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The Medici family, prominent during the Italian Renaissance, wielded immense power in Florence and beyond. Rising from humble beginnings as bankers, they ascended to become one of Europe's most influential dynasties. Their patronage of the arts catalyzed the Renaissance, nurturing talents like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. However, their rule was not without controversy, marked by political intrigue, alliances and betrayals. Despite facing exile and assassination attempts, their legacy endures, shaping the art, politics and commerce of Renaissance Europe. 

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence was a fortress-like palace which became the primary residence of the Medici family after they gained control of the city. (eyetronic / Adobe Stock)

The first mention of the Medici family can be traced back to a document from 1230 AD. Originally coming from the Mugello region of Italy, the origin of their name is unknown. Medici itself is the plural of medico, which means medical doctor, and as such it would be a fair guess to say that one of the family’s earliest ancestors acted as doctor in the region.

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In the late 16th century, during Queen Elizabeth I's reign, England rose as a global powerhouse. The era birthed a peculiar aristocratic code of conduct

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In medieval and Renaissance society and culture, celestial events were not mere spectacles in the sky

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While excavating in a lightly explored eastern region of their home country, a team of Iranian archaeologists unearthed the remains

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A major archaeological discovery has just been made at Cap d’Erquy, in the Côtes d’Armor. The remains of a circular Iron Age village have been unearthed using revolutionary satellite imaging technology.

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In the 15th century, the Age of Discovery began in Europe. The maritime empires of Spain and Portugal led the way by financing naval expeditions across the world’s oceans. 

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The Anglo-Saxons, comprised of diverse tribes such as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, arrived in Britain during the 5th century

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It is not every day that one gets the opportunity to build a replica Neolithic henge earthwork. Moreover, after 15 years of “weathering”

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In his work De Die Natali (The Birthday Book), written in 238 AD, Censorinus, a Roman grammarian and author, discusses the concept of the Great Year in Chapter XVIII. He writes “The 1461st year by some is called the Heliacal and by others the Year of God.”

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In Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula lies a site which was once central to Maya sacrificial rituals—the sacred cenote of Chichen Itza. 

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The Circus Maximus, a sprawling amphitheater nestled between the Palatine Palace and the Aventine Hill, epitomized the grandeur of ancient Roman entertainment. 

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New information relating to Roman construction techniques is emerging from the ongoing excavations at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. 

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In the realm of maritime warfare, understanding the disparity between a Pirate and a Privateer was crucial.

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A Bronze Age site in England, housing a ‘richly decorated Roman villa’ from a later period, has revealed a bounty of artifacts and architectural evidence

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Abydos is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian cities (3,100 – 332 BC) and is one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Egypt.

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Across the expansive chronicles of human history, the pursuit of beauty and adornment has been a deeply ingrained aspect of our collective identity. 

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The examination of skeletal remains from cemeteries on Sweden's Baltic Sea island of Gotland has revealed evidence of Viking body modification among the Norse people, shedding light on practices during the Viking Age (793 to 1066). 

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The Celtic Otherworld has always been a mystery; a strange, mysterious, and elusive place. 

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Egyptian history is replete with tales of pharaonic cruelty, and among the most notorious are the 5 cruelest pharaohs who left an indelible mark on the sands of time.

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In June of 1344, Pope Clement VI moved to reorganize the Knights of France in a series of six letters sent to Jean, Duke of Normandy

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