The macabre Bohnický Hřbitov Cemetery, the ‘cemetery of fools’ near Prague
Behind a rusty gate, under tall, dark trees in the suburbs of Prague, there is an old graveyard that used to belong to the nearby mental asylum in the village […]
The Devil Heads that loom over the village of Želízy in Czech Republic.
A macabre sight awaits hikers exploring the pine forest above the village of Želízy in Protected Landscape Area Kokořínsko in Czech Republic: two enormous demonic faces carved into sandstone blocks, […]
The macabre legend of Houska Castle, about 50 km distance from Prague.
In the second half of the 13th century, a mysterious Gothic castle was built in the forests north of Prague. It wasn’t near any water, it is never been a […]
Maneki Neko: history and legend of the Japanese lucky cat
Japan is a great country for cat lovers: there are, for example, islands with more cats that inhabitants, and the most popular is Tashirojima, or you can drink something in […]
Portraits from Bedlam: 17 photographs from one of the most infamous mental hospital of the 19th Century
It was called Bethlem Royal Hospital, but it was nicknamed “Bedlam”, London’s famous horror hospital. Founded in 1247, It was the first mental health institution to be set up in […]
The Grocery List of March 18, 1518 sketched by Michelangelo
You can’t sculpt like Michelangelo, but you can eat like him! What did Michelangelo Buonarroti, one of the most famous artists of every age, eat? The Italian genius thrives on […]
Far from Civilization: portraits of the Modern Hermits from all over Europe
The French photographer Antoine Bruy has embarked on a long hitch-hiking journey across Europe, which lasted from 2010 to 2013, penetrating between the remote mountainous regions not normally reached by […]
Shoes on the Danube Promenade: the Holocaust Memorial of the Jews of Budapest
On the banks of the Danube, in Budapest, not far from the Hungarian Parliament building, 60 pairs of 1940s-style worn-out shoes pairs of shoes are lined up. There are women’s, […]
Bibury: the most beautiful village of England
Bibury is a charming village just a short drive from Cirencester. It’s easy to see why William Morris, an eclectic Victorian-era artist and craftsman from Britain, called it “the most […]
The entrance of Bockenheimer Warte Subway Station of Frankfurt: a tram crashing into the sidewalk!
Try to imagine a scene in a Marvel movie in which the Hulk has picked up a tram car and rammed it into the sidewalk. That’s kind of what the […]
“Sokushinbutsu”: the self-mummification ritual and the myth of non-death
Although the Japanese climate is not exactly conducive to mummification, somehow a group of Buddhist monks from the Shingon sect discovered a way to mummify themselves through rigorous ascetic training […]
Leonid Rogozov: the man who cut out his own appendix
Leonid Rogozov, a russian surgeon, was part of the sixth Soviet Antarctic expedition – a team of 12 had been sent to build a new base at the Schirmacher Oasis. […]
‘A Bella Mbriana: a love legend along the narrow streets of Naples
The history of Naples is full of legends and myths, which are lost between truth and fantasy, between streets and alleys, between lights and shadows. The love legend of ‘A […]
Tsuneko Sasamoto: the first Japanese Photojournalist who still works at 105 years
Tsuneko Sasamoto was born in Tokyo on September 1st 1914. Although photography had been invented the previous century, it was still a not very common practice, mostly a studio work. […]
The disturbing Victorian fashion of very long hair in 35 Photos
The Victorian era technically spanned from June 20, 1837, until Queen Victoria’s death on January 22, 1901. This was a rather peaceful time in the United Kingdom, a change from […]
Legends and origins of “O’ Munaciello”, the Neapolitan sprite.
A Neapolitan proverb reads: “O munaciello: a chi arricchisce e a chi appezzentisce“, which means something like “The munaciello or enriches or sends into poverty“. The munaciello, literally “little monk” […]
The ancient Lycians and and their spectacular funerary culture
The ancient Lycians are probably one of the most enigmatic peoples of history, because there are not many traces of their civilization. However, what has been discovered reveals a fascinating […]
