It is not often that we can mention McDonald and Roman road in the same sentence. But a fascinating $315,000 restoration project has combined the two worlds – modern and ancient, in an incredible scope that stands testament to the preservation of historical legacy. Funded by McDonald’s Italia, the establishment is thought to be the…
A Renaissance painting, which was valued at around $26 until recently, has been appraised at a staggering $26 million, thanks to a new discovery that the artwork was actually created by Raphael. Originally attributed to Innocenzo Francucci da Imola, an artist of minor stature during Renaissance, it is now believed to be the work of…
Over 70 years after the death of Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), historians have come across a message from Italy’s fascist dictator. Locked away in a tiny metal box with a couple of gold coins underneath a massive obelisk in the country’s capital, the note is in the form of a 1,200-word essay in Latin that unsurprisingly…
Analysis of Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, by researchers at Italy's Central Institute for Restoration and Conservation of Archival and Library Heritage (ICRCPAL), has revealed that its unique purple parchments were the result of treatment with a mixture of weeds and urine. Celebrated as one of the oldest extant illuminated manuscripts of the New Testament, the 1,500-year-old…
When it comes to medieval architectural marvels, few are as astoundingly grand as the majestic St. Peter's Basilica. Now thanks to the designers at Italy-based Studio AMeBE, you can bring this stunning Renaissance masterpiece to your living room, in the form of a breathtakingly ornate lamp. (more…)
The newest member of the tiny house movement is Biosphere 2.0, an innovative zero-energy dwelling that produces all the energy it consumes. Constructed by ZEPHIR-Passivehaus Italy, with help from a number of Italian universities and institutions, this futuristic prefab home is incredibly easy to set up, thus offering you the freedom to live almost anywhere in…
Spending a night underneath the stars is something that many of us want to experience, at least once in our lives. If you belong to that category, you might want to take a trip to Cortina in Italy. Perched at an altitude of nearly 6,742 ft (around 2,055 m) above the sea level, the aptly-named…
Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene or better known as ETFE is a fluorine-based plastic that boasts high corrosion resistance and 'maintained' strength over large temperature fluctuations. Well this time around, the plastic will be used for a wholesome micro-climate control in the Sports Hall of Lamezia Terme, a 4,000 capacity stadium designed by Vittorio Grassi Architetto and Partners…
As part of a recent archaeological expedition, researchers have stumbled upon the wreck of a ship, carrying thousands of jars full of garum - a pungent fish sauce used extensively in the cuisines of ancient Rome, Greece and Byzantium. Located 650 feet underwater, off the coast of Alassio in Northern Italy, the 2000-year-old shipwreck was discovered by…
History, some say, is static and dead. The latest undertaking of Rome’s archaeological superintendency, however, shows that what happened thousands of years ago can come alive, thus providing new insights into the ways of mankind. To be launched in two weeks, the new Verba Appia is a one-of-a-kind app that digitally recreates the history of…