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Sylvia Rose
Aug 29, 20243 min read
How to Make Copperas Ferrous Sulfate: Process
Copperas, known chemically as ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄), has been a vital compound across various industries for centuries. Although...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 27, 20247 min read
Renaissance Wars: Venice vs. Ottoman
The Ottoman-Venetian Wars are seven major conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice from the late 14th to the 18th...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 27, 20244 min read
Venice Italy: Jewel of the Renaissance
Venice during the Renaissance emerges as a vibrant center of art, culture and commerce, influencing the broader European scope. The...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 27, 20243 min read
Alchemy & Renaissance Glass: Antonio Neri
Antonio Neri is a Renaissance Florentine priest, well known for contributions to alchemy and glassmaking. As a youth Neri is drawn to the...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 26, 20243 min read
Tricky Alchemy: Caput Mortuum Purple
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 25, 20242 min read
Haruspices in History: The Gut Readers
In ancient Rome, the haruspex has a significant role in society as a trained specialist in the the practice of haruspicy. This form of...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 24, 20246 min read
Alchemy: Dyeing Stones to Look Like Gems
Although alchemy is often associated with gold-making, another essential skill of the alchemist is to color or dye stones like quartz...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 24, 20246 min read
Herbal Remedies in Medieval Alchemy
Herbal remedies are ubiquitous in medieval alchemy, a practice combining elements of science, spirituality, and mysticism. Recipes are...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 23, 20245 min read
Knights Templar Crusades & Medieval France
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 23, 20244 min read
Religious Wars Catholics & Protestants France
The 16th and 17th centuries mark a tumultuous period in European history, defined by a series of religious wars with cataclysmic effects...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 23, 20244 min read
Bernard Trevisan: Legends of Alchemy
Bernard Trevisan is a prototypical figure in alchemy, constructed by various alchemical writers of the medieval and Renaissance eras in...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 23, 20245 min read
Medieval Alchemy: Jean de Roquetaillade
Jean de Roquetaillade (1310 - 1370 AD) or John of Rupescissa is a prominent figure in medieval France. A fiery Franciscan friar,...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 22, 20248 min read
Medieval France: Peasants, Knights & Urbanites
Medieval France sees many changes in the turmoil of war, plague, mad royals and the birth of the Inquisition. A precisely defined social...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 22, 20245 min read
Christine de Pizan: Medieval Writings
Christine de Pizan or Pisan (Cristina da Pizzano) c.1364 - 1430 is an Italian-born French court writer during the reign of King Charles...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 21, 20244 min read
Urine in Medieval Alchemy & Medicine
In the medieval world, urine is a surprisingly versatile body fluid with a wide range of applications beyond the obvious disposal...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 21, 20246 min read
Phosphorus, Uroscopy & Power of Pee
Urine has medical and practical applications though history. Renaissance alchemist Hennig Brand discovers phosphorus by boiling his...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 20, 20245 min read
Alchemy: Metallurgy, Myths & Magic
Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 20, 20244 min read
Magic Metals, Gold, Smiths & Alchemists
In Eastern and Western alchemy, the transformation of metals into gold (Au) symbolizes a process of maturation for metal and alchemist....
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 20, 20244 min read
Smelting Metals: Metalwork & Alchemy
In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 19, 20246 min read
Elixir Vitae: Giambattista della Porta
In the European alchemical tradition, the elixir vitae or elixir of life is associated with the philosopher's stone. Legend has it...
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