Venice during the Renaissance emerges as a vibrant center of art, culture and commerce, influencing the broader European scope. The...

Antonio Neri is a Renaissance Florentine priest, well known for contributions to alchemy and glassmaking. As a youth Neri is drawn to the...

Caput mortuum, Latin for as "dead head" is an ominous name for a valued color. As an iron oxide it's easy to make at home. As a purple...

Bathing is an important part of ancient Roman culture. Structures such as the Baths of Diocletian or Thermae Diocletiani in Rome are a...

Olympiodorus of Thebes (c. 380 - 425 AD) is a multifaceted figure. A Roman historian from Egypt, poet, philosopher, and diplomat, he...

In ancient Rome, the haruspex has a significant role in society as a trained specialist in the the practice of haruspicy. This form of...

Ancient Alexandria, jewel of Egypt, is renowned as a city of philosophy, medicine and alchemy. A crucial turning point happens 297 AD....

Although alchemy is often associated with gold-making, another essential skill of the alchemist is to color or dye stones like quartz...

The Knights Templar, or the Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, are a religious military order formed in 1099 during the...

The 16th and 17th centuries mark a tumultuous period in European history, defined by a series of religious wars with cataclysmic effects...

Bernard Trevisan is a prototypical figure in alchemy, constructed by various alchemical writers of the medieval and Renaissance eras in...

Jean de Roquetaillade (1310 - 1370 AD) or John of Rupescissa is a prominent figure in medieval France. A fiery Franciscan friar,...

Medieval France sees many changes in the turmoil of war, plague, mad royals and the birth of the Inquisition. A precisely defined social...

Christine de Pizan or Pisan (Cristina da Pizzano) c.1364 - 1430 is an Italian-born French court writer during the reign of King Charles...

In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...

Tellurium is the Latin word for earth. A brittle, non-malleable silvery white metalloid, tellurium (Te) is a rare element having both...

Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...

In Eastern and Western alchemy, the transformation of metals into gold (Au) symbolizes a process of maturation for metal and alchemist....

In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...

The Pill of Immortality or Immortality Pill is a life-giving substance in Chinese alchemy . Also called xiandan (仙丹), jindan (金丹), or dan...