Stuff you don't find in guide books
In the 11th century, Musim-controlled Spain was under attack from Roman Catholic Europe. One key siege was a turning point in how the church viewed war as a tool of foreign policy. This article explores the impact of the siege, and how it influenced the Crusades.
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?
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,Read More
I’m fascinated by the rotundas in Prague. This city has more of them than I’d ever seen in my life. St Martin’s rotunda sits inside the Vyšehrad castle complex and its history is as varied and complex as any other.
Rotundas used to be common in Central Europe. Prague was no exception and it is a shame so many have disappeared. This article explains how archaeologists re-discovered St Wenceslas’ rotunda which stood in the Lesser Town Square (Malostranské náměstí).