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With this image of the Jesuit theater in the Collège de Clermont, we return to one of the oldest established places of education in Europe—the University of Paris. The Collège de Clermont was one of the earliest schools established by the Jesuits,…

This image is of the Sorbonne, a famous building constructed in 1257 as part of the University of Paris. The university was founded in the latter half of the 12th century, one of the first such institutions to be established in Europe (“University of…

This short text, written by Francis Bacon illustrates a rather important aspect of the Scientific Revolution- that of patronage and the importance of powerful backers in scientific endeavors. While the contents of his discovery is also interesting,…

Philip IV’s reign in Spain is also marked by attempts to centralize power, as was the trend in other European nations (most notably France behind the leadership of the Cardinal Richelieu). The man most associated with this centralization is Don…

A key figure of the early radical Enlightenment was Benedict (or Baruch) Spinoza. After his philosophy alienated him from the Jewish community in Amsterdam to which he was born, Spinoza travelled throughout the Netherlands but avoided voicing his…

Almost three years after Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses set off a religious wildfire, Pope Leo X issued this papal bull, named after the first two words in the Latin text, “Arise, O Lord.” The document lists forty-one purported errors of Luther.…

Throughout human history, great discoveries have commonly been made by accident. Despite popular mythology, this principle applies to Christopher Columbus’ initial voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Although the notion that the Earth was round was not…

The development of Pistols, such as the one shown above. Was a significant technological change over the course of the Early Modern Period. Pistols were a sign of political prestige’s, which was how nobles distinguished themselves on the battlefield.…

The Florence Cathedral, officially called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower) and usually simply referred to as “il Duomo,” or “the Cathedral,” is arguably the Florentine building. It has earned this…

Fort Bourtange (Vesting Bourtange in Dutch) is a textbook example of the “star fort” or “bastion” fortification type which grew to prominence in the later Renaissance. Construction began during the Dutch Revolt in 1580 under the orders of William of…

“The School of Athens” is considered by many as one of Raphael’s greatest artistic creations. Raphael was drawing on the rebirth of the analytical questioning of the classics and the works of the “ancient” peoples. In this image, Raphael paints some…

The image selected is an engraving of two scenes from John Foxe's Book of Martyrs. The book was originally printed via woodcut, a method of printmaking in which blocks of wood were engraved to depict a certain scene, covered with ink, and then…