Marion Dolan News Today

From 1839 – 1842 two adventurers, John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood carved their way through the jungles to reveal lost Maya cities and a great civilization.

The ancient Nabataeans, modern-day Jordan, orientated their temples and shrines in Petra and Hegra according to a deliberate cosmologically-designed plan by their astronomer/priests.

For 1,500 years the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has changed from a Christian Basilica to a Moslem Mosque, a museum and back to a mosque-museum.

The Dionysiac Fresco in the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii depicts scenes from an initiation process, involving the flagellation of an initiate.

Chartres Cathedral in France is one of the most studied medieval cathedrals, steeped in legends of miracles performed by the Virgin Mary

Medieval monks raided abbeys to steal relics of saints and translate them to their own churches to attract pilgrims and revenue.

Christine de Pizan was a 15th century noble woman in France who became an author and feminist fighting for women’s rights, and her legacy was revived in the 1960’s.

Since humankind first looked up at the stars, they identified patterns in the stars, told stories about them and developed astronomy.

A polish slave girl’s beauty and intelligence captured the heart of Suleiman the Magnificent who married her and make her his Empress.

Defying the Popes, King Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor launched the Sixth Crusade, reclaimed Jerusalem and crowned himself King of Jerusalem.