Christianity | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/christianity/RSS feed for ChristianityenTue, 14 Jul 2026 18:26:38 +0000This 700-Year-Old English Church Nearly Closed—but Then the Vicar Discovered a Stash of Gold Coins Under the Altarhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-700-year-old-english-church-nearly-closed-but-then-the-vicar-discovered-a-stash-of-gold-coins-under-the-altar-180989120/Just before Easter, a box of gold bullion minted in the 1990s changed the outlook for a tiny congregation struggling to cover costly repairsTue, 14 Jul 2026 18:26:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-700-year-old-english-church-nearly-closed-but-then-the-vicar-discovered-a-stash-of-gold-coins-under-the-altar-180989120/Take an Exclusive Look at Three Newly Discovered Medieval Shipwrecks in Menorca's 'Cove of Mysteries'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/take-an-exclusive-look-at-three-newly-discovered-medieval-shipwrecks-in-menorcas-cove-of-mysteries-180989092/Meteorological tsunamis likely sank the 13th-century trading vessels, whose cargo included objects from both Christian kingdoms and Moorish communities on the Iberian PeninsulaThu, 09 Jul 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/take-an-exclusive-look-at-three-newly-discovered-medieval-shipwrecks-in-menorcas-cove-of-mysteries-180989092/How Tens of Thousands of Irish Immigrants Led the Patriots to Victory During the American Revolutionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-tens-of-thousands-of-irish-immigrants-led-the-patriots-to-victory-during-the-american-revolution-180989052/Soldiers of Irish heritage accounted for up to 50 percent of the Continental Army's ranks. Driven from their homeland by British oppression, Irish-born rebels also served as spies, politicians and moreWed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-tens-of-thousands-of-irish-immigrants-led-the-patriots-to-victory-during-the-american-revolution-180989052/Rembrandt Began a Biblical Painting. Another Artist Finished It 'Rather Crudely.' Now, Restorations Have Revealed the Long-Lost Originalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-began-a-biblical-painting-another-artist-finished-it-rather-crudely-now-restorations-have-revealed-the-long-lost-original-180989045/An art dealer stumbled across "Let the Little Children Come Unto Me" at a German auction house in 2014. Experts have now carefully removed layers of overpaint from the forgotten masterpieceTue, 30 Jun 2026 19:10:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-began-a-biblical-painting-another-artist-finished-it-rather-crudely-now-restorations-have-revealed-the-long-lost-original-180989045/The Hall of Raphael Frescoes in the Pope’s Residence at the Vatican Is Getting a Much-Needed Restoration With the Help of Lasershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/Conservators will spend the next five years cleaning and retouching the Renaissance frescoes, which date back to the early 16th centuryTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:31:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/This Basilica Has Been Rising Above Barcelona for 144 Years. With Its Central Tower Now Complete, Pope Leo XIV Prepares to Visithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sagrada-familia-basilica-has-been-rising-above-barcelona-for-144-years-with-its-central-tower-now-complete-pope-leo-XIV-prepares-to-visit-180988906/When Antoni Gaudí dreamed up his ambitious vision for Sagrada Família, he knew he wouldn't live to see its completion. One hundred years after the architect's death, the tallest tower has reached its peakFri, 05 Jun 2026 19:14:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sagrada-familia-basilica-has-been-rising-above-barcelona-for-144-years-with-its-central-tower-now-complete-pope-leo-XIV-prepares-to-visit-180988906/Archaeologists Excavating a Monastery in Spain Identified the Remains of a 14th-Century Queen—and Multiple Skeletons Buried in the Wrong Graveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-monastery-in-spain-identified-the-remains-of-a-14th-century-queen-and-multiple-skeletons-buried-in-the-wrong-graves-180988877/The tomb of Elisenda of Montcada has long fascinated experts. But the team was surprised to learn that burials supposedly belonging to a medieval knight and abbess held entirely different individualsWed, 03 Jun 2026 13:01:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-monastery-in-spain-identified-the-remains-of-a-14th-century-queen-and-multiple-skeletons-buried-in-the-wrong-graves-180988877/