Abbey of Santa Maria of Alcobaca

He took the body of his beloved woman out of the grave, dressed her in queen's clothing, sat her on the throne, knelt in front of her, kissed her dead dried hand, and ordered all his vassals to do the same. "She is my queen eight years already. Now she is your queen too." No one dared to object to King Pedro I of Portugal, and Ines de Castro became the Queen of Portugal ten years after her brutal murder. She died at age…

Fairest among women, Venice, formerly powerful and rich. You are still impressive, Lady Venice, but only from a distance.

The years pass rapidly, your skin withers, becomes more parched and thin, and finally drops off in lumps of plaster. Meanwhile, just as time ages all women, water wears on you more and more with every year, and your…