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In 1850, Count Cesare Mattei decided to become a self-taught doctor and scientific researcher after his mother died of a tumor. Nearly a decade into his medical studies, Count Mattei began to construct a whimsical Italian castle known as Rocchetta Mattei on the foundation of a medieval fortress which would serve as a fanciful laboratory,…
In 1791, the King of Bohemia organized an exhibition in Prague to showcase Bohemiaβs advanced manufacturing capabilities. In the 19th century, several European countries held similar exhibitions. Eventually, the World Expo was born. By the 20th century, millions of people gathered every few years in various cities around the globe to celebrate some of the…
In 1921, Italian nobleman Gelasio Caetani inherited a crumbling estate called Ninfa that was covered in overgrown foliage. Ninfa was once a thriving medieval village that ultimately languished due to a civil war and a relentless malaria outbreak. Gelasio Caetaniβs passionate love of plants inspired him to work tirelessly to create a lush garden estate…
In the late 19th century, Renaissance man Henry Chapman Mercer traveled throughout France, Germany, and the United States studying and collecting pottery, tools, and spooky stories about the supernatural. Mercer believed that industrialization was endangering certain artisanal aspects of human culture, so he built an ornate castle in his home state of Pennsylvania to showcase…
Located approximately 40 minutes outside of the bustling Spanish city of Granada, a quiet cave town called Guadix is increasingly attracting the attention of savvy travelers. Sparsely inhabited since the Bronze age, Roman statesman Julius Caesar put Guadix on the map by creating a mountain colony there in 45 BC. In the centuries that followed,…
Two routes lead to the same citadel, and the choice between them shapes almost everything else about a Peru trip. One takes four days on foot across high passes and cloud forest. The other takes a few hours through the Urubamba valley in a seat with a window. Both arrive at Machu Picchu. What separates…
Have you ever wanted to leave everything behind and head out on the road in an old van? Most people have, at least once. That restless urge sits at the heart of Into the Wild, Sean Pennβs raw and deeply affecting film based on the real story of Christopher McCandless, the young man who renamed…
The medieval village of Rocamadour rises from the side of a rugged cliff in Dordogne-Lot, France. Much like the mystical spires of Mont Saint-Michel and the healing waters of Lordes, Rocamadour is a popular pilgrimage destination.Β History and architecture buffs adore Rocamadourβs striking castle, rich folklore, and sweeping views of the Alzou Valley. Constructed in…