Tag: Italy

A painting of the Judith bridge

The lost Judith bridge

Prague's Charles bridge is the main attraction in this medieval city. Few have heard of its predecessor and fewer have heard about the stories behind it. This article delves into the myths and mythology about the Judith bridge.
A photo of the Macchi C.200

The bombing of RAF Kalafrana

On 9 May 1942, at the tail end of the Siege of Malta, an unexpected switch in Axis tactics led to loss of life at one of Malta's airfields. This article describes the situation at that point, and the details of the men who lost their lives that day.
volcano erupting at night under starry sky

How the 1602 famine hit Malta and Sicily

We often don't think of how explosive and violent Mother Nature can be. In 1600 a volcano exploded in Peru, affecting life around the planet in many ways. In Malta, it led to a diplomatic spat with Sicily and caused a riot in the south of Malta. This article explains how one led to the other.
A photo of Maltese balconies - Valletta, Malta

The story behind a Maltese galleria

Maltese has adopted lots of Italian words over the years, much to the amusement of Italophones. It is rather curious then that some Italian words have a different meaning when used in Maltese. One of them is our word for balcony which is gallerija. Why don't we use the Italian word for balcony? How does a borrowed word's definition change so much?
A picture of King Samo on horseback

The Samo Empire

Samo, a French arms dealer, became king after leading a Slavic federation to victory against the Turks. He established the first Slavic state, which dissolved after his death in 658.

Who would rule Italy?

In 1024, Italy tired of German rule and wondered if French nobility would like to be the King of Italy. Would this have been good for France, or would it have been a bad idea?
An engraving of twelve members of The Schmalkaldic League.

The Schmalkaldic war

The Holy Roman Empire has a lot to answer for. Before it defined modern international relations, the Empire was going through the Reformation. This led to the tongue-twisting Schmalkaldic war.
A photo of St Peter's basilica in the Vatican, as seen from Fort St Angelo - Rome, Italy

Why did the Pope want to move to Malta?

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.
A photo of Karlovo Namesti - Prague, Czechia

The Allied bombing of Prague

During World War II, Prague wasn't as affected by bombing as many other European cities were. This was because planes didn’t have the range to reach Prague, and also because the Allies had more important targets in mind. This article describes the few Allied bombings of Prague, which happened towards the end of the war.