Benedetta Carlini

Lesbianism (!) at the Convent

Mother Superior Benedetta Carlini, a visionary nun of Renaissance Italy, was accused of heresy and “female sodomy.”
Cricket cage

Keeping Crickets for Luck, Song, and Bloodsport

Design can facilitate the worst of human instincts, including forcing animals into servitude and violence. Cricket cages tell stories about how people have treated the insects throughout time.
Astrolabe

The San Zeno Astrolabe Tracked Time by the Stars

The astrolabe was a revolutionary tool for calculating celestial positions and local time. The device's design dates back to Islamic antiquity.
Michalangelo Last Judgement

How Did Michelangelo Get So Good?

Michelangelo, perhaps the greatest artist the world has produced, wasn't a child prodigy like Mozart. He learned on the job. So maybe there's still hope for the rest of us.
"Distribution of Alms and Death of Ananias" by Masaccio

How Buon Fresco Brought Perspective to Drawing

Buon fresco, perhaps the best-known kind of wall painting, is the result of a chemical reaction turning paint and wet plaster into a single, solid surface.
Otzi the Iceman's hat

The Unsolved Case of Ötzi the Iceman

Clues have emerged in a very cold case: the Copper Age killing of Ötzi the Iceman. What do we know about this well-preserved mummy?
thai spaghetti

“Eastern Spaghetti”: How Italian Food Became a Favorite in Thailand

Thai-Italian fusion is massively popular in Thailand. How did pizza and pasta make their way into Thai cuisine?
Chief of Staff Lutze visits the new Italian settlements in Libya. The Chief of Staff and His Excellency Russo inspect ranks of Askaris (native soldiers) in Nalut.

Libya’s Italian Connection

The intimate historical connection between Italy and Libya. 
A refugee family seen arrives at the Munich railway station before being checked by the medical staffs. - Thousands of refugees mainly from Iraq and Syria continue to flood in to Munich railway station in southern Germany as trains arrive from Budapest and Vienna. 8th September 2015 (Photo by Geovien So/NurPhoto)

Credit: Associated Press

How Should Europe Welcome Refugees?

A comparison of the different ways European countries welcome refugees suggest that a combination of methods works best.