Naples – Bizarre traditions venerating skulls

To this day, Naples is characterized by thousands of years old rites and cults of Greek, Roman, and Christian origin mixed with traditions and legends. One particularly bizarre ritual is the cult of the Anime Pezzentelle, which involves venerating the souls in purgatory by tending to skulls. While the region has always had a tradition... Continue Reading →

On the Relativity of Slaughter – Sacrificial Rites of the Maya, Aztecs and Toltecs

The idea of sacrificing people, including children, on a large scale, tearing out their hearts, skinning them, and bathing in their blood in public on a daily basis is incomprehensible from today's point of view. However, this is exactly what many Latin American peoples did in pre-Columbian times. They sacrificed captives, slaves, and sometimes their... Continue Reading →

Walled in alive in Antigua Guatemala

In Antigua Guatemala, the former capital of Guatemala, there are numerous ruins of Spanish colonial buildings. The magnificent churches, in particular, still attract visitors today. One of them is particularly fascinating due to its peculiar structure and goosebump-inducing history: the Church and Convent of the Capuchin Nuns. The convent was consecrated in 1736 and originally... Continue Reading →

Who burned the ships of Caligula? or: When Rome was almost displaced to Egypt

Despite their significant historical importance, the general public is hardly aware of the Nemi ships and their history. The reason for this is obvious: they no longer exist. However, their story is fascinating. These two ancient ceremonial boats were massive constructions that Emperor Caligula had built to honor the goddess Diana during his brief reign... Continue Reading →

The place to be

They exist, the bottlenecks of the world, the places where everyone passes through and which everyone knows. Today you would list Frankfurt Airport, Heathrow and Miami, in the past it was the Azores, Goree in Senegal, Madagascar or the Cape of Good Hope.

A history of lead in ancient Rome

Great events are known to cast their shadows, even if sometimes they cast them behind. Whether the Emperor Nero was really the one who burned Rome in 64 A.D. or whether it burned due to carelessness is difficult to determine today, but it is clear that this event had consequences. Among others it resulted in... Continue Reading →

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