The cult of relics dates back to the second and third centuries, when Christian martyrs were often killed in ways that fragmented the body.

There’s a specific term for these irregular pearls: “baroque,” from the Portuguese barroco.

Why did Pope Stephen VI go to such great lengths to destroy an enemy who was already dead?

The inaccuracy of medieval lions may have been a stylistic preference, particularly in a bestiary, or compendium of beasts.