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Culture Critic
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What was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned?

Well — our entire knowledge of the Greco-Roman world comes from about 500 volumes. 700,000 scrolls were potentially lost at Alexandria alone.

Here's what was in there... (thread) 🧵
What was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned?

Well — our entire knowledge of the Greco-Roman world comes from about 500 volumes. 700,000 scrolls were potentially lost at Alexandria alone.

Here's what was in there... (thread) 🧵
December 22, 2024 at 5:08 PM
In 1963, a man noticed his chickens disappearing through a hole in his basement.

He knocked through the wall, revealing what is hard to believe: a 20,000-person city, deep below ground.

It was built by Christians over 1,000 years ago... (thread) 🧵
December 18, 2024 at 11:56 AM
Do you ever wonder how Venice seems to float on the Adriatic Sea?

Well, the entire city was built on a forest of 10 million tree trunks — over a thousand years ago... (thread) 🧵
December 16, 2024 at 11:12 AM
Did you know the Mona Lisa has a twin?

You don't realize how bad a state it's in until you see the two side-by-side.

And it shows why restorations in art are a major problem… (thread) 🧵
December 14, 2024 at 4:14 PM
A thread of lesser-known architectural wonders that we lost over the ages (and what happened to them)... 🧵

1. Old London Bridge — the longest inhabited bridge in Europe
December 11, 2024 at 6:40 PM
Past societies produced so much beauty because they knew that math and beauty are deeply connected.

It all started when Pythagoras discovered something mind-blowing about reality:

The universe is not made of matter — but music... (thread) 🧵
December 6, 2024 at 4:49 PM
Only one sculptor in history came close to Michelangelo. To some, his technical mastery even surpassed the Renaissance genius.

The 7 greatest works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini — a thread... 🧵

1. The Abduction of Proserpina (1622)
December 4, 2024 at 10:11 PM
The Trevi Fountain is a symphony in stone.

But there's a lot more than meets the eye — have you ever wondered what's behind it?

Its hidden details hold the key to Rome's power and prosperity... (thread) 🧵
December 2, 2024 at 10:34 AM
Deep in his notebooks, Leonardo da Vinci had a mind-blowing idea:

That the human body is a scale model of Earth.

And that's just the beginning — his theory will change the way you see everything… (thread) 🧵
November 28, 2024 at 4:05 PM
This 600-year-old painting is one of the most mysterious in history.

That mirror at the back is just 3 inches wide — yet it reflects the entire room in immense detail.

Look closer at it and you'll realize nothing is as it seems… (thread) 🧵
November 26, 2024 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Culture Critic
800 years ago, Italy had a city of skyscrapers — it's known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages".

So what happened to them all...? (thread) 🧵
November 22, 2024 at 4:49 PM
800 years ago, Italy had a city of skyscrapers — it's known as the "Manhattan of the Middle Ages".

So what happened to them all...? (thread) 🧵
November 22, 2024 at 4:49 PM
Hell has 9 descending circles — each corresponding to how severe your sins are.

The deeper you go, the worse things get.

This 700-year-old poem guides you through it... (thread) 🧵
November 20, 2024 at 7:02 PM
Hello Bluesky 👋

Which accounts are must-follows posting regularly on art, culture and/or history?
November 19, 2024 at 12:18 AM
This 500-year-old portrait may seem ordinary, but it's one of the most mysterious in history.

There's so much detail that you can read every musical note on this small page.

But look closer — an unsettling secret is hiding in plain sight... (thread) 🧵
November 18, 2024 at 10:25 PM
Ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates and Plato hated democratic elections.

They saw democracy as part of an endless cycle of regimes — destined to slip into mob rule.

But Polybius knew how to break the cycle... (thread) 🧵
November 17, 2024 at 3:32 PM
Shall I start posting threads to Bluesky? 👀
November 17, 2024 at 2:23 PM
Where am I?
November 17, 2024 at 2:20 PM