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Culture Critic

May 20, 2023 • 20 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X

Libraries were once magnificent temples of learning - these are the 20 most beautiful examples on Earth 🧵

1. Admont Abbey Library, Admont, Austria 🇦🇹

2. The National Library of France, Paris, France 🇫🇷

3. The Wiblingen Abbey Library, Ulm, Germany 🇩🇪

4. The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

5. The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 🇧🇷

6. The Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic 🇨🇿

7. The Palace of Mafra Library, Mafra, Portugal 🇵🇹

8. The Abbey Library of Saint Gall, St. Gallen, Switzerland 🇨🇭

9. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York City, USA 🇺🇸

10. The Vatican Apostolic Library, Vatican City 🇻🇦

11. The Royal Library of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸

12. The Girolamini Library, Naples, Italy 🇮🇹

13. The National Library of Austria, Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹

14. The Rijksmuseum Research Library, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 🇳🇱

15. The George Peabody Library, Baltimore, USA 🇺🇸

16. The Metten Abbey Library, Metten, Germany 🇩🇪

17. The Joanina Library, Coimbra, Portugal 🇵🇹

18. Saint Emmeram's Abbey Library, Regensburg, Germany 🇩🇪

19. The Clementinum Library, Prague, Czech Republic 🇨🇿

20. The Library of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada 🇨🇦

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Oct 16

Today in 1793, Marie Antoinette was guillotined by French revolutionaries.

But what you think know about her is a lie — the media turned her into history's greatest scapegoat.

Here's what happened, and how the tactics used against her are surprisingly familiar today… 🧵

After becoming Queen in 1774, Marie Antoinette soon became the target of vicious rumors.

Caricatures depicted her as promiscuous, done by her political enemies to discredit her and to erode the authority of what she represented — the monarchy...

Over time, French media crafted her reputation as a spendthrift, nicknaming her "Madame Déficit".

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Oct 15

This painting by Caravaggio, Master of Light, is one of the most revolutionary in history.

Why? Notice the empty space left at the table for us.

Sit down at it, and a strange symbol reveals itself... 🧵

To understand why Caravaggio was known as "Master of Light", look no further than his "Supper at Emmaus".

His famous chiaroscuro (light-dark) isn't just there for dramatic effect. The light itself tells a story...

It's a scene from Luke's Gospel, after Christ's death, in which two disciples dine with a stranger they met on the road to Emmaus.

After several hours of talking with him, they suddenly realize — this is no ordinary man...

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Oct 8

You've seen this before. It's the "treasury" of the ancient, rock-cut city of Petra.

But do you know what it actually is — or more interesting, what's inside?

It isn't what you might expect... (thread) 🧵

Most people don't know the full extent of Petra. When rediscovered in 1812 in Jordan, it was first thought to be a large necropolis.

They'd actually stumbled across an entire, functioning city — where 30,000 people once lived...

You access Petra via a single, narrow gorge called the Siq. As you approach, you get a glimpse of a huge, Hellenistic facade...

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In 536 AD, everyone thought the world was ending.

A dense fog plunged the world into darkness for 18 months — but things were about to get much worse.

Here's what the worst year in human history was like... 🧵

Do you ever wonder which year was the worst in history?

It wasn't 1349, when the Black Death wiped out half of Europe. Nor 1918, when the flu killed 100 million...

In 536 AD, Byzantine historian Procopius was travelling through Sicily when he encountered a strange darkness:

"For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year".

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Oct 2

You haven't seen complexity in art until you've seen this 600-year-old painting.

It's so detailed that modern medicine has been able to diagnose this man's exact type of blindness.

And that's where things get mind-bendingly strange — this whole thing is an illusion... 🧵

This is a 1436 painting by Flemish master Jan van Eyck, of Mary, Jesus, and saints.

You might think it's just an ordinary devotional painting — think again...

As usual with van Eyck, the commitment to detail is astonishing. You can feel how heavy this carpet is, and see each individual thread.

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Sep 30

The ancient philosophers spoke ideas that changed the world. Some, like Socrates, were executed for it.

Over 2,000 years later, their words are just as relevant — so here are 10 pearls of ancient wisdom... 🧵

1. "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Socrates believed the highest purpose of life is to seek knowledge and improve oneself. He went about challenging Athenians to interrogate their beliefs.

But this made him a threat to stability — he was eventually executed for "corrupting the youth"...

At trial, he famously said: "The unexamined life is not worth living." He thought knowledge was the greatest good, and self-reflection the key to life — this way of thinking went on to shape the world.

So don't blindly follow routines or societal norms. Reflect on your choices.

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