One of the things easily forgotten about Italy is that the modern state of Italy is just that -- modern. Previously in its history, what we know as the state of Italy today was a conglomeration of city-states (Florence, Venice, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sicily, etc.)…
The Byzantine Church of San Pietro in Otranto
One of the things easily forgotten about Italy is that the modern state of Italy is just that -- modern. Previously in its history, what we know as the state of Italy today was a conglomeration of city-states (Florence, Venice, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sicily, etc.)…
The Construction of a Solemn Liturgical Occasion in St. Peter's Basilica in 1900
Many of our readers will be familiar with scenes of canonizations from the Vatican prior to the 1970's. They include the Roman tradition of red festal hangings, suspended chandeliers, and all the majesty and solemnity that counter-reformation Catholicism could muster, s…
