A calf belonging to a species of bison that became extinct in the wild in Western Europe in the Middle Ages has been born in Switzerland. The European bison calf was born in the Jura Mountains on July ...

In Death and the Miser, a Dutch painting from around 1490, a hideous skeletal figure—a medieval version of the grim reaper—comes knocking at a man’s bedroom door. As death watches, the dying miser ...

Soaring Gothic cathedrals of radiant stained glass, plus art celebrating worldly pleasure. As Europe passed A.D. 1000, its growing prosperity was reflected in soaring Gothic cathedrals graced with ...

Why were the Middle Ages dark? Isn't it true that this epoch conjures up ominous images of superstition and witch-hunting? Burning pyres and plague doctors hurrying strangely muffled along dark ...

Joëlle Rollo-Koster does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...

Women’s work may not have been glamorous, but it was vital to the workings of the pope’s court and surrounding city. Emperor Augustus’ scheme for retired soldiers paid a decent sum after 25 years, so ...

Last week, an early medieval burial site—since characterized as one of the most significant ever excavated in the UK—was discovered. Buried alongside its inhabitant from the Middle Ages was an ...

Early Europeans produce diverse art: from Christians to Muslims and Byzantines to Vikings. After Rome’s fall, Europe’s Christians kept culture alive with art rooted in their deep faith. We visit ...