The Golden Age of Castile took place under the Catholic rulers, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon at the end of the 15th century. During this time, Baroque was the fashion. In Salamanca's Plaza Mayor stands the Town Hall with its Baroque-style clock tower. The rest of the square is dominated by arcades decorated with some sixty carved medallions. The new Cathedral of Salamanca was built in two distinct styles: Gothic and Baroque. The building...

Until 1348, people in Sienna and Florence enjoyed the richest, safest, and most comfortable lives in their history. But almost overnight, their certainty of life-and even any hope of a good death-was gone. This program assesses the aftermath of the ferocious damage unleashed by the bubonic plague on the two city-states. Historians Alexander Nagel and Nicholas Terpstra, from the University of Toronto, and professional artisans-chief among them, sculptor...

Although Barcelona is famous for exuberant modernista buildings, the Gothic Quarter, and big names like Picasso, Janina and Alastair are determined to discover some less well-known cultural treats. Getting away from the crowds on the Ramblas, they seek out the designs of an engineer who arguably put more of a stamp on the city than its star architect, Antoni Gaudí; the Romanesque frescoes that inspired a young Miró, and a surprising collection of...

Opera houses were first constructed in the 1600s with funds from wealthy patrons, but as economic trends changed the lavish buildings became harder to maintain. Many fell into disrepair until a revival of interest in opera initiated their restoration. This program travels throughout Italy to present an overview of opera house reconstruction projects. Highlights include the Teatro Verdi, where excavation has unearthed new information about opera’s...