Religion | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/religion/RSS feed for ReligionenWed, 19 Aug 2026 17:07:11 +0000A Towering 182-Feet-Tall Statue in Rural Poland Is Now the Tallest Virgin Mary in All of Europe. Locals Hope It Will Become a Tourist Destinationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-towering-182-feet-tall-statue-in-rural-poland-now-tallest-virgin-mary-in-europe-locals-hope-it-will-become-tourist-destination-180989364/The steel and concrete monument honoring the mother of Jesus is located in Konotopie, a rural village about 100 miles from WarsawWed, 19 Aug 2026 17:07:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-towering-182-feet-tall-statue-in-rural-poland-now-tallest-virgin-mary-in-europe-locals-hope-it-will-become-tourist-destination-180989364/Following Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical, the Vatican Announces a New Art Triennial Celebrating Human Creativity and Empathy in the Age of A.I.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/More than 100 artists will showcase their art on four continents as the Catholic Church continues to emphasize human creativity and relationships over artificial intelligence toolsWed, 12 Aug 2026 19:00:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/See a Rare Ceiling Fresco From Pompeii That Archaeologists Are Carefully Reassembling, Piece by Piece, Like an Ancient Puzzlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Located in the banquet hall of a home with an adjoining bakery, the fresco shows the mythological romance of Dionysus, the god of revelry and wine, and Ariadne, the Cretan princessTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Ancient Egyptians Believed That These Newly Discovered Gold Tongues Allowed the Dead to Communicate in the Afterlifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/Excavations at Marina el-Alamein, an archaeological site west of Alexandria, unearthed about two dozen of the rare artifacts, including one shaped like the Eye of HorusWed, 15 Jul 2026 17:31:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/An English King's Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Alfred the Great defended Wessex from the Vikings. Researchers have been searching for his remains for years after their resting place in an abbey was disturbedTue, 14 Jul 2026 20:37:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Ancient Romans Put Their Faith in Guardian Spirits. Archaeologists Just Found a Rare 1,600-Year-Old Carving of One in Northern Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/Known as a “genius,” the protective spirit or deity was believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to a particular person, household or place. Archaeologists haven't found many depictions of them across Roman BritainTue, 14 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/