You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Today we associate the Renaissance with painting, sculpture, and architecture—the “major” arts. Yet contemporaries often held the “minor” arts—gem-studded goldwork, richly embellished armor, splendid tapestries and embroideries, music, and ephemeral multi-media spectacles—in much higher esteem. Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, was typical of the Italian nobility: she bequeathed to her children precious stone vases mounted in gold, engraved gems, ivories, and antique bronzes and marbles; her favorite ladies-in-waiting, by contrast, received mere paintings. Renaissance patrons and observers extolled finely wrought luxury artifacts for their exquisite craftsmanship and the s...
The Rancho Buena Vista Adobe stands as a testament to California's diverse past and offers a glimpse into the supernatural. Learn the identity of the apparition known as the "Lady in White," which startles unsuspecting guests by serenely floating across the rancho's courtyard, and the tale of a skeleton rumored to be sealed up somewhere within the rancho's walls. Discover the story of Cave Johnson Couts and family, who continue to chat with visitors in spirit form. And explore the rooms where whispering voices are often heard, even when they're empty. Join author Nicole Strickland as she uncovers spine-tingling haunts and restless souls.
Strangers seek refuge at the abbey as floodwaters rise, a body falls, and a relic vanishes—in this “top drawer” mystery featuring the twelfth-century monk (Chicago Sun-Times) In the chill, rainy autumn of 1144, two groups of visitors seek the hospitality of the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, and Brother Cadfael fears trouble has come in with them. Among the first arrivals is Brother Tutilo, a young Benedictine with a guileless face and—to Brother Cadfael’s shrewd eyes—a mischievous intelligence. The second group, a ribald French troubadour, his servant, and a girl with the voice of an angel, seems to Brother Cadfael a catalyst for disaster. All of Cadfael’s fears become manifest as rising floodwaters endanger the abbey’s most sacred relic, the remains of Saint Winifred. When the bones disappear and a dead body is found, Brother Cadfael knows carnal and spiritual intrigues are afoot. Now, in a world that believes in signs and miracles, Brother Cadfael needs his prayers answered—as well as some heavenly guidance to crucial clues—to catch a killer hell-bent on murder.