The Treaty of Tordesillas: Guide of the Age of Exploration and towards the Modern World

Portuguese copy of the Treaty of Tordesillas

The Age of Exploration in the 15th century and next opened new lands for Europe to discover and exploit. It became a new chapter in world history. At the start of this age two powers – Spain and Portugal - emerged and competed with each other. With the discovery of the New World, the Iberian Peninsula became engulf with tension for a potential conflict over discoveries and colonies not just in the Americas but around the world. The tension only ceased with the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Clash in Canossa

Henry at Canossa

A showdown between earthly and divine authority. A clash between the power of a king and a pope for the control of the clergy. In the winter of 1077, a showdown between the two most powerful men in Europe. An act to humiliate the other was committed. A clash of the titans at a castle in the Italian town of Canossa.

How a Pope Spread Coffee to the World?

Pope Clement VIII

In the 17th century, coffee drinking began to rise in Europe. Venetian merchants who exclusively traded with the Ottomans brought samples of the caffeinated drink to Europe. However, alarm bells of the most powerful religious institution in Europe, the Catholic Church, rang. The decision of whether the church should thwart the rise of coffee or should allow it to continue laid in the hands of the Pope, Clement VIII.

April Fools' and Gregorian Calendar

Pope Gregory XIII

April Fools' is a day in the year where jokes and hoaxes spread widely. It becomes a trending topic in Twitter in April 1. But April fools origin could be traced back to the 16th century.