The historic urban ensemble of the canal district of Amsterdam was a project for a new "port city" built at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. It comprises a network of canals to the west and south of the historic old town and the medieval port that encircled the old town and was accompanied by the repositioning inland of the city’s fortified boundaries, the Singelgracht. This was a long-term program that involved extending...

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...

Drabness and shortages marked the years after World War II, until Dior's New Look arrived. And then a parade of innovations: artificial fibers, separates, casual clothes, stiletto heels and witches' toes, Teddy boys and zoot suits-an example of fashion coming from below and not above. It took 15 years from the introduction of the lady's pantsuit until a woman wearing pants was admitted to a tony London restaurant; meanwhile, Mary Quant arrived with...

Florence is possibly the city in Italy most associated with the Renaissance. This two part program explores the city's history, as well as the many great artists who orginiated there, including Giotto, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, Dante, and Machiavelli. We also visit several sites around the city that display famous masterpieces, such as the Neptune fountain in the Piazza della Signoria, which was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammanati and Giambologna, and...

The eruption of the Vesuvio froze the town of Pompei forever. The catastrophe led to a vast interdisciplinary project: volcanology reveals the force of the eruption, archeology and the study of texts uncover new objects of daily life found in the remains of buildings and roadways, including graffiti on the walls… But can one be sure that all of these discoveries date back to the eruption?

Andrew Graham-Dixon reveals how women, both queens and consorts, made their mark on the Collection and used art to steady the ship of monarchy through an uncertain age.

In the second part of a major three-part drama-documentary series, Anita Dobson stars as Elizabeth I, and Dan Snow takes to the sea to tell the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588. Using newly discovered documents, Dan relives the fierce battles at sea and we go behind the scenes in the royal court of Elizabeth as the Spanish fleet prepares for full-on invasion.

The Renaissance led to a period of cultural greatness for the Church, but it also reached a pit of spiritual degradation. This film examines the reign of Pope Alexander VI, the Borgia pope. Despite rampant nepotism on behalf of his seven known children, Alexander is said by some to have gotten a bad rap. Known for his patronage of the arts - Raphael and Michelangelo both worked for him - it was also said that he purchased the job of pope for himself....

Unveiling the man behind the myth. Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo created three of the art world's greatest icons: the statue of David, the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and the dome of St. Peter's in Rome. This revealing drama documentary traces his development from angry young man to pride of Rome. His prodigious talent has led people to describe him as more divine than human. Modern experts reproduce elements of his...