What was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned? Well — our entire knowledge of the Greco-Roman world comes from about 500 volumes. 700,000 scrolls were potentially lost at Alexandria alone. Here's what was in there... (thread) 🧵

In 1963, a man noticed his chickens disappearing through a hole in his basement. He knocked through the wall, revealing what is hard to believe: a 20,000-person city, deep below ground. It was built by Christians over 1,000 years ago... (thread) 🧵

Do you ever wonder how Venice seems to float on the Adriatic Sea? Well, the entire city was built on a forest of 10 million tree trunks — over a thousand years ago... (thread) 🧵

Did you know the Mona Lisa has a twin? You don't realize how bad a state it's in until you see the two side-by-side. And it shows why restorations in art are a major problem… (thread) 🧵

A thread of lesser-known architectural wonders that we lost over the ages (and what happened to them)... 🧵 1. Old London Bridge — the longest inhabited bridge in Europe

Past societies produced so much beauty because they knew that math and beauty are deeply connected. It all started when Pythagoras discovered something mind-blowing about reality: The universe is not made of matter — but music... (thread) 🧵

Only one sculptor in history came close to Michelangelo. To some, his technical mastery even surpassed the Renaissance genius. The 7 greatest works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini — a thread... 🧵 1. The Abduction of Proserpina (1622)

The Trevi Fountain is a symphony in stone. But there's a lot more than meets the eye — have you ever wondered what's behind it? Its hidden details hold the key to Rome's power and prosperity... (thread) 🧵

Deep in his notebooks, Leonardo da Vinci had a mind-blowing idea: That the human body is a scale model of Earth. And that's just the beginning — his theory will change the way you see everything… (thread) 🧵

This 600-year-old painting is one of the most mysterious in history. That mirror at the back is just 3 inches wide — yet it reflects the entire room in immense detail. Look closer at it and you'll realize nothing is as it seems… (thread) 🧵

800 years ago, Italy had a city of skyscrapers — it's known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages". So what happened to them all...? (thread) 🧵

800 years ago, Italy had a city of skyscrapers — it's known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages". So what happened to them all...? (thread) 🧵

Hell has 9 descending circles — each corresponding to how severe your sins are. The deeper you go, the worse things get. This 700-year-old poem guides you through it... (thread) 🧵

Hello Bluesky 👋 Which accounts are must-follows posting regularly on art, culture and/or history?

This 500-year-old portrait may seem ordinary, but it's one of the most mysterious in history. There's so much detail that you can read every musical note on this small page. But look closer — an unsettling secret is hiding in plain sight... (thread) 🧵

Ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates and Plato hated democratic elections. They saw democracy as part of an endless cycle of regimes — destined to slip into mob rule. But Polybius knew how to break the cycle... (thread) 🧵

Shall I start posting threads to Bluesky? 👀

Where am I?