Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi is a trilingual storyteller and freelance journalist with a particular interest in ancient history, astronomy and human interest stories. 

Protesters with the activist group Last Generation stand in front of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus at Florence's Uffizi Gallery on February 13. 

Climate Activists Stage Protest in Front of Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'

Two men taped images of flooding in Tuscany to the Renaissance painting's protective glass

Taylor Swift performs in New Jersey during her Eras tour on May 27, 2023.

At the Swiftposium, Scholars Gather to Analyze a Superstar's Astonishing Influence

The University of Melbourne welcomed academics from all over the world for its Taylor Swift conference

An aerial view of the 100-foot-long wreck taken on January 30

Locals Work to Save Mysterious Canadian Shipwreck Before It Disappears Into the Ocean

The 100-foot-long wreck, which likely dates to the 19th century, washed up off the coast of Cape Ray in January

Casting directors have been pushing for a dedicated Oscar for decades.

The Oscars Are Adding a New Award for Casting

When it debuts in 2026, the casting award will be the Academy's first new category since 2001

The First Supper (Galaxy Black), Tavares Strachan, 2023

Monumental Sculpture Reimagines 'The Last Supper' With Black Historical Figures

Tavares Strachan's "The First Supper" took four years to sculpt and is now on display at an exhibition in London

An image of an archaeologist excavating the wooden funerary bed and a reconstruction of the artifact (top right)

Archaeologists Discover Rare Roman Funerary Bed Buried Beneath London

The wooden bed was likely dismantled IKEA-style before being buried alongside a high-status individual

The scroll is part of a vast library found in the ancient town of Herculaneum.

Three Students Just Deciphered the First Passages of a 2,000-Year-Old Scroll Burned in Vesuvius' Eruption

The trio used artificial intelligence to decode sections of the text, which appear to be a philosophical exploration of pleasure

The final design is a modified version of a submission by 24-year-old Andrew Prekker.

Minnesota Reveals New State Flag Design

Submitted by a 24-year-old Minnesotan, the updated flag is expected to fly on May 11

The Two Towers in Bologna, Italy, on December 14, 2023

Donations Help Save Bologna's 12th-Century Leaning Tower

Officials recently shut down the area around the increasingly delicate structure

The sun rises over the Gunung Padang in Java, Indonesia.

Archaeologists Criticize Alleged Discovery of the 'Oldest Pyramid in the World'

A controversial study arguing an Indonesian structure is 25,000 years old is under investigation by the journal that published it

Aerial view of construction work on the Maya Train on August 31, 2023

First Section of Mexico's Controversial Maya Train Opens

The rail system, built to connect tourist destinations, has been criticized for endangering archaeological and environmental sites

This seventh-century Buddha sculpture was among the artifacts.

The Met Will Repatriate 16 Artifacts to Cambodia and Thailand

The looted objects are tied to the notorious art dealer Douglas Latchford

The musical Hell's Kitchen, seen here at the Public Theater, will be moving to Broadway in the spring.

Alicia Keys' 'Hell's Kitchen' Will Open on Broadway

The musical is loosely based on the 15-time Grammy winner's childhood

Two fossilized specimens, each less than 2.5 inches in length, were originally thought to be plants. Now, scientists say they are preserved hatchling turtles.

Once Thought to Be Plants, These Rare Fossils Are Actually Baby Turtles, Scientists Say

The prehistoric specimens found in Colombia could represent one of the oldest and largest turtle species to ever exist

Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Paul Stanley of Kiss perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 2, 2023.

Kiss Debuts Digital Avatars That Will Keep the Band 'Forever Young and Forever Iconic'

The rock band is the first in the U.S. to immortalize its performances with a digital recreation

An illustration of life in medieval Cambridge

'Bone Biographies' Reconstruct Lives of Medieval Cambridge Commoners

Researchers have used skeletal remains to compile information about the lives of ordinary residents of the city

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