The man who was buried alive
There are many legends of accidental burial. I hadn't encountered a real story about this sort of thing until I saw the tomb of Count Mitrovice in the ⛪️ Basilica of St James in Prague's Old Town.
The hidden secret of the Leiden explosion
Standards around handling gunpowder were lax in the early 19th century. In the Netherlands this led to the Leiden explosion that rocked the city. The authorities immediately covered up the truth behind this catastrophe.
The Lasting effects of the Thirty Years’ War
I've written plenty of articles about the effects of the 30 Years' war on Prague and Czechia in general. I knew bits and pieces of the story so I decided to put all my research into a larger article to put things into context.
Do you know Dublin has a surprising megalithic tomb?
I find pre-historical buildings fascinating. We don't know why they built them, who designed them or how ?♂️. The lack of writing means we will never know. All we do know is what we can conclude from the ruins which is never enough. This aura of mystery piques my interest. ?
How to find the hidden mysteries of alchemy in Prague
Prague has alchemical symbols hiding in plain sight. Regular readers will be familiar with some of these. There is a larger pattern of alchemical symbols hiding in the streets of Prague. This article guides you through the mystical underbelly of the City of a Thousand Spires!
Do you know about the explosion in Birgu?
One of Malta's worst peacetime disasters took place in 1806. A military gunpowder store exploded in Birgu, across the harbour from Valletta.
Valečov castle ruins
I’ve often seen forts and castles built according to the geography of the land. I’d never seen one designed according to the material used to build it. Until I visited the Czech Valečov castle ruins, that is.
For people interested in World War II stories
There's a plaque on the wall in the castle in Ghent, Belgium, thanking the city for the symbolic establishment of the SAS. In Belgium. The SAS? Symbolic establishment? I started digging deeper to find out what this was all about.
The Lost Walls of Prague’s New Town
I've written about the walls of Prague's Old Town, which the city destroyed. It's unfortunate they removed such a historical feature. Once Prague had a New Town and external fortifications there was no need for the walls around the Old Town.
How did the British take control of Malta?
I often discuss Maltese history with others and have written about unusual parts of it here. Often people claims that ‘the British illegally took control’ of the Maltese islands. This is not true, but few are aware of this part of our history.