No discussion about the healthy state of the American imagination would be complete without talking about castles. Americans love castles and everything associated with them. In nearly every locale across the country, there are those who dream beyond the classic mansion or manor and build the medieval castle of their dreams. Such dream castles are … Read more
It was decided that the assault should begin during the night of 13-14 July…The first task of the assailants was to bring their wooden castles right up to the walls…All night long and during the day of the 14th the Crusaders concentrated on their task, suffering heavily from the stones and the liquid fire of … Read more
Recently, several books enumerating the apparitions of Our Lady were published in Italy. When I had the opportunity to take a look at them on a recent trip to Rome, I was surprised. While in one epoch, there were numerous apparitions, in another they were very rare; in one epoch the Holy Virgin appeared to … Read more
A few miles from the city of Rome, lies Genazzano — a city rich in history and blessed with the presence of a miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin that has an amazing story. The origins of Genazzano date back to the times of the Roman emperors. Because of its proximity to Rome, the city … Read more
Our Lady of Joy is also know as, Notre Dame de Liesse, or Causa Nostrae Laetitiae In 1134 three Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem who were prisoners of the Muslims in Egypt, miraculously found or received in their prison, a statue of Our Lady, which they named Our Lady of Joy, … Read more
One may ask, but is this superior to the crusaders? There is no comparison. The crusaders are admirable. But part of the decadence of the Order of Templars came from the fact that in the intervals of their wars with the Moors, these would invite them to their city to see the luxury they had … Read more
The attack began the night of July 13, [1099,] and the defenders let loose a hail of stones and rivers of Greek fire…. The battle hung in the balance during the morning hours of July 15. Archers shot blazing firebrands to drive the defenders from the walls, but the siege towers were battered and burned. … Read more
By contrast with the catastrophic loss of Spain, the chroniclers tell us that through Divine Providence liberty was restored to the Christian people and the Asturian kingdom was brought into being. This reportedly occurred when the majority of the Goths of royal blood came to the Asturias and elected as king Pelayo (719-737), son of … Read more
Founded in Castile, in the twelfth century, as a military branch of the great Cistercian family. In the Cistercian Order, then only recently formed (1098), there had been a large number of knights or sons of knights. In Calatrava, on the contrary, those who had been monks became knights. Monastic life has been called “a … Read more
Including under this term every kind of brotherhood of knights, secular as well as religious, historians of the military orders have enumerated as many as a hundred, even after eliminating the apocryphal and stillborn. This great number is explained by the eagerness with which the Middle Ages welcomed an institution so thoroughly corresponding to the … Read more
