Stuff you don't find in guide books
The Rotunda of St Stephen in Prague, was part of the Christianization effort in Bohemia. Constructed in the Benedictine-owned village of Na Rybničku, the rotunda was later owned by Teutonic Knights who reconsecrated it to St Longinus in the 15th century.
In Porto, in between the Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelitas, there exists a hidden, narrow three-storey house called Casa Escondida. Some claim this house inspired J.K. Rowling, but did it?
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 Famagusta, Cyprus, there is a building that used to be a cathedral dedicated to St Nicholas. It saw major events of the country’s history and is now a mosque.
There is a Roman Catholic church in Prague which has Egyptian imagery on its walls. Since Catholicism tried to get rid of many pagan rituals, why would they represent Mary and Joseph as Egyptian gods?
Before World War II, Czechoslovak occultists tried to use black magic to kill Hitler. It sounds like the plot to a Hollywood B-movie, and in some ways it is. But it also is 100% true.
I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway.
I’ve have a keen interest in iconography and imagery. Regular readers will know I often write about these things. Sometimes I spot something I haven’t before and, curiosity piqued, I look into it. Which is how I got to know about St Margaret and the dragon.
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.
Czechoslovak communists tortured Czech priest Josef Toufar in 1949 for a miracle which may or may not have happened. This article describes the story and the tragic ending of Father Toufar’s life.