“Here in the gym, no one knew Robert was a cardinal — least of all me who trained him”

Here are the best quotes from the original interview with Pope Leo’s trainer, translated by yours truly 👇 "He was very reserved, but always very kind and smiling. I thought he was a professor.

When he was elected Pope, I saw him on TV and recognized him immediately. I couldn’t believe it.”

This week marks the 2,778th anniversary of Rome's founding, which means we're in for an avalanche of AI slop about Romulus & Remus

But what about the insane plan Romulus had to build Rome in the first place?

Here's how it changed EVERYTHING about how you see the world...
1/18 When Romulus founded Rome in 753 BC, it was barely more than a collection of huts on a hill

There were no priests. No nobles. And definitely no women.

It was practically just one man — and one man can't build a city alone

So how'd he convince people to join him?
2/18

This stuff drives me up the walls

American couple visits Europe and thinks 2 weeks is enough to accurately glimpse local life

They then return to the US, complaining about why it sucks and how Europe is so much better

DELUSIONAL thinking on all accounts 🧵 I used to be all for people traveling, but unless you do it for genuinely EXTENDED periods of time, it’s impossible to get a glimpse of real culture

My first time in Europe, I lived in Spain for 6 months

I came back to the US totally convinced Europe was heaven on earth…

Mussolini wished to reforge Italy as an innovative modern industrial power

But where the Bolsheviks had relished the destruction of Russia’s past, Fascist Italy would be both conscious and proud of her 1000s of years of achievement

One man was the master behind it all…🧵 Marcelo Piacentini was Italy's foremost architect of the 20th century — yet he remains largely unknown in the English-speaking world

Nevertheless, his influence has reached the imagination of millions

For ex, here’s a shot of the city I live in

It was designed by Piacentini

In 1606, Caravaggio killed a man

In response, the authorities issued a "bando capitale" — meaning anyone could kill him without consequence

So he fled Rome, and began a great period of exile

It was a tragic fall from grace that left him broken and desperate

...or was it? 🧵 What most people don’t realize is this:

It was during this time — when Caravaggio had lost everything — that he painted his greatest masterpieces

It's because, when faced with destruction, Caravaggio made a choice...

Shakespeare understood evil like no other

His plays are filled with murderers, adulterers, and thieves — but one villain stands out from all the rest

She tempted, deceived, and tried to play God — but paid the ultimate price for it…🧵 “Macbeth,” is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies

It follows Macbeth — a Scottish general — and his descent into pure evil

His unchecked ambition leads to regicide, mass murder, and widespread agony

Yet bad as this is, Macbeth is NOT the scariest villain

228 years ago, British and Spanish faced off in one of history’s most incredible naval battles

The epic showdown changed the course of history — and gave birth to Britain’s greatest hero of the past millennium

It all began by disobeying orders…🧵 Feb 14, 1797 — Britain faces an existential threat

Off the coast of Portugal, a massive Spanish fleet is sailing to unite with the French navy

If they combine forces, the Franco-Spanish armada will outnumber the Royal Navy

They'll take the English channel, and invade Britannia

You know Jonah, the guy swallowed by a whale?

Well, that’s the least interesting part of his story — what happens next is far more intriguing.

The Book of Jonah will turn your entire conception of God on its head… (thread) 🧵 To understand Jonah, you first need to understand Nineveh

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire — a superpower known for its cruelty

Assyrian artwork brags of their brutal methods:

Among other tortures, they would impale and skin their enemies alive…

There's a dark side of Santa Claus you don't know about.

In cultures across Europe, much darker figures emerge from the folklore

These 5 "Anti-Santas" teach the harsh lessons of Christmas...🎄🧵 1) Krampus

A horned, demonic figure from Alpine folklore, Krampus is the most famous anti-Santa

He is the "ying" to the "yang" of St. Nick's charity, and emerges to punish naughty children...

He either beats them with birch rods, or drags them off to his lair to be eaten!

Only ONE man ever managed to bring Rome to her knees

He did so by embarking on an impossible task — crossing the Alps with 50,000 men, 10,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants

Here’s how he pulled it off…🏔🧵 At the outbreak of the Second Punic War, Rome looked untouchable

Their navy ruled the seas. Their armies controlled the Italian Peninsula

And their "walls" — the Alps — made them safe from the north

No army had ever crossed them...

Leonardo da Vinci took a massive gamble painting “The Last Supper”

At first, it seemed to pay off — but success soon turned to disaster

Because what you're looking at wasn't painted by Leonardo...🧵 By the time Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint "The Last Supper," he was already a legend

The Duke of Milan wanted a fresco that would showcase the glory of his court — and rival anything in Italy

Incredibly, Leonardo had even bigger ambitions...

Canaletto used to be mocked as a "post-card" painter

Then some simple marketing advice changed his life — and he sold 200+ paintings to King George III

Here's the secret that made him the greatest marketer of the century...🧵 Born in Venice in 1697, Giovanni Antonio Canal — later known as Canaletto — grew up surrounded by art

His father was a theater set designer, so by his early 20s, Canaletto was designing opera sets for luminaries like Antonio Vivaldi

But then a trip to Rome changed everything...

In 1275, Marco Polo met the great Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan

To survive in a faraway land, Polo had to win the Khan's trust.

Here's how a cunning 21 year old European bridged the East-West divide...🧵 Marco Polo’s journey to Kublai Khan’s court was grueling

He traveled the Silk Road, crossing deserts, mountains, and war-torn lands — the polar opposite of his native Venice

By the time he reached Shangdu, Polo found himself in a world beyond imagination

Dante’s Purgatorio is an epic journey up the mountain of Purgatory.

It shows you how to conquer the 7 deadly sins at each level, and prepare your soul for Heaven.

But it's also history's greatest self-help manual to use in life... In Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatory is a mountain with 10 terraces

There's a "pre-Purgatory" terrace at the bottom, and 2 "Earthly Paradise" terraces at the top

In between are 7 terraces that correspond to the 7 deadly sins

To get to heaven, you must climb the mountain…

One piece of literature influenced The Lord of the Rings more than any other

Tolkien studied it for 25 years, convinced it had a hidden meaning

What he discovered changed the face of literature and helped him create his life’s masterpiece… 🧵 Beowulf is an Old English epic poem set in 6th century Scandinavia

The story begins with a group of Danes partying in a mead hall

All is joyful in their kingdom — but an evil “shadow walker” named Grendel lurks nearby

He despises the sounds of joy and descends into the town…

Old English is the coolest language you’ve never heard of

From Beowulf to Lord of the Rings, its influence is legendary — but most people know nothing about it.

Here’s a primer on Old English, and an explanation of why we wrote "ye olde" instead of "the old"... First off, Old English is NOT the language of Shakespeare

When you look beyond the thee’s and thou’s, Shakespeare’s English is actually quite like our own

Old English is much older — by 1,000 years or more

Compare Shakespeare’s English with the Old English of King Alfred:

Teddy Roosevelt was known for his tough, American machismo

But he started out as the polar opposite — a weak boy bedridden by asthma attacks

This is how he overcame illness, grew in fortitude, and became an icon of American exceptionalism…🧵 From his birth, Roosevelt was plagued with illness and suffered chronic asthma attacks

Doctors prescribed him whiskey and cigars to help — but they (obviously) had the opposite effect

As his health worsened, Roosevelt was increasingly bullied, and even beaten up by his peers…

George Orwell warned the government would enslave us

But another man warned we would enslave ourselves — with drugs, orgies, and endless pleasure

All this, he said, would begin by making babies in a lab...🧵 Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World depicts how society enslaves itself to pleasure

It’s set in a technologically advanced and materially prosperous society — its citizens are deprived of nothing

Unfortunately, the world is more sinister than it looks...

C.S. Lewis hated democracy.

He said it celebrates mediocrity over merit — and societies that do so are doomed to die.

Here's why, and what you can do to resist... Lewis’ work Screwtape Proposes a Toast highlights the dangers of democracy

The story takes place in hell — literally

The main character is a demon named Screwtape, and he gives a speech saying that democracy is the key to destroying mankind

7 FACTS about fatherhood you need to know… 🧵

1. Men with daughters: she will marry your example

2. Men with sons: he will become your example... 3. The most important job is when a man is finished with work and spending time with family at home

All the finances in the world can never replace a present, loving father

Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" is the story of a passionate love affair that ends in suicide.

But it also reveals the dark reason behind why people cheat — and how to avoid doing so yourself.

Here's what her tragic story can teach you… 🧵 Anna Karenina is a rich aristocrat trapped in a loveless marriage

Her husband is kind, but career-driven. He often neglects Anna, and she finds him boring

Anna grows increasingly sad and lonely — until she meets a man at a train station…