Explore 70 Renaissance Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Montreal, Québec

Saint Eusèbe de Verceil Church

The haunting ruins of a once-holy church now stand as a forgotten relic of Montreal’s past.
Jacques Ze Whipper performing
circus

Jacques Ze Whipper: The Mustachioed Renaissance Man

This Renaissance fair star has gone viral online—but what exactly does he do?
The Podcast Team October 11, 2025
Gropparello, Italy

Castello di Gropparello (Gropparello Castle)

This castle has decor from many periods of history, as well as a fairytale park.
This detail from the 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary shows a dragon wrestling an elephant.
zoos

That Time Portugal’s King Gifted an Elephant to the Pope

Hanno the elephant suffered much at the hands of power-hungry Europeans.
Devon Field August 21, 2024
Rimini, Italy

Biblioteca Civica Gambalunga

The oldest civic library in Italy can trace its foundation back to 1619.
Coriander <em>or cilantro</em> has a long history in Italy.
medieval

Why Italy Fell Out of Love With Cilantro

Coriander went from ancient staple to persona non grata.
Andrew Coletti July 1, 2024
Sonnets still have a reputation for being about the unrequited love of a man for a woman.
shakespeare

The Most Romantic Poems of the Renaissance Weren't Always for Lovers

Declaring your love in a sonnet was not a couples-only endeavor.
Shannon McHugh February 12, 2024
Dalquharran Castle
Dailly, Scotland

Dalquharran Castle

The ruins of this magnificent Scottish castle blend both Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles.
Civitavecchia, Italy

Fort Michelangelo

The famous sculptor had a hand in this imposing fortress.
A tall stone bell tower rises
Cavriana, Italy

Cavriana Castle

An annual goat race takes place within the walls of this medieval castle.
Queen Henrietta Maria of England was shot at, won battles, and raised an army on behalf of her husband, King Charles I. But history has remembered her only as a villain. Portrait circa 1639 by Anthony van Dyck.
kickass women

The Untold Story of Henrietta Maria, England’s Warrior Queen

The “she generalissimo” nearly won the English Civil War for her husband, King Charles I.
Sarah Durn November 17, 2022
Paolo Olbi in his workshop in the 17th- and 18th-century Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio in Venice.
islands

Keeping the Centuries-Old Tradition of Venetian Bookbinding Alive

Inspired by a 15th-century editor, Paolo Olbi pushes to keep this from being the last chapter.
Vittoria Traverso July 29, 2022
Alchemists were a puzzling bunch. Take, for instance, this 1618 engraving by Matthaeus Merian the Elder, which is full of alchemical secrets encoded in complex symbols.
secret

7 Puzzles That Perplexed People for Centuries

From the secrets of Venice’s codebreakers to China’s intricately carved puzzle balls, these historical ciphers will inspire your curiosity.
Sarah Durn May 3, 2022
Maria Cristina Borgazzi, the daughter of Noemi, who opened the eponymous trattoria in 1958, holding one of the restaurant's main dishes: pasticcio.
food

The Italian Town Where You Can Eat Like a Renaissance Royal

Residents of Ferrara dine like 16th-century dukes.
Rebecca Ann Hughes February 22, 2022
Nuremberg, Germany

Albrecht Dürer's Grave

The final resting place of one of Germany's most accomplished Renaissance men.
paintings

Is This $88 Portrait the Work of a 17th-Century Flemish Master?

Science and historical research say….maybe.
Sarah Durn January 28, 2022
Milwaukie, Oregon

Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery

Get your cosplay on at Milwaukie’s only Medieval fantasy-themed mead hall.
Two walls and part of the ceiling
Mantua, Italy

Sala dei Giganti (Chamber of the Giants)

A room filled with frescos that make it seem like the walls are crumbling down while giants die in despair.