Europe is full of ruins that paint a delightful picture of its turbulent past. It's not every day you can see ruins that are as artificial as a fast food joint. Prague's ruins of Baba are one such fake ruin.
There is a Roman Catholic church in Prague which has Egyptian imagery on its walls. Since Catholicism tried to get rid of many pagan rituals, why would they represent Mary and Joseph as Egyptian gods?
I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway.
We are so focused on preserving historical buildings that we often don’t realise how many already disappeared for one reason or another.
Orsi tower used to stand guard at the mouth of Valletta's harbour, and is one such lost building.
If you ask many people in Prague about 'Invalidovna' they'd be more likely to direct you to the metro stop of that name. Few know of the magnificent Baroque building which is the real Invalidovna.
If you ask people how Malta fought against French occupation, most will talk about how the British helped the Maltese out. Few know that the Portuguese navy played the decisive part in this battle. This article sets the record straight.
Prague’s early chapels and churches seem to all have been rotundas. At least, that’s all we seem to have left. Close to the Vltava river, almost overshadowed by newer buildings,
In the 19th century, various states on the Italian peninsula united to become a single, new country. While some papal states merged with the others, the Vatican refused to be under the control of an earthly ruler. It even considered moving the seat of the Holy See to Malta.
Many people marvel at European historical sites. Few realise that what we see today may be quite different from what was in use. People restored, rebuilt or enhanced many sites over the years. Sometimes the restoration and re-imagining of some historical sites is a crucial part of the story. This article explains the changes in Bouzov castle, in Czechia.
In the 19th century an offshore British bank in Malta issued its own banknotes. It's unusual to think of a private company issuing banknotes, more so in a small country like Malta. This article explains why this bank did so and why it was in Malta.