Marie Therese Louise did not meet Marie Antoinette until she was married at the age of seventeen to the Prince de Lamballe. She was already a young widow by the time she met the young Dauphine, Marie Antoinette. The two became fast friends and confidants and the Princess de Lamballe was made superintendent of the …
The Tragic Life of Marie Antoinette’s Best Friend Read More »
In the golden age of Renaissance Italy, a new and influential concept emerged. A concept that celebrated the boundless potential of humankind. This idea was embodied by the Universal Man, or “Uomo Universale” in Italian. The idea of the Universal Man, sometimes also referred to as the Renaissance Man, praised individuals who excelled in all …
Where Does the Universal Man: A Renaissance Ideal Come From? Read More »
Magnificent bears were once captured from distant lands or acquired through shrewd trade. They were made a spectacle amidst the grandeur of banquets and feasts of medieval and Renaissance Europe. They took center stage, their immense power harnessed for a different, more unusual purpose: entertainment. These majestic creatures were trained by skilled bearwardens. They were …
The Cruel History of Dancing Bears in European Courts Read More »
The Renaissance was a period of major intellectual, artistic, and cultural innovations from about 1350 AD to 1630 AD. The word “renaissance” is French for “rebirth,” but it would probably be more appropriate to use the Italian “Renascimento” since it was on the Italian peninsula that these transformations really first took root. You’ve no doubt …
