the papacy
The perils of being pope
The power of the medieval papacy resembled that of the Holy Roman Emperor – and like the first Roman emperors, popes attracted envy, scandal and violent retribution
The rocky path to Christian dominance in Europe
Mutilated, strangled, suffocated or beaten to death: these are just some of the methods used to get rid of popes…
The secrets of Dante’s marriage
Unlike Shakespeare, who kept himself out of all his works, except the Sonnets, Dante was endlessly reworking his autobiography, even…
