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Here, we will delight you with information, curiosities, history and legends from locations across Europe. Everything can be seen by those whose eyes have the power to observe… follow us and we will show you where to look!
The last knights of Europe – the Valiant Order
The Valiant Order The Borderland was a wonderous 1,000-mile-long frontier separating the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe between the 15th and the 17th century. In that time, it was the longest structure of defense system of Europe. It had worked for the longest period, partly financed and maintained by the Austrian Habsburgs and by the […]
Count Dracula Inspired by Vlad the Impaler
“There was one great tomb more lordly than all the rest; huge it was, and nobly proportioned. On it was but one word, DRACULA.” ― Bram Stoker, Dracula The Legendary Tale Irish author Abraham “Bram” Stoker wrote his legendary, bloodcurdling Gothic novel Dracula in 1897. Stoker drew inspiration and aspects from the Prince of Wallachia, […]
Countess Báthory and Blood-Drinkers: Part 2
As discussed in last week’s article, Countess Báthory of Hungary became infamous for supposedly killing hundreds of her servants and townsfolk. One of the most infamous stories connected to her was that she bathed in the blood of those innocents in order to keep herself alive. Her killing spree, if it actually happened, definitely sets her […]
Countess Báthory and Blood-Drinkers: Part 1
The name “Countess Báthory of Hungary” stirs up a vast array of cruel images in the minds of anyone who is familiar with the historic figure, but none so prominent as the image of a regal woman rising out of a pool full of blood like something out of a blockbuster horror movie. For those […]
The Cadaver Synod: Aftermath
This article serves as the second half of a two part article about the Cadaver Synod, a moment in European history where a pope in the Catholic Church placed the dead body of his predecessor on trial. To see the first half of this story, visit this link. As discussed, Pope Stephen VI’s decision to […]
The Cadaver Synod: Dead Pope’s Trial
It is common to look to the past to see where our present day troubles come from. After all, many of the decisions our predecessors make start to turn sour when they are gone. Often, we built on and fix those failures to make our own names in life. When a pope in the Middle […]
The Relic Trade and the Bones of Prague
There is the skull of a holy man in the Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague. If you visit, you’ll be told that this relic belongs to St. Vitus of the Catholic Church, an early Christian martyred by the Roman emperor Diocletian. His arm is also interred in Prague in a crypt under St. Vitus’ […]
Mysteries of Prague “The House at the Golden Well”
Prague is a city filled with hidden gems, many of which harbor dark secrets. One such site is that of Dům U Zlaté Studně or the ‘The House at the Golden Well.’ Today the building stands as a proud example of Prague’s rich cultural and artistic history, with its magnificent gardens and intricate frescoes. However, […]
The miraculous hind – A divine guide
Deer in Mythology In Turkish and Hungarian mythology, the deer is one of the most important animals, along with the turul – also a divine guiding presence – and the female wolf. The earliest known depiction of this is from the 4th century BC. The stag represents Tengri’s – the main God’s – realm, the […]
Royal Palace Madrid “The Palace Architect”
Who knows what we are capable of If there are no limits Beyond the limits Winter is approaching Frost crackling on the ground The afternoon is sweet and sunny This quote is from the song ‘Memorie di una Testa Tagliata’ (‘Memories of a Severed Mind’) by the Italian band Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti. The lyrics […]