A Little Bit of History

From UPI: Bologna to restore medieval canals.

Officials in Bologna believe restoring its canals, paved over in the name of progress 50 years ago, will make the Italian city more attractive. Bologna's canals date to the late Middle Ages and were dug between the 12th and 16th centuries. Five canals still survive, although mostly underground, including the Navile, which carried shipping traffic from Bologna to the Po River.

From the Malay Mail: The Iron Maiden of Nuremburg.

The most famous example is the Iron Maiden of Nuremberg, which was destroyed in the 1944 air raids. A replica was then obtained from the Royal Castle of Nuremberg and crafted for public display which was later sold. Find out more about torture devices used during the Medieval times at "Tortura2: Exhibition of Medieval Instruments of Punishment", from now on until Feb 28 at Bastion House, Malacca.

From the Indian Express: Mona Lisa had high colesterol.

Mona Lisa’s famous smile may have been the result of fatty acids gathered around her eye socket suggesting her high cholesterol levels, according to an Italian medical expert.Vito Franco, Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Palermo, who has been studying art masterpieces for evidence of disease and illness, alleged some of the world’s greatest works of art revealed signs of illness.

From the Times of Malta: Valetta built on agricultural land.

Mount Sceberras, the hill on which Valletta was built, was not barren wasteland but served as agricultural land in medieval times, according to new archaeological evidence. New evidence that the hill was the site of “intense, ancient and medieval agricultural occupation” challenged the often-repeated theory that Mount Sceberras was barren and rocky, architect and Valletta Rehabilitation Project CEO Claude Borg said. Mount Sceberras had been chosen by Grand Master Jean de la Valette as the site to build the new capital city after the Great Siege in 1565.