Figures
The Untold Story of Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Baroque Genius, Ruthless Rival, Master Manipulator
In the winter of 1680, Gian Lorenzo Bernini lay in state. The Eternal City mourned the death of its most celebrated artist, the sculptor of angels, the architect of St. Peter’s, the genius who had reshaped the face of Baroque Rome. Princes, cardinals, and crowds of admirers gathered to honor a man history would remember as the shining star of an era. But beneath the marble and myth, other stories lay buried. Pages had been torn out, voices silenced, truths rewritten to fit the comfortable narrative of Bernini as the flawless master. What Rome chose to remember was spectacle. What it chose to forget was rivalry, cruelty, and the calculated power that helped Bernini ascend, while pushing others into the shadows. This is the page they never wanted us to read.
By Strategy Hub8 months ago in History
Chevalière D’Eon. Runner-Up in History Would’ve Burned This Page Challenge.
History can make myths, provide heroes, take control of our collective memories. History has a powerful hold on the stories we tell. And just as importantly, the stories we don’t or can’t tell. History is a memory, a shared past, made concrete in the words of books. And books can be burned. Burning a book is an attempt to cover the footpath that got us to here. It is a way of shutting down lives that appear out of context, peculiar, not like “us”. It leaves some lives, nameless.
By Rachel Robbins8 months ago in History
The Most Charming Mountain Towns in America
The Most Charming Mountain Towns in America: 800 Hidden Gems and Beloved Escapes America's mountain towns are some of the most breathtaking and idyllic getaways in the country. They are tucked away among towering peaks, surrounded by lush forests, and full of small-town charm. These charming locations offer the ideal combination of natural beauty and welcoming communities, whether you're looking for outdoor adventure, cozy cabins, or a tranquil getaway from city life. From the rugged Rockies to the serene Smokies, here are some of the most enchanting mountain towns across the United States that deserve a spot on your travel bucket list.
By parves mosharaf8 months ago in History
The Lawman They Tried to Forget: Bass Reeves and the Masked Myth of the American Wes
The truth is, some stories were never lost. They were buried. Not because they lacked heroes but because the heroes didn’t fit the version of America the storytellers wanted to sell.
By Robert Lacy8 months ago in History
Quite Unusual
If not for the work of one Jonah Boyle. We would not have surgeons washing their hands before they worked on you. Dr. Jonah Boyle was one of the very first doctors that washed their hands before operating on his patient. Making his patient death percentage much lower than his fellow surgeons. A fact that others adopted during and after his death in June eleventh, 1866. A man that performed various operations during combat in his years in the military. Saving countless lives while in the process and rising to the rank of Inspecter General. Having died of dysentery much like his other fellow soldiers.
By Raphael Fontenelle8 months ago in History
The Queer Genius Who Changed Art Forever
It was the summer of 1606. Across Italy, bounty hunters carried notices with a name etched in bold: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Rome had sentenced him to death for murder. His patrons had vanished. His friends had scattered. But in churches across the city, his paintings still standout, terrifying, transcendent, too real to ignore. Even as he fled through the ports of Naples, the island of Malta, and the dark corners of Sicily, Caravaggio was painting furiously. Each canvas was a cry of defiance. Each image a page they would try to burn.
By Strategy Hub8 months ago in History
From the Black Chapter of the Circus to the Gallows
It was a bright summer in 1916. The sky in Tennessee, USA, sparkled with floating clouds, and the air was bustling with a rare festive spirit. "Sparks World Famous Show" moved from city to city, bringing waves of joy and wonder wherever it stopped. The circus's main attraction was Mary, a magnificent Asian elephant. Mary, an extraordinary creature weighing almost five tons, made every move perfectly, reflecting wild beauty and kindness. She was a circus gem, and thousands flocked from afar to see her. Known as "the biggest on earth," she was loved by everyone for her intelligence and gentle demeanor.
By MD. REZUAN HOSSEN8 months ago in History
Why Francesco Borromini’s Churches Were Almost Erased from History
It was August of 1667, and the corridors of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Rome, echoed with silence. Francesco Borromini, once the most daring architect in the Italian city of Rome, lay dying from self-inflicted wounds. Though his buildings breathed with imagination and mathematical wonder, his name was already fading. Rome’s piazzas were filled with the applause of his rival Bernini. Borromini’s masterpieces, tucked in narrow alleyways and cloisters, went unnoticed. He had reshaped the soul of Baroque architecture, yet history was writing him out of its pages. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Borromini's rival, was everything Rome loved: charming, politically astute, and an unrivaled master of spectacle. He was adored, mythologized, and immortalized. Rome became his stage, and he knew how to play it. In contrast, Borromini, with his ascetic temperament and uncompromising vision, refused to perform. And Rome, a city that adored performance, chose the actor over the architect.
By Strategy Hub8 months ago in History
“A Horse, A Horse, My Kingdom for a Horse!”. Honorable Mention in History Would’ve Burned This Page Challenge.
Finding his kingly remains, buried under a car park, seemed an ironic way to find him. For centuries, a king scorn from society. A king known for his wacky appearance and horrific acts. Stories simply passed down from generation to generation. Known now as a joke rather than the King of England.
By Elizabeth Butler8 months ago in History
