All About Royal Families

On 30 May 1431, Joan of Arc died in Rouen, Normandy. Then Normandy was under English rule but nowadays it is a part of France. Joan of Arc, the heroine of France during the Hundred Years' War, was taken captive by a Burgundian fraction on 23 May 1430. After a short but fake trial, Joan was condemned to death. On 30 May 1431 she was burned on stake at the age of  about 19 years old! Already in 1456 the French held a new trial authorized by Pope Callixus III. He rebunked the charges against her and declared Joan of Arc a martyr. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte declared Joan of Arc a national symbol of France. And this wasn't the end of her story. In 1909, Joan of Arc was beatified and canonized in 1920. She became one of the nine secondary patron saints of France together with Saint Denis, Saint Martin of Tours, Saint Louis, Saint Michel, Saint Rémi, Saint Patronilla, Saint Radegund and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Of course, Joan of Arc remained a popular fi...

Each year, from the end of May till the begin of June the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition takes place in Belgium. The 2019's edition is about Violin. History This prestigious music competition was founded by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium . She was the wife of King Albert I of Belgium, both heroes from World War I. First the contest was named after Eugène Ysaÿe, later it was named after Queen Elisabeth. Ysaÿe was conductor at the royal court of Belgium. How does the competion work? The competition takes place in Brussels and offers a great chance to young musicians (piano and violin) and singers. In 2017 there was for the first time a contest for cellists. The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition is one of the most demanding music contests of the world. After the semi-finals the finalists are isolated from the world for one week. This happens at the Music Chappel of Queen Elisabeth in Waterloo. The finalists may not receive visitors there. They have to...

One of the most amazing ancient buildings in Rome, the capital of Italy, is the Pantheon. The Pantheon is an amazing building not only due to its history but also due to its architecture and due to the light effect inside. Pantheon in Rome Italy - own picture taken in 2017 Some Royal History The original Pantheon was completed during the reign of Emperor Hadrian about 126 after Christ as a Roman Temple for all godness. In 609, Byzantine Emperor Pochas gave the Pantheon to Pope Bonifacae IV. He converted it to a Christian church. During the Renaissance the Pantheon has been the burial site of many important persons such as the painter Rafael and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. In the 17th. century, Pope Urban VIII ordered to melt down the ceilings to use it for the Castel Sant' Angelo. More about the Castel Sant' Angelo on this link .  In modern history two Kings of Italy were buried at the Pantheon: -  Victor Emmanuel II of Italy -  ...

As a kid I really liked the movies and the tv series about Robin Hood. There Richard Lionheart was described as the good King and his brother John I  as the bad one. But is he really that evil as it is declared by historians? Book review The book King John, England's evil King? was written by Ralph V Turner and edited by History Press Limited in 2009. It contains 240 pages devided in clear chapters and the writer gives an excellent idea of  who King John of England was. The chapters were written chronological which I really like. The book gives lots of interesting information and it is easy going to read. In short, this book is really worth to pay attention. Who was King John of England? John of England was born on 24 December 1166 as the youngest son of King Henry II of England and Queen Eleanor (Duchess of Aquitaine). John was thus a member of the noble House of Plantagenet/Angevin. Reign As the youngest son, John wasn't supposed to be...

During World War II, the beautiful country Italy allied himself with Nazi Germany, due to the efforts of Prime Minister Mussolini and King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. Who was this King? Birth Victor Emmanuel III of Italy was born on 11 November 1869 in Naples, then a part of the Kingdom of Italy as a son of King Umberto I of Italy and Margherita of Savoy. He was a grandson of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and Adelaide of Austria. From mother's side he was the grandson of Prince Ferdinand, duke of Genoa and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. Reign On 29 July 1900, at the age of 30, Victor Emmanuel acceded the throne due to the assassination of his father. The advice of his father always was: "Remember: to be a King, all you need to know is how to sign your name, read the newspaper, and mount a horse." Love and Marriage On 24 October 1896, Elena of Montenegro married King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. This royal couple would have 6 child...

Old painting of the Amstel Hof - Source: Wikipedia One of the most beautiful museums of Amsterdam surely is the Hermitage, located on the banks of the Amstel river. The museum is housed in the former Amstelhof, a building erected in a typical clasical style. It was built in 1681. Hermitage Amsterdam  Some history In  1682, the Amstelhof opened as a retirement home for elderly women. From 1817, the facility housed both elderly men and women. One of the rooms was the largest in Amsterdam. Many members of the Dutch Royal Family and even Sir Winston Churchill visited it. In the 1990's the facility was dertermined as inadequate to meet the modern needs. Its residents sought to build a new sturcture elsewhere. Afterwards the Amstelhof became a museum. It was opened by then Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands and the President of Russia: Dmitry Medvedev. openings board of the Hermitage in Amsterdam Museum The Hermitage museum shows pieces of art ...