The castle thought to be the inspiration for the novel “Frankenstein” and features a “fountain of youth”
Frankenstein Castle, thought to be a possible inspiration for the famous Gothic novel Frankenstein, written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald, Germany. The Castle is located in southern Hesse (Germany) on a mountain range at an elevation of 1,200 ft. It is close to the city of Darmstadt, and it’s also […]
A remarkable estate in Portugal with a romantic palace, chapel & underground towers
Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located in Portugal, near the historic center of Sintra. On the property, there are numerous constructions such as grottos, benches, and wells around the romantic palace and chapel, plus a splendid park that features lakes and fountains. With its elegant creations, this place is […]
The Corkscrew: A simply designed tool necessary in almost every household
A corkscrew is a tool for removing corks from bottles in the home, such as wine bottles. Before the modern forms of this device were invented for opening crown corks (the classic bottle cap), the traditional corkscrew had a very simple design. The tool contains two parts: a metallic helix also known as “worm,” and […]
Medieval Scandinavian architecture: Viking longhouses
Buildings such as the Viking Longhouse and Icelandic turf houses, and their religious buildings and boathouses too, all found a unique expression in medieval Scandinavian architecture. Boathouses were usually built back from the waterline, dug into the ground. Their purpose was to hold Viking Ships, in the times they were not sailing, especially during the winter. […]
A brief history of the telephone
A telecommunication device which converts sound into electric pulses, thus permitting conversation between two or more persons over long distances is called the telephone. There is a long history that took place before the modern phones appeared. The first devices that existed for transmitting speech were mechanical acoustic devices. The “lover’s phone”(the acoustic tin can […]
The Caynton Caves: Mysterious system of underground chambers associated with the Knights Templar
The Caynton Caves are an underground system of chambers in the ground of Caynton Hall, near Beckbury, England. Their original purpose and the exact date of their construction remains uncertain, but according to some authoritative sources the construction dates from late 18th or early 19th century. The mysterious underground construction is comprised of an irregular series of […]
Wardrobe: Different designs through history
A wardrobe is a standing closet generally used for storing clothes. Historically, wardrobes were pieces of furniture more typically used by nobility. The word “wardrobe” first appeared around the 14th century, but its origin comes from the Old French words “wardereube” and “garderobe. The word’s components are from Old French: “warder” means “to guard” and […]
The Witch House: Only Remaining Building in Salem Directly Connected to the Witchcraft Trials of 1692
The most famous house in Salem, Massachusetts was once the home of the Judge Jonathan Corwin (1640–1718), and it is now called The Witch House. It is the only building still standing that dates from the 17th century, and it is directly connected to the Salem witch trials of 1692. It is believed that the […]