Myths, symbols and sacred places

San Secondo at Magnano: a Romanesque church in a clearing

A rural Romanesque church of the eleventh century, alone in a clearing near Bose: its history, its pebble walls, its apses and bell tower, and the symbolism of light and orientation. With a short video.

Modena Cathedral: history, architecture and the symbolism of its sculptures

Lanfranco’s architecture, Wiligelmo’s Genesis reliefs, the first King Arthur in stone and the monstrous peoples of the metopes: a guide to the history and the symbols of Modena Cathedral.

King Arthur in the Church: the meaning of the Arthurian legend in sacred art

Above a cathedral door in Modena, on the mosaic floor of Otranto, under the choir seats of English cathedrals and beside an emperor’s tomb: why the medieval Church gave space to King Arthur, and what he meant to the faithful.

Santa Maria della Rocca in Offida: history, architecture, painting and the enigma of the cross pattée

Introduction: a monument between documented history and the memory of mystery On the western edge of the medieval town of Offida, where the rocky spur breaks off abruptly into the deep natural ravines surrounding the…

The Basilica of Santa Maria a Piè di Chienti: architecture, liturgy and medieval symbolism between historical documentation and iconographic interpretation

Introduction The Basilica of Santa Maria a Piè di Chienti is one of the most complex cases of Romanesque architecture on the Italian Adriatic. Its importance derives not only from the quality of its construction or its…

The church of San Lorenzo at Montiglio Monferrato: the symbolic language of its Romanesque capitals

Discover the church of San Lorenzo at Montiglio Monferrato and the symbolic meaning of its Romanesque capitals: interlace, sirens, eagles, grapes and plant motifs.

The capitals of San Lorenzo at Montiglio Monferrato: figurative repertoire and symbolic horizon in Romanesque sculpture

Discover the church of San Lorenzo at Montiglio Monferrato and the symbolic meaning of its Romanesque capitals. A journey through Romanesque art, medieval iconography, Lombard interlace, animal figures and Christian symbols in one of the most fascinating sacred buildings in Monferrato.

The Exegesis of Stone: the Symbolism of Romanesque Capitals

In the architectural universe of the Middle Ages, the capital is not only the mechanical link between the vertical support and the arch; it is an ontological frontier . It is the place where the inert matter of the…

Castelseprio: two thousand years of history in the heart of the Varese area

A late Roman castrum, Lombard frescoes unique in the world and an ancient forest: Castelseprio, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, tells two thousand years of history in the Varese area.

The Sunday Christ: Iconographic Analysis and Regional Variants

The Sunday Christ is an iconography of great historical, artistic and religious value, conveying a well-defined moral message within popular Christian traditions. Its regional variants confirm how local culture influenced the interpretation of the image, while church judgement limited the spread of such a powerful and controversial depiction.

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta at Armeno: notes on the iconography of the three-headed Christ

The church of Santa Maria Assunta at Armeno is a gem of Lombard Romanesque, refined in plan yet sober in appearance, built in the 11th–12th centuries with aisles divided by monolithic columns with carved capitals, the…

The church of San Marcello at Paruzzaro and the Last Judgement

1. Geographical setting and historical context The church of San Marcello stands just outside the village of Paruzzaro, in the province of Novara, along the road linking Arona and Lake Maggiore, which in the Middle Ages…

The Oratory of the Santissima Trinità at Momo: architecture, iconography and function of a place of transit on the Via Francisca

Introduction The Oratory of the Santissima Trinità (Holy Trinity), just outside the centre of Momo, is one of the most important examples of rural religious architecture in the Novara area. Set along the Via Francisca,…

Fénis Castle - Aosta

youtube.com/watch Fénis Castle: between history, symbols and Templar legends Fénis Castle, in the heart of the Aosta Valley, is one of the most famous and most visited medieval monuments in the region. Built and…

Church of Sant’Irene and the Capuchin Convent in Catignano (PE): historical and artistic profile

youtube.com/watch Historical background The complex stands in the Cappuccini district, just outside the centre of Catignano, on a site recorded in the charters of the Benedictine abbey of San Bartolomeo at Carpineto…

Alchemy in Parma between science, spirituality and tradition: Hermetic paths from the Middle Ages to the early modern age

Abstract This article explores the presence of alchemy in the city of Parma from the Middle Ages to the early modern age, with particular attention to the monastic context, the Farnese court and the Ancient Apothecary…

Matter and sound: the influence of building materials on the acoustics of Cistercian abbeys

Abstract Cistercian architecture is distinguished by formal sobriety, rigorous geometry and minimal ornament, in line with the spiritual ideal of the Order. This formal purity has not only symbolic and theological value…

Esoteric Symbolism and Sacred Geometry in the Church of San Francesco del Prato in Parma

Introduction The church of San Francesco del Prato, in the historic heart of Parma, is one of the most significant examples of mendicant Gothic architecture in northern Italy. Built during the 13th century, the church…

The Order of the Humiliati: Intersections of Spirituality, Economy and Society in Medieval Italy

Introduction In the religious landscape of medieval northern Italy, the Order of the Humiliati emerged as a phenomenon of extraordinary complexity and historical significance, a distinctive synthesis of spiritual…

On the Trail of the Humiliati: the Abbey of Viboldone and its Community

The Abbey of Viboldone stands as a stone testimony to the turbulent communal era of 12th-century Lombardy, when Milan, victorious in its struggle with Frederick Barbarossa that culminated in the Peace of Constance of…

The Abbey of Novalesa: a thousand-year-old spiritual and cultural centre in the Susa Valley

The Abbey of Saints Peter and Andrew at Novalesa, strategically placed at the entrance to the Val Cenischia, is one of the most significant monuments of medieval monastic architecture in Piedmont and an extraordinary…

From Brigid to Mary: Evolution and Syncretism of a Female Cult in Medieval Ireland

Introduction The transition from pagan to Christian Ireland is an emblematic case of how religious syncretism takes place. In this landscape of cultural and spiritual transformation, the figure of Brigid occupies a…

Göbekli Tepe: new perspectives on the origins of monumental civilization

1. Introduction Göbekli Tepe, in the region of the Anatolian plateau, about 18 km north-east of the modern city of Şanlıurfa, is one of the most extraordinary sites for the study of late prehistory (Schmidt, 2006;…

The Pieve of San Martino: evidence of historical and cultural stratification

The Pieve of San Martino at Palazzo Pignano, in the Cremona area, is an emblematic case of topographical and functional continuity between the Roman age and the Christian Middle Ages. Built in the Romanesque period on…

Villa Marazzi at Palazzo Pignano: architecture, iconography and transformations of a Lombard noble residence

Abstract Villa Marazzi, at Palazzo Pignano (CR), is an emblematic example of a Lombard noble residence, bearing witness to architectural and decorative developments from the 15th to the 19th century. Originally built as…

The Different Depictions of the Madonna in Art

Marian iconography has played a central role in the history of Western art. Every era, style and artistic movement has given its own interpretation of the figure of the Virgin Mary, symbol of purity, motherhood and…

Depictions of the Madonna and Child: iconographic evolution, theological meaning and cultural significance

Introduction For centuries the depiction of the Madonna and Child has been a focal point not only of Christian devotion but also of aesthetic and theological reflection in European art. More than any other subject, it…

The Abbey of Morimondo: An Example of Cistercian Spirituality, Architecture and Monastic Development in Italy

Introduction The Abbey of Morimondo, in the village of the same name in the province of Milan, is one of the most significant examples of Cistercian architecture in northern Italy. Founded in the 12th century by monks…

Lucedio: the monastery of the damned

Between History, Esotericism, Satanic Rites and Dark Legends The History The abbey of Santa Maria di Lucedio is one of the most fascinating Cistercian foundations in Italy, with a history spanning almost nine centuries…

Cathedral of San Moderanno - Berceto

The Cathedral of Berceto: a Romanesque pearl between history and spirituality Set in the picturesque village of Berceto, in the Parma Apennines, the Cathedral (Duomo) of San Moderanno is one of the most fascinating…

Pieve di San Floriano - San Pietro in Cariano

The Pieve (parish church) of San Floriano, in San Pietro in Cariano, is a historical and artistic gem of the Valpolicella, in the province of Verona. This sacred building is one of the most significant examples of…

The Abbey of San Basilide

The abbey stands on an ancient road that ran from the city of Parma to Tuscany, via the Lagastrello pass and the monastery of San Salvatore and San Bartolomeo at Linari, an important stopping place for travellers and…

The Terramare civilization

The Terramare civilization flourished in about 1800-1300 B.C., a period when the world was transitioning from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Graphic reconstruction of the Terramara of Montale (drawing by Riccardo…

The Immaculate Conception and the Moon

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in the Church of Santa Maria dell'Incoronata, Martinengo (BG) "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of…

San Pellegrino Terme - The Casino

A magnificent example of the Liberty style (Italian Art Nouveau), the Casino of San Pellegrino Terme was built at the beginning of the 20th century, between 1904 and 1906, and opened in July 1907. Designed by the…

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan

The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio ( basilega de Sant Ambroeus in Milanese dialect ), whose full name is the minor Roman basilica, collegiate, abbatial and provostal church of Sant'Ambrogio [1] ( original Early Christian…

Santa Giulia, Brescia: Museum and Archaeological Area

The Santa Giulia Museum is the main museum of Brescia , located at via dei Musei 81/b, along the ancient decumanus maximus of Roman Brixia . It is housed in the monastery of Santa Giulia , built by King Desiderius in…

The top 10 greatest archaeological discoveries of 2019 — Il Fatto Storico

It is hard to draw up a list of the ten most important discoveries of the year. From rich tombs in Egypt to the incredible story of the woman scribe, from new Roman frescoes to sacrifices and mysterious pre-Columbian…

Faces in the wind

Almost three years after the devastating earthquake that struck central Italy, Norcia is a town that still bears the scars of the disaster. The Basilica of San Benedetto literally gutted, the buildings of the historic…

Santa Brigida - Sanctuary of the Madonna Addolorata

The original chapel dates from the 10th century and may have been built on the remains of an earlier pagan sacred building, probably of Celtic origin. The present building is the result of a series of transformations…

The legend of the Anguane – Enchanting Val Pusteria

The Anguane are also called Acquane, Langane and other names, but whatever they are called these creatures are “women of the waters”, bound to springs (and in the Belluno Dolomites there are about a hundred lakes and…

The first use of the number "0"

A new study by the University of Oxford has identified the world's oldest use of the number “0”. The number appears hundreds of times in an ancient Indian text known as the Bakhshali manuscript. The manuscript consists…

Pre-Aztec tunnel discovered beneath the Pyramid of the Moon — Il Fatto Storico

Beneath the great and majestic Pyramid of the Moon, in the ancient city of Teotihuacán (today 40 km from Mexico City), archaeologists have discovered a secret tunnel built around 100 BC by the pre-Aztec civilization that lived there

The 9 greatest archaeological discoveries of 2016 — Il Fatto Storico

This year archaeologists brought to light treasures that revealed not only strange practices (such as building a pyramid inside a pyramid inside a pyramid), but also the secrets of some of the best-known artefacts. From…

The Danse Macabre

The danse macabre (dance of death) is a late medieval iconographic theme depicting a dance between living people and skeletons. The skeletons personify death, while the living are usually dressed to represent the…

The legend of the Feathered Serpent

deity6 ↗ Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god, lord of creation, of knowledge and of the wind, was king of the city of the gods. He was utterly pure, innocent and good. No task was too humble for him. He even swept the paths…

When the Smithsonian Institution discovered an ancient Egyptian colony in the Grand Canyon

Baphomet, between Archetype of the Incarnate Mind and “syncretic” symbol of the Great Work… | Psicologia Alchemica

Occultism at CERN?

A video has recently surfaced online of a strange ceremony at CERN, in which hooded individuals gathered around the statue of Shiva and staged the ritual “stabbing” of a woman dressed in white. The video, shot from a…

Novus Ordo Mundi

Attended by the most powerful people in Europe, the opening ceremony of the Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland was a dark and disturbing occult ritual. Here is an in-depth analysis of yet another elite celebration. More…

GNOSTICISM AND GNOSIS

What is Gnosticism and how did it influence Christianity? ouroboros ↗ Article by Dr Carlo Casasola (in Italian)

Canadian teenager discovers a Maya city using the constellations — and NASA rewards him! | Segni dal Cielo

The next great restoration of Göbekli Tepe

Source: The next great restoration of Göbekli Tepe

Ancient warrior woman's grave unearthed in Russia

The Archaeology News Network: Ancient warrior woman's grave unearthed in Russia .

A submerged monolith in the Sicilian Channel (central Mediterranean Sea): Evidence for Mesolithic human activity

Highlights • A submerged, 12 m long monolith has been discovered at a water depth of 40 m, in a shallow bank of the Sicilian Channel. • Morphological evidence, underwater observations, and results of petrographic…

Megalithic Enigma of Baalbek Lebanon

One of the most incredible megalithic site in the world unveiled in these cutting edge videos by Brien Foerster.

12-metre monolith found on the seabed of the Sicilian Channel

A 12-metre-long submerged monolith has been found on the seabed of the Sicilian Channel, at a depth of 40 metres. Analyses show that it is man-made and not a natural formation. The monolith points to significant human…

2000 Year Old Labyrinth Uncovered in India Shows Same Pattern as a Greek Maze from 1200 BC | Ancient Origins

40,000-year-old figurine depicting the fertility goddess found in Bavaria

The Archaeology News Network: Prosthetic pin discovered in ancient Egyptian mummy

Evidence of an orthopaedic arthrodesis procedure on an Egyptian mummy, using a metal pin secured with natural resin.

Sacred science, the metaphysics of analogy and the meaning of religious symbolism | IGEA

The Church of Santa Margherita at Monte Marenzo

Façade of the Church of Santa Margherita The Place Leaving the SP639 provincial road, which runs along the Adda to link Cisano Bergamasco with Lecco , and following the signs for Valcava , after a short climb you reach…

A 3D reconstruction reveals the astronomical mystery of Rome's Ara Pacis | Il Navigatore Curioso

The Guardian: Large quantities of mercury discovered beneath the pyramids of Teotihuacan

Siberia: the mystery of the Por-Bajin fortress

On a most unusual rectangular islet in Siberia stands an enigmatic structure whose function scientists are still debating, without having reached a shared conclusion. The structure dates back about 1,300 years, and…

The largest megalithic walls ever discovered found in southern Siberia

These enormous megalithic blocks were discovered and photographed for the first time by Georgy Sidorov during a recent expedition to the mountains of southern Siberia. The largest blocks are estimated to be two to three…

Richard Cassaro » Blog Archive » Suppressed By Scholars: The Mystery Of Twin Cultures On Opposite Sides Of The Atlantic

The mystery of twin cultures separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

Fritjof Capra - The Dance of Śiva

Fritjof Capra is an Austrian physicist and writer . A physicist and systems theorist , he is an internationally renowned author. He became famous with The Tao of Physics ( 1975 ), translated into Italian in 1982 (…

Alfonso Maria Di Nola

Alfonso ↗ Italian anthropologist and historian of religions (Naples 1926 - Rome 1997). He studied religions with a rigorous scientific method, free of ideological bias, seeking to analyse their various aspects as…

Something has to change

Guglielma of Bohemia

This is the story of Guglielma, known as "la Boema" (the Bohemian): one of the mysteries of medieval Milan, as fascinating as it is little told. Around the year 1270 a young woman of very elegant manners but with little…

Maya: the mother of the Saviour of the World

images ↗ In the oldest version of the myth of the Buddha's birth, the young mother Maya, after carrying the "Saviour of the world" in her womb for exactly ten lunar months, wished to give birth at her own mother's…

Squaring the circle: the marriage of earth and heaven

Traditionally the circle is associated with heaven and the square with the Earth. Uniting these two geometric shapes by making them equal in area or perimeter, what is called "squaring the circle", means symbolically…

Archaeoastronomy in medieval churches

According to legend, the church was founded by Charlemagne . In the year 773 the emperor was hunting in the forest of Vezzolano when three skeletons suddenly appeared before him, emerging from a tomb. The fright was so…

The Church of San Tommaso in Caramanico Terme

Ferragosto (15 August) 2009: it is a bright day, and we leave the sparkling Abruzzo sea behind us to venture into the mystical places of the Apennines, crossing the valleys of the Majella and Monte Morrone. On the SP66…

The Unfinished Church of San Michele on Monte Barro

Walking along the paths that cross Monte Barro, the well-known peak overlooking Lake Lecco, the last thing you would expect is to find yourself suddenly facing an imposing church hidden in the vegetation. It looks…

The Church of San Michele in Ome

In Franciacorta, within the municipality of Ome, on the ridge of the hill known as the "Costa di San Michele", stand the church of the same name and the remains of an ancient castle. From this ridge there is a wide view…

The Oratory of San Pellegrino in Bominaco

From the Navelli plateau, at about 1,000 metres above sea level, the Oratory of San Pellegrino and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta overlook the Via Appulo Sannitica, better known as the SS17 state road, which links…

The Mandylion of Manoppello

The Holy Face in the Sanctuary of Manoppello (photo by Ra Boe) ↗ In August 2009 we arrive at the Sanctuary of Manoppello. It is surrounded by the green woods of the Majella, which temper the great heat of the summer…

Ancient astronomers

In the 3rd century AD, Diogenes Laërtius said that the ancient Egyptian astronomers had recorded 373 solar eclipses and 832 lunar eclipses. Given Egypt's position and the periodicity of eclipses in a region with many…

Polygonal masonry

What may look like ordinary walls are one of the most incredible unsolved mysteries of archaeology. These walls, also called "Cyclopean", have nothing to do with the familiar Roman walls made of perfectly squared,…

The Ages of the World

In the Metamorphoses Ovid tells how the creation of the world was followed by four ages: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The first age is described as a kind of earthly paradise, while…

The precession of the equinoxes

"The precession of the equinoxes has lost its importance for us; once, however, it was the one majestic secular motion that our ancestors could connect with a great cycle capable of influencing humanity as a whole. But…

The collective unconscious

"If it were possible to personify the unconscious, we might think of it as a collective human being combining the characteristics of both sexes, transcending youth and age, birth and death, and, having at its command a…

Saint Christopher and his alchemical symbolism

"Before he became a Christian, Christopher was called Offerus; he was a kind of giant, and very slow-witted. When he came of age, he set off on a journey, saying that he wanted to serve the greatest lord on earth. He…

The Triple Enclosure

Triple enclosure The origin of the Triple Enclosure symbol is lost in the mists of time, as it was already present among prehistoric and megalithic civilizations. One example of its circular form from the Bronze Age,…

Cocullo

Perched on a hilltop in the upper Sagittario valley, Cocullo is a characteristic town in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. Every year on 1 May a popular festival is held with a procession in honour of Saint Dominic.…

The search for Atlantis

"The search for Atlantis is the search for a shared spiritual history. And in these difficult times we desperately need a spiritual bond with the universe, a bond that humankind once lived freely, without doubt or fear.…

René Schwaller De Lubicz

Although ridiculed by a number of "orthodox" Egyptologists, De Lubicz is probably one of the few who managed to grasp the secrets enclosed in the ancient Egyptian monuments. His major work, the fruit of many years of…

Flower of Life

The flower and the bud are universal symbols of youth. Because the arrangement of its petals resembles a star, the flower is also associated with the sun, the globe or the centre. Innocent heralds of spring, flowers…

The symbol and its meaning

The aim of this part of the site is also to explore the fascinating world of symbols, investigating not only their meaning and use but using them as a guide to trace history back to its most remote times, with the…