Utterly interesting

After the gladiators vanished, the Colosseum became a fortress, a quarry, a Christian shrine, and even a refuge for reformed sex workers. Discover how the world’s most famous arena transformed across 2,000 years

When Donald Trump tried to bulldoze her Atlantic City home for a limo lot, Vera Coking said no. Her fight became legendary, a widow versus a billionaire. “It was never about the money,” she said. “I loved my home.”

Imagine getting a hand-painted seascape as a dinner party favour. In 1887, Ivan Aivazovsky gifted 150 guests just that, miniature masterpieces painted on his own photograph. Discover how the great marine artist blended ego, innovation, and emotion