Arab and Christian medieval cities in Spain and the Muslim origins of Madrid

The Arab (Moorish) and the Christian medieval city in Spain. An interesting piece of graphic work: the two cities are at once very alike and rather different. The Arab city strongly resembles Madrid/Majrit, whose plan is shown in the second image, and the reason is plain: Madrid is the only European capital of Muslim origin. It arose in the middle of the 9th century as a small town somewhere on the Toledo frontier, on one of the outskirts of the Islamic world.

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Madonna with Cherubim in Milan's Brera: from Bellini to Mantegna

"Madonna with Cherubim" was long considered the work of Giovanni Bellini, until in 1885, during restoration, features characteristic of his chief rival, and incidentally his relative, Andrea Mantegna, came to light. What misled viewers was a softness uncharacteristic of Mantegna. Despite the established title, the Madonna and Child

Pushkin Museum refused the Ludwig collection over the branch name

The silliest thing about this renaming is its poor timing. For when the Pushkin Museum was offered, as a gift, the greatest collection of contemporary art of the second half of the twentieth century, the collection of Peter Ludwig, the very reason for the refusal was the condition that the

Yeeeehaw!

Voiture woke Count de Guiche at night to announce that he was married

The Comte de Guiche asked Vincent Voiture, a man renowned for his wit, whether it was true that he was married. Voiture gave no answer. But he came to the count after midnight, woke him and said: "I have come to tell you that I am married". De

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Madonna with Cherubim in Milan's Brera: from Bellini to Mantegna

Pushkin Museum refused the Ludwig collection over the branch name

Yeeeehaw!

Voiture woke Count de Guiche at night to announce that he was married