A place as renowned as Hollywood in Los Angeles, California is bound to have some legends attached to it. The ghost of Charlie Chaplin, for example, is said to haunt a cinema-turned-live theatre venue while the ghost of Marilyn Monroe can be seen in the mirror on one of the upper floors of a landmark hotel. Yet even these sightings and occurrences pale in comparison to the story of a despondent actress who killed herself by leaping off the Hollywood Sign. Join me this week for a look at the life of Peg Entwistle on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Referred to by historians as "the Venice of the Americas", Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was truly a civic and engineering marvel that was wondrous to behold. Today, not much remains of the original city, but what does is impressive and offers a glimpse at the grandeur and magnificence of Aztec architects. Join me for a tour of this amazing city, this week on the History Loves Company podcast!

We seem to be jaded in our contemporary age. We've lost all sense of optimism. It's difficult to pinpoint any singular reason for this, but our current penchant for nostalgia is seemingly justified given the circumstances. But, believe it or not, there was a time when a new century meant promise and hope. Join me this week for a look at fin-de-siècle Vienna and how a unique (albeit extremely brief) literary movement helped shape Austrian literature all the way to the present!

Few cities in Europe, or the world, for that matter, can claim such a rich and lengthy history as picturesque Plovdiv in southern Bulgaria. Boasting a human presence dating back 8000 years, it's a remarkable place that has seen empires crumble and people from all walks of life making something extraordinary of themselves. Join me on a tour of Europe's oldest city!

We've all seen it: a black-and-white, grainy photo of a long-necked creature surfacing the waters of Loch Ness. This is perhaps the most iconic image of the so-named Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, ever captured on film. But while the creature has been better documented in recent centuries thanks to photographic and video evidence, sightings of it date back even further to several centuries in the past. Get your swim trunks and floaties, dear listeners, because we're diving into the depths of Loch Ness for a look at the history behind sightings of the world's most famous cryptid!

There are many ways to legitimize a city, but your first thought might not be to steal a holy relic. The Most Serene Republic of Venice, or La Serenissima in the Venetian language, did just that in its formative years and it fast became the symbol of the city itself. How and why did they do it? Was it indeed God's will? And how has this holy relic shaped its identity? Find out in this week's enthralling episode!

The bond between humans and dogs is an unbreakable one. From their domestication some 20000 to 40000 years ago during the Ice Age, they've become loyal companions and dear friends. Across cultures, dogs are often associated with benevolence, but did you know that a town in Medieval France even went as far as to make one a saint? Find out how it all happened in this week's episode, all about Saint Guinefort, the dog saint!

French art in the late 19th Century was at a crossroads. Between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism and the various Modernist movements that would dominate the early 20th Century, the Turn-of-the-Century was a transitional period. And yet, no movement better embodied this transition than the Nabis, a fringe movement that would ultimately bridge the gap between the two. Tune in this week to discover more about them!

With the rise of Benito Mussolini (and, by extension, fascism) in Italy, the colony of Eritrea was hurled into Modern Age. Rapid industrialization and development of infrastructure meant that the capital city of Asmara's population more than doubled within a decidedly short span of time. But the grinding gears of history had other plans for the colony. Find out what happened next in Part Two of Italian Eritrea!

Admittedly, the so-called "Rush to Africa" conjures up the usual European suspects: France, Belgium, and, of course, Britain. But lesser known is Italy who established its own colony in East Africa in a place they called Eritrea (from the Latin name for the Red Sea that borders it). Today, the capital city of Asmara is a hodgepodge of Romanesque churches, Modernist architecture, and businesses with names in both Italian and Tigrinya (the primary native tongue). Come along with me for a tour of this beautiful country and how the Italians shaped the place it became.