Although Yolande of Aragon saved France, I am sad to report that she is now shockingly and shamefully, all but forgotten.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce is the Father of Photography.

The jewels stolen from The Louvre in October 2025, were not The Crown Jewels.

Leonardo didn’t compartmentalise his experiments. For example, before him, only apothecaries created fragrances which were not meant to be put directly on to the skin.

Not only is her smile strange, just about everything about her is strange.

Leonardo did not give this, or any other of his paintings, a title. He simply said it is of a Florentine lady.

Before we dive into the nitty gritty of what lies behind the painting, it never hurts to point out that the first people to see Mona Lisa outside Italy lived in Amboise in the beautiful Loire Valley.

Apart from those who live in the area, very few have ever heard of Dampierre-sur-Loire, yet this is where one of the most astonishing Queens of England ended her days.

I became familiar with Château Saumur, or at least its image, in college many, many years ago (1972) while training to be an art teacher.