Romanians seem to be fascinated by their ancestry, after all, they are the only modern nation to draw its name from the mighty Roman Empire. Though the historic sources are scarce and debatable, for some modern nationalists the Dacians, who were the local population, before being conquered by the Romans, are more attractive than the […]

The Festetics were a Hungarian noble family attested since the 17 century, that included even a prince. Their wealth came from farming large plantations, in connection to which they made some philanthropic actions, like building a hospital or agricultural colleges. They were also supporters of culture, as the large library inside the palace shows, with […]

Three emperors contributed to this public bath, the most grandiose building of its type. Its 120.000 sq m size equaled the prior baths of Caracalla, but it included some architectural innovations especially about arcades and semi-domes that were to be used in churches and public buildings for the millenniums to come. The Roman baths were […]

The region Oltenia is the south-eastern part of Romania, situated on the banks of rivers Danube, Jiu and Olt. It is famous for its witty and active people, as well as for its folk traditions. The capital of the region is Craiova, with other major cities as Slatina, Drobeta Turnu Severin or Targu Jiu (where […]

For Renaissance, classic Greek antiquity was the ultimate model. Or, to use a Platonic concept, it was rather an anamnesis, a process of remembering the finest art produced, the fertile debates of an open and curious society. Thus, when Pope asked the 27 years old Raphael to decorate his apartments in the Vatican, the young […]

Palazzo Braschi was built in the 18 century by the duke Luigi Braschi Onesti. Under the Napoleonic occupation of Rome, duke Braschi was declared mayor of the city. Donated to the Italian state, the palace was used by Benito Mussolini as his headquarters. The most important architectural piece of the palace is the monumental marble […]

In antiquity, Galatia was populated by migrant Celtic tribes from Gaul and was situated in Anatolia, where today is Turkey. Long before the Ottomans or even the Romans to arrive, the region was under the cultural influence of the Greek world. Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world as far as the knowledge of […]

Inside the green gardens of Villa Borghese, very close to the zoo garden, the The Zoology Museum in Rome (Museo Civico din Zoologia) presents animals from a scientific point of view. The animals preserved in the museum help scholars and scientists to understand the species they represent and their habitat. An impressive number of 5 […]

In Timișoara, the most Western city of Romania, contemporary art lives along with the atmosphere of a XVIII building. The most valuable exhibits are part of the painting collection by Corneliu Baba, which you can admire, but not take pictures of. The source of inspiration for this building’s architecture is the Kinsky Palace in Vienna. […]

For some, Napoleon is one of the most brilliant men that ever lived, a legislator that was ahead of his time and an audacious conquerer. For others, the Corsican was just a ruthless tyrant, whose obsession with war and power has cost the lives of 6 millions. Not only the French honor Bonaparte. A museum […]

Natural Sciences Museum Grigore Antipa in Bucharest, found near Victory Plaza, close to the Government building, carries us into many worlds while we learn some about zoology and anthropology. The journey is thousands of years old, starting with reconstructed dinosaur and mammoths skeletons. Though a Natural Sciences museum existed in the National Museum some 150 […]

“Bayerische Motoren Werke” carries out the name of Bavaria in only three letters: BMW, one of the most renown car manufacturers of the world. To mark its status, the car maker even has its own museum opened in 1972 in the capital of the land (province) Bavaria, Munich. It was designed by architect Karl Schwanzer […]

The Hungarian National Gallery is found inside Buda Castle and holds a large collection of paintings and sculptures spanning from the medieval religious art, Gothic, Renaissance to modern experiments and contemporary art. The building that hosts this exhibition, the former royal palace, is even more impressive than the collection itself. Outside there is an equestrian […]