Alchemy surges to the forefront of many intellectually-driven cultures. From the Golden Age in Alexandria to Islamic mysticism and thence...

Lucrezia Borgia is an enigmatic figure of the Italian Renaissance (c. 1350 - 1550 AD). This period sees revival of art, culture and...

Powerful Medici, Borgia, Sforza, Gonzaga and Este families rise to prominence in the Renaissance. Behind the vast artistic innovations...

Cosimo Ruggeri is an Italian astrologer , alchemist, haruspex , favorite and advisor to the queen regent of France, Catherine de Medici....

Alchemy begins with several elements coming together at a crucial time in Alexandria, Egypt. As an international glass center, the city...

The Ottoman-Venetian Wars are seven major conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice from the late 14th to the 18th...

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...

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

In the European alchemical tradition, the elixir vitae or elixir of life is associated with the philosopher's stone. Legend has it...

The Guelphs and Ghibellines are feuding factions during the Italian Renaissance. Warfare and bloodshed between the two throw regions of...

Guido Bonatti  (d. 1296 - 1300) is a renowned Italian mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer. Highly respected for his astrological...

Astrology prospers in the East after the 476 AD fall of the Roman Empire. Indian, Persian, and Islamic writers prolifically translate...

The malaria parasite P. falciparum has existed for up to100,000 years. Its numbers rise c. 8000 BCE with the Neolithic Revolution....

Lapis lazuli or "blue stone" is prized for its depth and brilliance in paint as the color ultramarine. Before the 1800s, ultramarine...

Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Cosimo the Elder, is a leading figure in the rise of Florence as the Italian Renaissance...

During the Western Renaissance, new exciting artists' pigments appear in brilliant colors, vibrant scarlet red, deep rich blue,...

Vitriols are among the most important alchemical ingredients. Green vitriol is the archaic term for all vitriols and now means ferrous...

Glass production is known before the Bronze Age. Early glassmakers in Egypt and the ancient Near East produce colored beads and later...

Women often find inspiration in alchemy. In the light of the Renaissance several female alchemists emerge. Women alchemists of the...