Essays to Commemorate the 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of St Thomas Becket (c. 1118-1170) | Foreword by Mgr Philip Whitmore Rector of the Venerable English College, Rome. Essays by Judith Champ, Peter Davidson, Eamon Duffy, Peter Leech, Peter Phillips, Carol M. Richardson, Nicholas Schofield. Edited by Maurice Whitehead | The murder on 29 December 1170 of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, sent shockwaves across the Christian world. The combination of his martyrdom, his canoniz...

This special publication is one of several to mark the occasion of the reopening of the restored church of the Venerable English College in Rome. It is in three parts. The first section is historical, a collection of articles on subjects related to the origins of the College, its church and the significance of the Martyrs' Picture and Martyrs' Cycle frescoes in the tribune; the second part is photographic: a celebration in images of the finished church; the final chapters and the enclosed ...

One of the truly great minds of all time, the 15th-century Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci was uncannily ahead of his time, giving the world not only the Mona Lisa and his other extraordinary works of art, but also designs for a helicopter, military tank, submarine, bicycle - and even the sewing machine - among many other incredibly advanced innovations.It has also been argued that he may even have been behind the faking of Christianity's most precious relic, the Shroud of Turin t...

It is the hiding place of the Holy Grail, or a great secret that will rock the Church. It is a place of hidden treasure and dark knowledge. It is the place where Jesus is buried... These are just some of the many theories now current about the village where a Victorian priest became strangely - and massively - rich, and where he left clues to a great mystery in the very fabric of his church. What is the truth about Father Sauniere and the now-famous village of Rennes-le-Château?Thi...

Philosophy for busy people. Read a succinct account of the philosophy of Machiavelli in just one hour.Niccolò Machiavelli’s work remains misunderstood – synonymous with wicked scheming and underhand politics – nearly 350 years after his death. His philosophy of statecraft was scientific and highly rational, leaving sentiment, and ultimately morality, to one side. His advice is as relevant to modern politics as it was during the Renaissance – and reflects many profound and disturbin...

Vitruvian Man is the world's most famous drawing, by one of the world's most famous artists. The image - named after a Roman architect and engineer, Vitruvius - has become visual shorthand for artistic genius and scientific inquiry, and yet nobody knows anything about it. In Da Vinci's Ghost, critically acclaimed historian Toby Lester examines the forces that converged in 1490 to turn an idea that had been around for centuries into this iconic image, bringing the ghost of an unknown Leonar...

NOW UPDATED FOR POPE FRANCISFor at least five centuries scholars have puzzled over a document known as The Papal Prophecies that were ascribed to St Malachy, an Irish cleric who died in 1148. The Prophecies clearly state that both Rome and the Papacy will be destroyed at some date in the early 21st century. Given that this date is now upon us, it is worth taking a closer look at the Papal Prophecies to decide what it is that they mean, what they can tell us and what - if anything -...

Saint Michael the Archangel is a powerful Angel of God. He is our symbol of strength, power, courage and hope. Mentioned by name in three places in the Bible, Daniel 10:13-12:1, Revelation 12:7, and Jude 1:9, in each of these instances, he is doing battle with Satan. His name is actually Mica-El, which means "Who is like God?"

Written in the year 1700, when the demise of Pope Innocent XII was imminent, and dedicated to his friend and employer Louis XIV, The Secrets of the Conclaves is a mine of information concerning popes, conclaves and cardinals. A little masterpiece of cynicism and irony, illuminated by Abbot Atto Melani's historical memory and his unscrupulous defence of raison d'état , this remarkable document is an insider's guide to the machinations of the papal election. As told by Melani, the pitfalls i...

This ebook is an extract from Blue Guide Central Italy, with superb regional maps, town maps and site plans. Includes a comprehensive historical introduction, practical information on where to eat and stay, and information about local food and wine.Lazio, the region of Italy which includes Rome, is the ancient heartland of the Etruscans, a land which enchanted D.H. Lawrence and which remains well off the beaten track today. Full of fascinating sites and monuments, home to the glori...

What's the pope's salary? Has a pope ever been impeached? Who was Pope Joan? Have there ever been married popes? Which pope was exhumed for a public trial?

The small village of Rennes-le-Chateau has been the center of an enigma ever since a century ago a local village priest, Berenger Sauniere, spent millions of dollars on decorating the church and surrounding buildings. For decades – despite claims to the contrary by some authors – no-one has been able to explain where Sauniere got the money to pay for the extravagant building works, which have attracted millions of visitors to this small hilltop village – or why he constructed them! The his...