Medieval – New Histories

The medieval beverage of choice: alcohol or water?

Illustration of a Monk wine taster (13th century). Illumination from a copy of Li livres dou santé by Aldobrandino of Siena. British Library manuscript Sloane 2435, f. 44v.

There is a strong misconception that people living in medieval times would primarily drink alcohol as it was believed that water was unsafe to drink.

Lady Godiva: The Woman, The Myth, The Legend

Painting of Lady Godiva on horseback by John Collier, c. 1897, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

Lady Godiva – we have all heard of this legendary noblewoman in one way or another purely through cultural osmosis.