Events

The legendary city was founded in 753 BC on the banks of the Tiber, and its seven hills provided protection from invaders. The first major population groups to settle here were the Etruscans from Asia Minor.According to this story, Rome was founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. The twin boys were raised by a she-wolf, which suckled them when they were left to die as babies. As they grew older, they began a feud that led to Romulus' killing of Remus and founding of the city upon its Palatine hill.Rome was not built in a day; it took many centuries to build up into a major city. Even ...

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples, in the Campania region of Italy, in the territory of the commune of Pompeii. The town, along with a village Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.The destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum was a catastrophic event. The people and animals who died there were largely killed in the first few hours of the eruption. The volcano rained down ash on these cities for many days, but it was primarily ...

The House of Medici was a powerful family from the Mugello region of Tuscany, who rose to prominence under Cosimo de' Medici. They were one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Europe. In 1433, the Italian city-states were threatened by invasion from the Ottoman empire; in order to raise funds for troops, Cosimo closed his banks until a military force could be put togheder. This action saved the Italian states, and they came to rely on his economic wisdom.The Medici family was a politically active and economically powerful Florentine banking family. The Medicis were one of the most ...

Bartolomeo di Fruosino was a fanatical monk who believed that anything that didn’t have a religious purpose was vanity– even clothes, makeup, and art. He told Florentines the apocalypse was coming, and to save themselves through self-censorship and to burn all of their vanity items.We don't know exactly how precious the items were, but one thing is for sure, a lot of history was lost that day. Many artworks, books, cosmetics, dresses and much more were burned. These sinful objects were collected for months leading up to the ritual, and on the day of the bonfire itself, Savo ...

A magnificent sacred place in the Crete Senesi region. The monastic complex of Monte Oliveto Maggiore is the seat of the abbot general of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto. It features well-preserved medieval architecture and houses numerous Renaissance artworks. The monastery offers splendid views over the forest hills and it’s definitely a must-see place for religious people. The abbey is located 36 km south of Siena, and it takes about an hour to get there from the city. Founded by a member of one of the most influential families of Siena Bernardo Tolomei, the abbey ...