Venice’s embodied a unique combination that fostered innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. When Venetians invented quarantine in 1348,...
Medieval
The Gothic style was popular throughout Europe from the 12th century through the 16th century. By Hillary...
The relatively sensible approach to crime found in Ancient Rome gave way to something much different in...
Castles are best seen as an architectural expression of the social status of their owners. Introduction The...
It can be hard to estimate broad social trends in the Middle Ages, but some sources allow...
At its peak, Krak des Chevaliers housed a garrison of around 2,000, allowing the Hospitallers to exact...
The Western medical tradition often traces its roots directly to the early Greek civilization. Introduction Medieval medicine in Western...
As the Western Roman Empire collapsed, landholders gradually transitioned from outright slavery to serfdom. What Is Feudalism?...
Dutch painter Pieter Claesz’s Still Life with Turkey Pie (1627) features a cooked turkey that’s been placed...
Examining early medieval approaches to various types of knowledge we might consider today to be ‘scientific’ and...
Roman and early medieval scientific texts were read and studied, contributing to the understanding of nature in...
There is a suggestion that the name is in fact a veiled pun on a Low German...
The people of early modern Europe sought to use magic to manipulate the world around them. By...
The word “folklore” was coined in 1846 CE by the British writer William John Thoms to replace...
Characterizing the Middle Ages as a period of darkness is misleading. Introduction So much of what the...
Æthelstan was the first ruler of the whole kingdom of England. Æthelstan was the grandson of King...
Jousting fell out of fashion by the end of the Middle Ages, but there were occasional revivals...
Texts and images produced throughout the medieval world reveal that harp music could elicit powerful responses. Infernal...
The culture of antiquity played an important role in the literary and artistic endeavors of the Middle...
The powers of saints were believed to extend to their images. By Dr. Wendy A. SteinResearch AssociateDepartment...
The Golden Legend often blends traditional stories about the saints with historical facts, as seen in the...
The text is a detailed account of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai, originally written by...
Dante primarily intended to explain biblical justice through his contrapasso. By Joseph KameenArtist and Educator Contrapasso is...
Dante’s written works are a heady mix of philosophy, politics, and literature. Introduction Dante Alighieri (1265-1321 CE)...
According to East Slavic chronicles, Oleg was supreme ruler of the Rus’ from 879 to 912. Introduction...
The Rurik dynasty (or Rurikids) went on to rule the Kievan Rus’, and ultimately the Tsardom of...
The needs of the times have always influenced office space – whether for the colonial empire or...
Most Cistercian abbeys and churches were built in remote valleys far from cities and populated areas. Introduction...
Christianity had developed as a religious idea in Roman Palestine and slowly spread throughout the Empire. By...
A bestiary, or “book of beasts”, was an attempt to describe the world as it was known...