Pius X ends use of Castrati
The Pope, in a bull of 22 November 1903, ended the use of the male singers in the Sistine Chapel, who had previously dominated men’s opera.
Volume 71 Issue 11 November 2021
Summer of ’59
The gruelling voting, the arduous politicking and the practical side of the 1559 papal conclave.
On the Spot: Margo Neale
‘Curating is a powerful form of history-telling.’
Role Remodel
Reinterpreting George III’s reputation.
In Good Spirits
Alcohol was an integral part of diplomacy in early modern Russia.
A Donkey’s Day in Court
In 1822 a badly abused donkey became the first animal to receive justice in a British court.
The Doctor Is In
Mills & Boon’s medical romances helped make the NHS more appealing to an ambivalent public.
Strength and Guile
A history of the Special Boat Service, founded in the dark days of July 1940.
Christ and the Doctors
The 12-year-old Jesus reveals his divinity for the first time at the Temple of Jerusalem.
Beginning at the End
A childhood world of fallen heroes and shattered certainties experienced during the fall of communism in Albania.