The Vatican’s Newly Restored Raphael Rooms Spotlight the Great Artist Who Died Before Finishing His Final Project
As specialists cleaned and studied the rooms in the Apostolic Palace, they learned new information about the Renaissance painter’s experimental techniques
These Medieval Monks Scribbled Notes in the Margins of Their Books More Than 1,000 Years Ago
A new exhibition in Dublin showcases historic manuscripts written in Irish monasteries. The show also features medieval artifacts, such as a rare book shrine found in a river in the 1980s
The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors
Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays
Experts Think the Hagia Sophia Is in Danger. They’ve Got a Plan to Protect It From Earthquakes
Turkey is located near two fault lines, leaving the 1,500-year-old structure vulnerable to damage. Architects and engineers will be investigating how to best preserve it
Archaeologists Unearth Two Rare African Figurines in 1,500-Year-Old Christian Burials in Israel
The artifacts were buried in the graves of a young woman and child, who may have converted to Christianity in Africa before traveling to the region, researchers say
The New Pope Is Calling Himself Leo—Just Like 13 Other Pontiffs Who Came Before Him. Who Are They?
When Robert Prevost was elected pope this week, he chose one of the most popular papal names. The lives of the Pope Leos who preceded him may offer insight into his approach to the papacy
Martin Scorsese’s New Documentary Will Feature One of Pope Francis’ Final Interviews
The film focuses on a project founded by the pope that encourages small communities around the world to tell their stories through cinema
Five Ways Pope Francis, Religious Leader Who Pushed to Modernize the Catholic Church, Was a Man of Firsts
The pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at age 88, strived to make the church more inclusive. But critics believed his reforms either went too far or not far enough
As His 143-Year-Old Church Nears Completion, Architect Antoni Gaudí Is Placed on the Path to Sainthood
Gaudí, nicknamed “God’s architect,” was declared “venerable” by Pope Francis this week, putting him one step closer to canonization
![“As the first national women’s reform organization, [the American Female Moral Reform Society] showed that there was power in women organizing to address societal problems,” says rhetorician Lisa J. Shaver.](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/m4Hxjpo4QedMhxQhApdcZazQOw4=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/6c/8d/6c8ddf41-d605-4dc6-86cd-5f77e85ae822/interior-of-a-concert-saloon.jpg)
The Daring 19th-Century Reformers Who Sought to End Prostitution by Offering Financial and Emotional Support to Urban Sex Workers
Led entirely by women, the American Female Moral Reform Society gave material aid to those in need and pushed for men to be held accountable for frequenting brothels
Gutenberg Bible Reunited With Rare 15th-Century Devotional Print Once Tucked Inside Its Pages
Two centuries after they were separated, the print and the Bible are on display together at the Huntington Library in California
Flannery O’Connor Wanted to Shake Her Readers Awake. Her Family Wanted Her to Write the Next ‘Gone With the Wind’
This year marks the writer’s 100th birthday. Through fiction anchored in her Southern background and Catholic faith, O’Connor revealed how candid confrontations with darkness lead to moments of reckoning
The Real Story Behind ‘Wolf Hall’ and the Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s Most Controversial Adviser
Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror & the Light,” the last installment in the acclaimed television series chronicles the last four years of the statesman’s life
The Ascension of William and Mary, Britain’s First Co-Monarchs, Marked a Victory for Protestantism
The equal rulers returned England to Protestant rule and began a new era of royal leadership defined by parliamentary oversight
See Mosul’s Historic Leaning Minaret Tower, Rebuilt After Destruction by ISIS
Eight years after the Iraqi city was left in ruins, Mosul’s rich multicultural heritage is slowly but surely beginning to flower again
Elite Germanic Pagans Buried ‘Devil’s Money’ as Offerings for Their Gods at This Ancient Cult Site
Researchers excavated the deposits of coins and jewelry in the Netherlands, near the German border
See the Miniature Portrait of Mary Magdalene That Raphael Painted When He Was Only 20
Created around 1503, the painting—which just sold at auction for $3.1 million—depicts the saint after the crucifixion of Jesus, when she entered a period of repentance
Ten Isolated, Gravity-Defying Monasteries You Can Visit Around the World
Monks have been seeking spiritual enlightenment at these sites on steep cliffs, inside caves and atop an extinct volcano for centuries
How Guy Fawkes, Figurehead of the Gunpowder Plot, Avoided the Full Horrors of Execution by Hanging, Drawing and Quartering
The Catholic conspirator jumped or fell from the gallows on this day in 1606, breaking his neck before the executioner could cut him down from the noose and disembowel him
See the Greek Biblical Inscription Embedded in an Ancient Mosaic Floor Discovered in Israel
Archaeologists think the tiles once lined a Byzantine-era monastery. The complex also included a large warehouse and winepress
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