The St. Scholastica Day Riot
What began as a dispute over a bad pint of wine in a 14th-century Oxford tavern quickly erupted into a three-day armed conflict between university students and local townsfolk. This…
Tag: books & manuscripts
How Parchment Was Made: Skin to Scripture
Before paper was common, the words of empires and religions were painstakingly written on processed animal skin. Parchment-making was a smelly, laborious, and highly skilled craft that transformed raw hides…
The Carolingian Minuscule Revolution
While Charlemagne is famed for forging an empire with the sword, a quieter revolution was unfolding in his monasteries. Discover Carolingian minuscule, the standardized script that saved ancient knowledge from…
Early Islamic Hospitals (Bimaristan)
Long before the modern era, the medieval Islamic world created the Bimaristan, a revolutionary type of hospital centuries ahead of its time. These remarkable institutions were not just places of…
The History of Veterinary Medicine
Humans and animals share a history stretching back millennia, but when did we begin to methodically treat their illnesses? This exploration journeys from ancient Indian texts on elephant care and…
The Laws of the Visigothic Kingdom
In the wake of Rome’s fall, the Visigoths in Spain forged one of the most advanced legal systems of the early Middle Ages. The Visigothic Code, or *Liber Iudiciorum*, blended…
The Rise of the Medieval University
The first European universities weren't founded by kings or popes, but evolved from the bustling cathedral schools of the 12th century. Driven by a flood of rediscovered knowledge and the…
The Timurid Renaissance of Samarkand
While history remembers Timur (Tamerlane) as a ruthless conqueror, his reign also sparked an unprecedented cultural explosion in Central Asia. Centered in the magnificent city of Samarkand, the Timurid Renaissance…
The Business of Medieval Pilgrimage
While we often picture medieval pilgrimage as a purely spiritual quest, it was also one of history's first great industries. This journey into the business of faith reveals how relics…
The Printing Press and the Reformation
On its own, Martin Luther's protest against the Catholic Church might have been a footnote in history. But when combined with the revolutionary power of the printing press, his 95…
When Paris was the Capital of the World
Explore the "Belle Époque" (c. 1871-1914), the golden age when Paris was the undisputed global capital of culture, art, and progress. Fueled by optimism and innovation, the city hosted spectacular…
The Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible
Explore the history of the Codex Gigas, the largest medieval manuscript known as the "Devil's Bible." We delve into the chilling legend of its creation—a pact made between a desperate…
The House of Wisdom in Baghdad
Journey to the intellectual heart of the Islamic Golden Age, Baghdad's legendary House of Wisdom. Discover how this grand library and academy became a melting pot for the world's knowledge,…
Jikji: The World’s First Printed Book
Long before Gutenberg's Bible, a monumental achievement in printing technology took place in a Korean Buddhist temple. Discover the story of Jikji, the world's oldest surviving book printed with movable…
The Joseon Dynasty’s Scientific Revolution
While Leonardo da Vinci was sketching his flying machines, a parallel scientific revolution was unfolding in Korea. Under the visionary King Sejong the Great, the Joseon Dynasty pioneered world-changing innovations,…
The Great Library of Timbuktu
Forget what you know about the 'Dark Ages.' In the heart of West Africa, the city of Timbuktu glittered not just with gold, but with knowledge. This is the story…
Mapping the World Before Mercator
Before the familiar Mercator projection became the global standard, mapmakers envisioned the world in radically different ways. These fascinating pre-modern maps were not just navigational tools but windows into the…
The Library of Ashurbanipal
Long before the famed Library of Alexandria, there was a far older repository of knowledge in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. This is the story of Ashurbanipal, the last great…
Heian Japan’s Courtly Life
Journey back to Heian-era Japan, a world of 'shining princes' and secluded court ladies whose lives unfolded like a painted scroll. Explore the hyper-refined culture, intricate rituals, and poetic communication…
History of the World’s First University
Journey to the heart of Fez, Morocco, where the story of higher education begins not in Oxford or Bologna, but in a mosque founded in 859 AD. Discover the University…