Indagini e Misteri is a travel and culture blog, a diary for sharing our studies on history, art and past civilizations. Every investigation begins with mystery, with the desire to reveal what is still unknown. The study of symbols, rituals and myths, of the artifacts that have come down to us opens the doors of knowledge, allows us to discover thoughts and cultural frames of people before us, tells about places and events, invites us to look beyond the boundary. We hope to convey the spirit of discovery that leads our steps!
Samuele and Daniela
The wind of Trani blew placidly to Eastern, where the salvation waits for men who act according to God’s will. It was revealed to the heart of those departing soldiers. Harnessed among a thousand and…
On the top of a gentle hillock in Valpolicella, stands the parish church of San Giorgio. Austere, with its exposed stones and without decoration, the building seems to have been there since time immemorial. Walking…
During the Middle Ages, one of the most important and revered relics in all of Europe was located in Lucca. The Holy Face, kept in the Cathedral of San Martino, was no ordinary wooden crucifix…
Florentine archaeologist Paolo Graziosi, among the foremost experts in studies of prehistoric art, could not guess what awaited him in Calabria. In the rugged lands of Papasidero, within the Pollino National Park, a ravine was…
Florentine archaeologist Paolo Graziosi, among the foremost experts in studies of prehistoric art, could not guess what awaited him in Calabria. In the rugged lands…
Few times throughout history a form of writing originated ex novo, without deriving from systems already in use1. This is the case, for instance, with…
Along the Via Domitia, an important Roman road that ran from Turin to Iberia through the Rhone Valley, stood Nemausus, the ancient city of Nรฎmes.…
Along the streets of Rome two different facets coexist. The historical past, so manifest and imposing, is contrasted by another more hidden, intimate one. It is the dimension linked to occultism and the ancient alchemical…
A hillock stands close to the city walls, and on it there is a sacred building that reflects the harmony of the cosmos. The temple of St. Michael the Archangel in Perugia is circular, as…
During the Middle Ages, one of the most important and revered relics in all of Europe was located in Lucca. The Holy Face, kept in…
In Camargue, at the place where the Rhone’s billows meet the Mediterranean, stands the ancient town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The rustling wind creeps through the picturesque streets, sweeps the fine sand…
Except for the soft echo of footsteps walking among the pews and kneelers, nothing else can be heard between the aisles of Fossanova Abbey. There is a powerful, mystical atmosphere in this place. It permeates every essence, a transcendent hierophany that is beyond the limits of human comprehension. There is no word, no gesture that…
How many times have we been enraptured by the unfathomable beauty of a work of art, the magnificence of a painting or the ethereal plasticity of a sculpture? And how many times in our lives have we paused to observe a fascinating gaze that has stirred something deep within us? I vividly remember the unmistakable…
The wind of Trani blew placidly to Eastern, where the salvation waits for men who act according to God’s will. It was revealed to the heart of those departing soldiers.…
In Italian mid-13th century communes, the number and height of towers were a good indicator of the wealth of the place. In fact, although we could think of them as…
The conquest of Jerusalem, at the end of the First Crusade, marked a fundamental turning point in the history of Medieval Europe. The city had…
On the top of a gentle hillock in Valpolicella, stands the parish church of San Giorgio. Austere, with its exposed stones and without decoration, the building seems to have been there since time immemorial. Walking…
Samuele
Samuele is the founder of Indagini e Misteri, a blog on anthropology, history and art. He has a degree in forensic biology and works for the Ministry of Culture. For pleasure he studies unusual and ancient things, such as unclear symbols or enigmatic apotropaic rituals. He pursues the mystery through adventure but inexplicably it is is always one step further.
Daniela
Daniela is a coauthor in writing articles for Indagini e Misteri. Passionate about traditions and cultures, she has a PhD in development economics and has worked for FAO dealing with sub-Saharan African countries. She is a tough cookie and gets excited about new adventures or at the sight of ancient architecture.
Who was Frederick II of Swabia? Was he the saint believed by his supporters or the antichrist, as Gregory IX called him on the bull of excommunication?