On this day, April 25, 511 years ago, the New World was officially given its name: "America". The new name, in fact, was used for the first time on the Universalis Cosmographia, a printed map created by the German…

The Church celebrates today the feast day of Saint George. Being one of the most popular and venerated Saints in Christianity, George is also very frequently depicted in many medieval manuscripts: although many are the…

April 21 remarks the traditional date of the founding of Rome, the supposed day on which Romulus would have founded the City in 753 BC. The date was identified by the 1st century Roman scholar Varro:…

  Ever since the dawn of humanity, the sky and space as a whole have always been both a great dream and goal for humankind. The Space Race of the 20th century, from this point…

On April 9, 1241, one of the most relevant battles between the expanding Mongol Empire and the European forces took place. The battlefield was that of Legnica, in the Silesian province of Poland; the invasion…

"The appearance of the Moon in the sky", illumination from the manuscript "Les premières Œuvres de JACQUES DEVAULX, pillote en la marine", ms. Français 150, f. 24v, 1583, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Paris.   «O,…

Today is Easter Monday, the day after Easter and a public holiday in many countries of the world, such as most of Europe, Quebec, and Australia, as well as large parts of Africa. In many of…

With Easter Sunday we conclude our brief look at some of the many illuminations depicting the events of the Holy Week. Easter day is, of course, the most important day of the Week - but…

"Harrowing of Hell", illumination from the manuscript "Speculum humanae salvationis", ms. Harley 2838, f. 33v, between 1485 and 1509, British Library, London.   Although not officially described in any of the Gospels, the Harrowing of Hell is a…

"Crucifixion", historiated initial "T", fragment from a French Missal, 28.140, ca. 1400, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.   On occasion of Good Friday, we present today the beautiful illumination above. The scene of the Crucifixion is historiated into…