This Week In History News, Jun. 5 – 11

Published June 10, 2022

Lost Renaissance masterpiece found in England, medieval saber found in Greece, hidden cities uncovered in the Amazon.

Renaissance Masterpiece Worth $320,000 Found Gathering Dust On An Elderly Woman’s Bedroom Wall

Uncovered Renaissance Masterpiece

Dawsons AuctioneersBelieved to be created by Italian Renaissance artist Filippino Lippi or one of his followers, this 16th-century painting now dubbed “The Depiction of the Madonna and Child” shows Mary holding the baby Jesus.

For decades, an elderly woman living in a small bungalow in north London kept an old oil painting of Mary and the baby Jesus above her bed. Inherited from her father upon his death 30 years ago, this keepsake gathered dust as it hung off-kilter on her bedroom wall.

But when she was forced to enter a nursing home last year, her family brought in an auction house to see if selling any of her possessions might help cover the mounting bills. Then they were shocked to learn that the dusty old painting in her bedroom was actually a lost masterpiece from the Renaissance worth $320,000.

Read the full story of this one-of-a-kind discovery here.

This Medieval Saber Found At A Greek Monastery May Have Belonged To Turkish Pirates

Medieval Saber

E. Maniotis & T. DogasThe saber is in poor condition and appears to have been bent during the attack on the monastery.

Hundreds of years ago, a battle broke out at a monastery along the Greek coast. There, raiders — likely from Turkey — clashed with Byzantine locals. One side wielded a terrifying saber, and archaeologists have found the weapon among the monastery’s ruins.

The 18-inch saber was first found between 2000 and 2001 at the ruins of a coastal Christian monastery about 40 miles away from Thessaloniki, Greece, but recent excavations have revealed more details about its past.

Dig deeper in this report.

Two Lost Amazon Cities Hidden In The Rainforest For Centuries Were Just Discovered In Bolivia

Scan Of Llanos De Mojos Cotoca Area

NatureScans revealed 26 unique sites, 11 of which were previously unknown.

Legends of lost cities hidden deep within the Amazon captivated Europeans for centuries. The Spanish were convinced of a city of gold named El Dorado. British explorer Percy Fawcett risked his life trying to find the mythical Lost City of Z. While he vanished forever, modern archaeologists just found the ruins of a long-lost ancient network of cities in Bolivia.

Read on here.

author
All That's Interesting
author
Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.