Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) May Day, first day of May. Its celebration probably originated in the spring fertility festivals of India and Egypt. The festival of the Roman goddess of spring, Flora, was celebrated from Apr. 28 to ...

(Encyclopedia) John I (John the Great), 1357?–1433, king of Portugal (1385–1433), illegitimate son of Peter I. He was made (1364) grand master of the Knights of Aviz and exercised his influence in opposition to ...

(Encyclopedia) minnesinger mĭnˈĭsĭngˌər [key], a medieval German knight, poet, and singer of Minne, or courtly love. Originally imitators of Provençal troubadours, minnesingers developed their own style in th...

(Encyclopedia) Trogir trōˈgēr [key], Ger. Trau, town (2011 pop. 13,192), S Croatia, partly on the Adriatic island of Čiovo and partly on the mainland, separated by a channel. A small port, it is also a seaside r...

(Encyclopedia) Ciudad Rodrigo rôᵺrēˈgō [key], town, Salamanca prov., central Spain, in Castile and León, ...

(Encyclopedia) Valenciennes väläNsyĕnˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 39,276), Nord dept., N France, on the Escaut (Scheldt) River. An old-line industry center in a former coal-mining region, its manufactures include ra...

(Encyclopedia) liming līmˈĭng [key], application to the soil of calcium in various forms, generally as ground limestone, but also as marl, chalk, shells, or hydrated lime. Lime benefits soil by neutralizing acidi...

(Encyclopedia) Altötting ält-öttĭng [key], town, Upper Bavaria, Bavaria, S Germany, near the Inn River and the Austrian border, 42 mi (68 km) SW of Passau. The town is a Roman Cathol...

(Encyclopedia) Paris, Paulin (Alexis Paulin Paris) pôlăNˈ pärēsˈ [key], 1800–1881, French scholar. He was noted for his research in medieval French literature and for initiating the systematic study of Roman...

(Encyclopedia) Girona hārōˈnä [key], city, capital of Girona prov., NE Spain, in Catalonia, on the Onyar ...