from the first through to the early fourth centuries AD...
Vatican City

Vatican City: The Tiniest Country with the Biggest Influence

Vatican City, known officially as the Vatican City State, is the smallest and one of the most remarkable countries in the world. It is enclaved within Rome , the capital of Italy . There are only...
Peter’s Tomb: A Mystery That Stretches From Rome To Jerusalem And Back

Peter’s Tomb: A Mystery That Stretches From Rome To Jerusalem And Back

On December 24, 1950, the words of Pope Pius XII resounded throughout the world in his Christmas radio message when he said: “(...) The tomb of the Prince of the Apostles has been found! ” The Prince...
Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome. Source: gnoparus / Adobe Stock

Saint Peter’s Basilica: A Magnificent Renaissance Icon

Nothing speaks of greatness as much as the Renaissance period does. Filled with grandeur, classical elements, magnificence, and elegance, this artistic and architectural movement swept through Europe...
Crucifixion of Saint Peter by Luca Giordano, Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice (circa 1660) (Public Domain)

Sorcery at the Vatican: The Papacy’s Seven Deadly Sinners

Mention ‘ the Pope ’ today and the image it immediately summons up for many people is of a saintly old man standing on a balcony in Rome blessing the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square (technically...
Two 19th century graves in the Vatican’s Teutonic Cemetery were opened.    Source: Vatican Media

How Old Are The Thousands Of Bones Discovered Beneath Vatican? 500 Years? 50, Possibly 5?

In Rome, in the summer of 1983, a 15-year-old girl vanished on her way home from a music lesson and in the ongoing search for her body thousands of bones have been unearthed by investigators in two...
One of the four images of the cockatoo gifted to Frederick II by the ‘Sultan of Babylon’.

The Dark Legacy of an Exotic Parrot Gifted to an Ancient Emperor

Four images of an Australasian white cockatoo discovered in a 13th century Sicilian manuscript have reset historical models of the European “discovery’ of Australia. What is more, they mark the...
‘The Divorce of the Empress Josephine’ (1843) by Henri Frédéric Schopin

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Divorce Laws Have Evolved, But One Country Is Holding Back

Divorce can be traced all the way back to ancient Greek and Roman societies. But the idea of marriage in these cultures was different from what is found in modern Western society, so it makes sense...
Orant, Catacomb of Priscilla. It has been argued that these catacombs provide evidence for women having a stronger role in early Christianity, perhaps even in the priesthood.

No Girls Allowed? Debate for Women in the Christian Priesthood Rages On

In many countries, laws prohibit employers from discriminating based on sex. However, exemptions to this law are often made for religious orders. The Roman Catholic Church is adamant that women...
An artist’s representation of a pyramid with UFOs.

UFOs Over Ancient Egypt? Revealing the Mysterious Story of the Tulli Papyrus

The so called “Tulli Papyrus” is an enigmatic text that some describe as the first written account of a UFO sighting. This Egyptian text records an event which supposedly occurred during the 18th...
Cadaver Synod: The Exhumed Corpse of Pope Formosus That Was Put on Trial

Cadaver Synod: The Exhumed Corpse of Pope Formosus That Was Put on Trial

The 9 th and 10 th centuries AD were turbulent years for the papacy of Rome. Caught up in the political machinations of Europe, the Vatican saw a rapid succession of popes come and go. The situation...
Did the Templars Hide the Ark of the Covenant? Unraveling the Cove-Jones Cipher

Did the Templars Hide the Ark of the Covenant? Unraveling the Cove-Jones Cipher

On October 25th this year, the Vatican released a document that had remained in its secret archives for seven hundred years. It is the report of the official Church investigation into the activities...
Painting of the second Peacock Throne from the Red Fort in Delhi, India. (1850) The first Peacock Throne was taken as a war trophy by the Persian King Nader Shah in 1739 and has been lost ever since.

Thrones of Gods and Kings: Symbols of Power through History

The Iron Throne from the Game of Thrones is perhaps one of the most iconic objects in 21st century pop culture. The concept of the throne, as many already know, has been in existence for a much...
Colombus - America

The Columbus Myth – Part 2

(Read Part 1 ) The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus After departure, Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands which belonged to Castile (A western extension of Spain), where he took on...

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