European History

A replica statue of Atlas at the Temple of Zeus in Agrigento, Sicily

A Colossal Statue of Atlas Will Rise Again

Sicily's Temple of Zeus once featured 38 giant likenesses of the mythological Titan. Now, a reassembled version is set to go on view

The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam will open its depot next year, making 151,000 artworks that would otherwise be in storage accessible to the public.

A Dutch Museum Will Display All 150,000 Objects in Its Collections

The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen's unique storage facility is slated to open in fall 2021

Jerzy Kalina's Poisoned Well is on view at the National Museum in Warsaw.

Why a New Sculpture of Pope John Paul II Is So Controversial

Artist Jerzy Kalina says his "strongman" is a call to resist "multiplying forms of red revolution"

The museum's chocolate fountain is the largest in the world, standing nearly 30 feet tall and featuring around 1,500 liters of liquid chocolate.

The World's Largest Chocolate Museum Debuts in Switzerland

Launched by Lindt, the attraction features a 30-foot-tall chocolate fountain and a tour of the sweet treat's history

The Delmenhorst sank in an October 1644 maritime battle.

Wreck of 17th-Century Danish Warship Found in the Baltic Sea

The "Delmenhorst" sank during a 1644 naval battle between Denmark and a joint Swedish-Dutch fleet

Archaeologists unearthed shards of pottery, wine jugs, floor tiles and traces of crops, among other artifacts.

Sourdough Bread Oven, 'Air Freshener' Found at Medieval Irish Monastery

During the 13th century, French monks created a Cistercian community at Beamore in County Meath

Vikings' maritime expeditions brought them out of Scandinavia and into Northern Europe, where they intermingled with local populations.

Sweeping DNA Survey Highlights Vikings' Surprising Genetic Diversity

A new study suggests Viking identity didn't always equate to Scandinavian ancestry

A newly discovered Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Oulton, England, includes more than 200 graves.

This Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Is Filled With Corpses' Ghostly Silhouettes

All that remains of several individuals buried in a 1,400-year-old graveyard are shadowy traces of their skeletons

A portrait in marble of the emperor, circa A.D. 60.

Nero, History's Most Despised Emperor, Gets a Makeover

For nearly 2,000 years, the Roman ruler has been depicted as an egotistical monster who fiddled while Rome burned. But is this image accurate?

The Knights Templar constructed the Saint Stanislaus chapel in the Polish village of Chwarszczany during the 13th century.

Crypts, Tunnel Discovered Beneath Knights Templar Chapel in Poland

Last fall, an archaeological investigation revealed tantalizing structures hidden below the 13th-century building

Refugees established communities in displaced persons (DP) camps across Germany.

The Little-Known Story of World War II's 'Last Million' Displaced People

A new book by historian David Nasaw tells the story of refugees who could not—or would not—return home after the conflict

The Golden Coach, as seen during Budget Day celebrations in 2011

Why Is the Dutch Royal Family's Golden Carriage So Controversial?

Critics say the coach, which is set to go on view at a museum next June, features racist, colonialist imagery

Remains of the archaeological crypt of Ile de la Cité

The Notre-Dame Crypt Reopens for the First Time Since the Fire

To mark the occasion, a new exhibition in the area under the cathedral's courtyard honors novelist Victor Hugo and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc

New digital reconstruction of Abbot John of Wheathampstead

Facial Reconstruction Reveals Medieval Monk's 'Impish' Features

Researchers digitally revived Abbot John of Wheathampstead 555 years after his death

Archaeologists first spotted the sturgeon's bony plates near a barrel in the Gribshunden shipwreck.

Well-Preserved Atlantic Sturgeon Found in 15th-Century Danish Shipwreck

The fish's remains were stored in a barrel in the royal vessel's pantry

“Wise and Valiant: Women and Writing in the Golden Age of Spain” spotlights Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (left) and Catalina de Erauso (right), among others.

Remembering the Forgotten Women Writers of 17th-Century Spain

A show in Madrid highlights female authors who penned histories, biographies, poetry, novels, scripts and more

The rusted metal casket that holds the preserved heart of Pierre David (1771-1839), former mayor of Verviers

Renovations Reveal 19th-Century Mayor's Heart Entombed in Belgian Fountain

Workers unearthed a metal box thought to contain the local leader's organ last month

The Große Stammbuch contains 100 illustrations dated to between 1596 and 1647. This two-page spread depicts flowers, insects and shells.

Why 'Friendship Books' Were the 17th-Century Version of Facebook

Dozens of 17th-century dignitaries signed a 227-page manuscript recently acquired by a German library

Speaking with BBC News, Frans Hals specialist Anna Tummers described the painting as a "wonderful example of his loose painting style. ... It was very playful, daring and loose."

Thieves Steal 17th-Century Masterpiece for Third Time in 32 Years

Frans Hals' "Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer" was previously purloined in 1988 and 2011

El Greco, The Assumption of the Virgin, 1577–79

A History of El Greco's Masterful—and Often Litigious—Artistic Career

A 57-work retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago charts the evolution of the 16th-century painter's distinctive style

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