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St. Anthony's Fire
St. Anthony's Fire (SAF) is an illness brought on by the ingestion of fungus-contaminated rye grain causing ergot poisoning (ergotism). The disease's common name derives from the medieval Benedictine monks dedicated to that saint who offered...
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Monastic Orders of the Middle Ages
The monastic orders of the Middle Ages developed from the desire to live a spiritual life without the distractions of the world. Men and women who took religious vows were seeking a purity of experience they found lacking as lay people. Their...
Definition
Carrack
The carrack (nao in Spanish, nau in Portuguese, and nef in French) was a type of large sailing vessel used for exploration, to carry cargo and as a warship in the 15th and 16th centuries. Famous carracks include the Santa Maria of Christopher...
Definition
Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a carrack warship built for the Royal Navy of Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE). The ship infamously sank in the Solent off the south coast of England on 19 July 1545 CE, probably because water entered its open gun...
Definition
Medieval Hygiene
People in the Middle Ages have acquired something of a bad reputation when it comes to cleanliness, especially the peasantry. However, despite the general lack of running water and other modern amenities, there were common expectations of...
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Sufferer of St. Anthony's Fire
A detail of a c. 1512 CE painting by Mathias Grunewald showing a man suffering from St. Anthony's fire (ergotism). 'Temptation of St. Anthony'. (Unterlinden Museum, Colmar, France)
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Charles I by Anthony Van Dyck
A c. 1635 painting of Charles I of England (r. 1625-1649) by Anthony van Dyck. (Royal Collection, London)
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Charles I on Horseback by Anthony Van Dyck
A 1633 painting of Charles I of England (r. 1625-1649) by Anthony van Dyck. (Royal Collection, Windsor Castle)
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Saint Anthony
A 15th century CE oil on canvas painting by Piero di Cosimo of St. Anthony (c. 251 – 356 CE), one of the founders of Christian Monasticism. (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.)
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Saint Anthony
"San Antonio Abad" by Francisco de Zurbarán, c. 1664 CE.