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Wooden cabinetry shown in The Testament of Ann Lee 

‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Showcases the Minimalist Ingenuity of Shaker Furniture

Recreating the industrious world of the Shakers wasn’t just movie magic—it required conservators, curators and artisans

Italian officials gather at the site of the basilica in the town of Fano.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Finally Found a Long-Lost Basilica That Matches the Description the Architect Wrote 2,000 Years Ago

The structure is the first known evidence of a building attributed to Vitruvius, the author of an architectural treatise that influenced thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci

Created by French sculptor Paul Dubois, the statue is located in a public square in front of the Église Saint-Augustin.

Man Arrested in Connection With Theft of Sword From Historic Joan of Arc Statue in Paris

City leaders vowed to repair or replace the damaged artwork by sculptor Paul Dubois, which is on loan from the Musée d’Orsay

Aerial view of Vardo, Norway, the fishing town at the center of the 17th-century Finnmark witch trials

How a Sudden Winter Storm in 1617 Sparked the Deadliest Witchcraft Trials in Norwegian History

During the 17th-century Finnmark witch trials, 91 people were executed in Norway’s northernmost region, mainly by burning at the stake

A rendering of how The Light That Shines Through the Universe will look on the High Line

A Stunning Sculpture of the Buddha Modeled After a Destroyed Sixth-Century Statue Is Coming to New York City’s High Line

Known as “The Light That Shines Through the Universe,” the 27-foot-tall artwork created by Tuan Andrew Nguyen will be installed on the Plinth this spring

Mary wrote the letter in French around 2 a.m. on the day of her execution.

Mary, Queen of Scots, Wrote This Letter Hours Before She Was Executed. Her Words Are Going on Display for the First Time in Years

The deposed Scottish queen wrote the four-page missive to her brother-in-law just a few hours before her execution in 1587

Smithsonian magazine's picks for best photography books of 2025 include Birds of a Feather, Blue Sun and Trembling Earth.

The Best Books of 2025

The Ten Best Photography Books of 2025

Our favorite titles this year invite readers to take in the beauty of nature and our cultural rituals

The text contains illustrations of plants, animals and biblical scenes.

See the ‘Mona Lisa of Illuminated Manuscripts,’ a 600-Year-Old Bible Covered in Intricate Illustrations

Created between 1455 and 1461, the Borso D’Este Bible is currently on view in the Italian Senate in Rome

The painting was rehung in its original place at the church during a ceremony earlier this month.

This Painting Hung at a Church in Mexico for 200 Years Before It Was Stolen in 2001. Now, It’s Finally Returning Home

Titled “St. Francis of Assisi,” the 1747 standing portrait of the church’s namesake was stolen in 2001, along with several other items

The ˁAin Samiya goblet, pictured here as a replica, is currently held by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The real artifact is damaged, with some of the picture missing.

Scholars Thought This Ancient Silver Goblet Told One Myth for 50 Years. Is It Actually Telling Another Story?

A new study asserts that the Bronze Age goblet may be one of the earliest known depictions of cosmology, featuring gods creating celestial order from chaos

The wine press is composed of a three-holed treading surface (right) and a collection vat (left).

Cool Finds

A 5,000-Year-Old Canaanite Wine Press Has Been Discovered in Israel

Researchers discovered the press, along with a ritualistic, animal-shaped “tea set,” outside the ancient site of Tel Megiddo

The People’s Salvation Cathedral stands more than 410 feet tall.

The World’s Largest Christian Orthodox Church Is Now Open in Romania

The People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest is covered in stunning frescoes and mosaics. At 410 feet tall, it cost more than $300 million and took 15 years to build

Hell, unknown artist, circa 1510 to 1520

This Disturbing 16th-Century Painting of Hell Linked Satan and His Demons With the New World Beyond Europe

The panel features monsters with African, Indigenous Caribbean and intersex features, encouraging viewers to connect the sins and punishments depicted to those considered “other”

This 14th- or 15th-century aquamanile, a vessel for pouring water in domestic and religious settings, shows a sexual depiction of the legend of Aristotle and Phyllis.

See How These Medieval Artists Explored the Many Meanings of Love and Desire in a New Exhibition at the Met Cloisters

The show features more than 50 paintings, manuscripts, textiles and other artworks created in Western Europe between the 13th and 15th centuries

The Parthenon, photographed here on October 17, is free from scaffolding for the first time in decades.

You Can See the Parthenon Without Scaffolding for the First Time in Decades

The temporary structures will return next month—but in the meantime, visitors will enjoy rare unobstructed views of the ancient hilltop temple in Athens

Installation view of "Divine Egypt," now open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through January 2026

Meet 25 of the Ancient Egyptians’ Most Significant Gods and Goddesses, From the Falcon-Headed Horus to the Sky Deity Hathor

“Divine Egypt,” a new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features nearly 250 artifacts representing the rich pantheon of Egyptian deities

“The base of Ethiopian cuisine as a whole is very much Jewish, more than anything else,” says Beejhy Barhany.

At This Harlem Chef’s Table, the Rosh Hashana Menu Is Full of Ethiopian Spices

With a café in New York City and a new cookbook, Beejhy Barhany is bringing the stories and flavors of Ethiopian Jews to the States

Some of the artifacts stored in the al-Kawthar building had been unearthed at the St. Hilarion Monastery.

Archaeologists in Gaza Rushed to Rescue Thousands of Ancient Artifacts From an Impending Airstrike

In just six hours, workers evacuated 70 percent of the historic collection, including objects from one of the Middle East’s oldest Christian monasteries. The remaining 30 percent was lost in the attack

Christ on the Cross at the Osenat auction house

Cool Finds

Long-Lost Rubens Painting of Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion Discovered in a Paris Mansion

The Baroque artwork stopped an auctioneer in his tracks during a routine property visit. The newly discovered piece will go to auction in November

Located nearly 60 feet below the surface, the statue is cleaned every year.

See How Divers Clean This Statue of Jesus Christ Submerged Nearly 60 Feet Below the Surface of the Mediterranean

Located off the coast of northern Italy, “Christ of the Abyss” was installed in 1954 to commemorate lives lost at sea. The statue receives a routine cleaning every year

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