Disapproving nuns painted over the risqué frescoes in Rome’s long-neglected Villa Silvestri Rivaldi for 300 years; restorers are now exposing them

Disapproving nuns painted over the risqué frescoes in Rome's long-neglected Villa Silvestri Rivaldi for 300 years; restorers are now exposing them

For nearly three centuries, layers of plain paint and plaster hid a remarkable secret inside one of Rome’s long-neglected Renaissance villas. Now, restorers peeling back those layers are bringing colourful scenes of gods, goddesses, soldiers and mythological figures back into view, as per a report by Smithsonian Magazine.The rediscovered artwork is inside Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, … Read more

Britain sees second-best butterfly season in 16 years; people counted almost 1.4 million common butterflies and moths; painted ladies jumped by 335%, but scientists are worried

Britain sees second-best butterfly season in 16 years; people counted almost 1.4 million common butterflies and moths; painted ladies jumped by 335%, but scientists are worried

The record heat of 2026 made this summer exceptional for butterfly-watching. More than 100,000 volunteers fanned across Britain with notebooks this summer, tallying nearly 1.4 million common butterflies and day-flying moths. This was the second-best butterfly season of the past 16 years, according to the Big Butterfly Count. Painted ladies surged by 335% compared with … Read more

In 2005, carpenter Isaiah Robertson began covering his Niagara Falls home inside and out with brightly painted religious art; after his 2020 death, the house was preserved and is now open for guided tours

In 2005, carpenter Isaiah Robertson began covering his Niagara Falls home inside and out with brightly painted religious art; after his 2020 death, the house was preserved and is now open for guided tours

Carpenter Isaiah Robertson’s homePhoto: Discoverniagara.org In 2005, Isaiah Henry Robertson, a Jamaican-born carpenter and devout Christian living in Niagara Falls, New York, began transforming his modest house into what he believed was a preparation site for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Convinced that God had told him the world would end in 2014, Robertson … Read more