Public Executions

Ireland's most haunted castle hides a sealed pit behind the altar. Workmen broke in and pulled out three cartloads of bones. The Elemental still walks the chapel.

Portrait of a female author smiling in warm evening light on a city street.

Clara M.

Ruins of Civilizations

Circus Maximus: The 150,000-Seat Slaughterhouse of Ancient Rome

Chariot races decided fortunes, emperors courted crowds, and the condemned met their end in front of the entire city. No arena before or since came close.

Clara M.

Tragedies & Disasters

Campo de’ Fiori: The Killing Floor of the Roman Inquisition

Explore Campo de’ Fiori, the lethal theater of the Roman Inquisition. From the mechanics of public execution to the story of Giordano Bruno and the "Bridge of Death."

Clara M.

Leap Castle: Ireland's Most Haunted Castle and the Real Killings That Built Its Ghosts

Circus Maximus: The 150,000-Seat Slaughterhouse of Ancient Rome

Campo de’ Fiori: The Killing Floor of the Roman Inquisition