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Henry VIII's Break with Rome
King Henry VIII was deeply religious and started out as a staunch supporter of the Pope and the Roman Catholic church. But everything changed when He…
4 years, 8 months ago
The Biblical Apocalypse in Münster
Between February 1534 and June 1535, the German city of Münster was seized and ruled over by a radical group of Protestant Christians called Anabapti…
4 years, 8 months ago
Beauty Ideals in the 16th Century
What was the 16th century ideal of beauty for women? Fat or thin? Blonde or brunette? Pale or tanned? How did women keep clean? Did they remove their…
4 years, 8 months ago
Bloody Mary vs. The Virgin Queen
Queen Mary I has had a bad press over the centuries, her five-years on the throne overshadowed by her half-sister Elizabeth's 45-year reign. While El…
4 years, 8 months ago
Alessandro de' Medici, Black Prince of Florence
In the cut-throat world of Renaissance Florence, Alessandro - the illegitimate son of a Duke and a mixed-race servant - attempts to reassert the Medi…
4 years, 8 months ago
Henry VIII: Defender of the Faith
Five hundred years ago in 1521, the title 'Defender of the Faith' was bestowed by Pope Leo X upon King Henry VIII for his defence of the Catholic Chu…
4 years, 9 months ago
The Witches of Lorraine
Between 1570 and 1630, there was intense persecution and thousands of executions of suspected witches in Lorraine, a small duchy on the borders of Fr…
4 years, 9 months ago
Beards
For the Tudors and Elizabethans, a beard denoted masculinity while beardlessness indicated boyhood or effeminacy. How a man wore his beard - or not -…
4 years, 9 months ago
Sor Juana: Poet, Nun, Martyr
Though she is relatively unknown outside of Mexico, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - poet, playwright and nun - is an icon and national hero in her homela…
4 years, 9 months ago
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard was Queen Consort - and fifth wife - to Henry VIII for just 16 months before he had her executed for treason for committing adultery…
4 years, 9 months ago