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The Palace of Versailles is one of France’s national treasures. Home to several French kings, site of Bismark’s proclamation of the German Empire in 1871 and of the signing of the treaty ending World War I, Versailles has a rich history. Maintaining the enormous, elegant palace requires time, money, and labor. Though difficult, those in charge of conservation believe the task is crucial for preserving France’s past and educating current and future generations. Listen to learn more about the history of Versailles, and hear how caretakers are searching the world to recover the castle’s lost furnishings.
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In 2013, a rare collection of paintings by Michelangelo was on display at the Muscarelle Museum at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. This audio story reflects on Michelangelo's life and looks at what makes his work so special. It focuses on the drawing of Cleopatra, which depicts her in two ways, beautiful and ugly, and well as some of his other captivating pieces. Listen to learn more about Michelangelo's life, his art, and why his work remains inspirational to many people today.
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Venice, Italy stood for a thousand years as a gateway between the Islamic world and the West. During this time the city-state was determined to maintain trade with Muslims. Even after defeating the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, Venice continued to trade with the Ottomans. It kept commercial links with the Islamic world, often blurring the lines between the arts and cultures of east and west. A museum exhibit in Venice is highlighted in this story, and describes the history of that relationship. Listen to learn more about the mutual influences that Venice and the Islamic world had on one another, and what those influences might teach us today.
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In 2011, a popular uprising in Egypt led to Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president, being forced from power. Mubarak had been one of northern Africa’s longest serving leaders and had cultivated a reputation for using Egypt’s military to maintain his grip on power. Because of that, experts on ancient and modern Egypt saw parallels between Mubarak and some of the ancient pharaohs of Egypt’s past. In this audio story, Egypt scholar Toby Wilkinson discusses some of tthe of these similarities. In doing so, he delves into some important aspects of how ancient pharaohs ruled.
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The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy in 79 CE buried the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. For the people living there, it was an unimaginable horror. Nearly 2000 years later, however, the remains of those two cities are a source of valuable information about Romans’ daily lives in 1st century Rome. This audio story is about modern day tension between archaeologists and volcanologists over access to the sites. The story is a reminder that the study of the past requires the expertise of people from multiple fields of study in order for us to get a complete picture.
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