In 1903, a British navy drill off Corfu ended disastrously when HMS Orwell collided with HMS Pioneer during a night exercise.
Tag: 19th century
The town hall building in San Sebastian, built in the 1880s, has a rich history including the gambling ban in 1923. The ban led to the building’s closure for almost 20 years before it was revived as a Town Hall in 1943. Today, it stands as a grand Belle Epoque landmark.
Anti-Jewish sentiment has long been a problem – even before the Nazis. This article describes the infamous Hilsner affair from Bohemia.
Colonel Alfred Redl was chief of intelligence for Austro-Hungary at the beginning of the 20th century. He also was a double-agent for Russia, France and Italy. There is a direct connection between his actions and the start of World War I. This article is his story.
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.
In western Czechia, there is a grim reminder of how the Communists treated prisoners. This article explains what the Red Tower of Death is, and why it exists.
Europe is full of ruins that paint a delightful picture of its turbulent past. It’s not every day you can see ruins that are as artificial as a fast food joint. Prague’s ruins of Baba are one such fake ruin.
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?
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.
We are so focused on preserving historical buildings that we often don’t realise how many already disappeared for one reason or another.
Orsi tower used to stand guard at the mouth of Valletta’s harbour, and is one such lost building.