Chapter 1: The Enigmatic Castel del Monte

The Castel del Monte is a striking medieval fortress situated along the Adriatic coast of southern Italy, constructed in the 13th century. This architectural marvel was commissioned by Frederick II, who ruled as King of Sicily from 1198, as well as King of Germany, Italy, and the Holy Roman Emperor during his reign.

Frederick II was responsible for erecting numerous castles across southern Italy; however, Castel del Monte stands out due to its remarkable geometric design and mathematical precision. Completed in 1240, this fortress lacks traditional features like moats, basements, or drawbridges, which are common in other castles of the era.

Perched atop a hill at an elevation of 1,770 feet (540 meters), the castle boasts an octagonal shape with eight towers positioned at its corners. The ground floor and the second floor each contain eight rooms, and the castle is accessible through a single entrance. Each side of the ground floor features eight single-arched windows, while the second floor has eight windows—seven are double-arched, and one has three openings facing the town of Andria.

Constructed from limestone and marble, Castel del Monte is connected by spiral staircases that ascend in a counter-clockwise direction, a distinctive feature for castles of that time. This design would have required soldiers to wield their weapons in their left hand while defending the fortress, suggesting it was not primarily a military stronghold.

Remarkably, the castle has maintained its original structure since its completion, save for some decorative aspects that have eroded over time. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Chapter 2: The Ingenious Transformation of a Citroen 2CV

In 1993, French engineer Emile Leray embarked on a solo adventure across the Sahara Desert in his Citroen 2CV. Despite his previous travels across Morocco, this time a military roadblock forced him to turn back. Undeterred, Leray sought an alternative route through the desert.

Unfortunately, while navigating the sandy terrain, his car struck a rock, causing significant damage to the front axle and chassis, leaving him stranded far from the nearest village. Faced with this predicament, he devised an unconventional solution: he would convert his damaged vehicle into a motorcycle.

Leray began by removing the car's body to use as a makeshift shelter. Over 12 days and nights, he meticulously shortened the chassis, reattached two wheels, and added suspension, an engine, and an ignition system. He even fashioned a seat from the car's rear bumper.

To his astonishment, the motorcycle worked, allowing Leray to ride back to Tan-Tan, the city from which he originally departed. However, his journey took an unexpected turn when local police halted him, unimpressed by his creation. They fined him 4,550 dirhams (450 euros) for not adhering to the specifications for Citroen vehicles.

Despite the setback, Leray successfully rode his makeshift motorcycle to France, where he preserved it alongside other inventive projects crafted from Citroen parts.

Chapter 3: The Tragic Fate of the SS Central America

On September 3, 1857, the SS Central America departed from Colon, Panama, destined for New York City. Onboard were 101 crew members, 477 passengers, and a staggering 11.2 tons of gold, much of which originated from the California Gold Rush.

As the ship made its way up the East Coast on September 11, it was caught in a severe storm off South Carolina. Water began to flood the bow, and the boiler failed, leading the ship to sink. Efforts to rescue passengers were thwarted by the harsh weather, resulting in the tragic sinking of the SS Central America on September 12, claiming 425 lives. Only 153 passengers reached lifeboats, while the gold vanished to the depths of the ocean.

The loss of this gold played a significant role in the financial panic of 1857, as it was intended for New York banks to stabilize reserves and prevent the collapse of East Coast businesses.

Over the years, multiple expeditions aimed at recovering the lost gold were unsuccessful until, more than a century later, marine engineer Tommy Thompson initiated a search in 1988. After extensive research and $12.5 million in funding from investors, his team, the Columbus America Discovery Group, managed to locate the wreck 155 miles (250 kilometers) off South Carolina at a depth of 7,001 feet (2,134 meters). They recovered gold bars and approximately 5,200 coins valued at an estimated $100 to $150 million.

However, the excitement was short-lived, as Thompson faced legal battles with 39 insurance companies claiming they insured the lost gold. Complications grew when investors sued Thompson for failing to provide returns on their investments. In 2012, he was summoned to federal court to reveal the whereabouts of 500 coins minted from the ship's gold but disappeared before the hearing.

Three years later, U.S. marshals located him hiding in Florida. In April 2015, he pleaded guilty to contempt of court for failing to appear, receiving a fine and a two-year prison sentence that was postponed pending the location of the coins. To date, Thompson remains in federal custody, as he continues to withhold information about the coins' location.

Chapter 4: The Quest for the Geographical Center of the U.S.

Determining the geographical center of the United States has been a complex endeavor due to the country's irregular shape. The first notable attempt occurred through the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, which identified a point in Kansas, known as "Meades Ranch," that seemed central.

After the admission of Arizona and New Mexico as states in 1912, the search for the geographical center was revisited. In 1918, mathematician Oscar S. Adams introduced an innovative approach. His team crafted a cardboard map of the U.S. and employed the "center-of-gravity method," balancing the map until it reached equilibrium. This point was identified as being approximately 40 miles north of Meades Ranch.

The challenge resurfaced with the addition of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, which would have placed the center in the Pacific Ocean. Adams adjusted the model to position the new states next to Washington, thus relocating the geographical center to Belle Fourche, South Dakota, where it remains today.

Adams also noted that the concept of finding the country's center is largely subjective, based on human curiosity and the definitions applied during calculations.

Chapter 5: George de Hevesy's Groundbreaking Discovery

In 1911, Hungarian chemist George de Hevesy arrived in Manchester, UK, to collaborate with Nobel laureate Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford was attempting to work with a radioactive byproduct of radium, known as radium D, which was contaminated with lead.

After nearly two years of unsuccessful attempts to separate radium D from lead, de Hevesy made a significant discovery. He realized that radium D could serve as a radioactive tracer for lead. This unstable isotope undergoes radioactive decay, emitting detectable particles of light, thereby allowing it to be used for studying lead's properties.

This breakthrough in radioactive tracers revolutionized scientific research, enabling tracking of elements during chemical reactions and aiding in medical imaging tests to diagnose internal conditions.

De Hevesy also employed his discovery for a rather unconventional purpose. Suspecting that his landlady was recycling food, he sprinkled radioactive material on his leftovers to verify his suspicions. When he later tested a meal with an electroscope, he found traces of the radioactive tracer, leading to the first investigation using radiotracers.

Later, de Hevesy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1943. He had previously encountered the Nobel Prize when, during the Nazi invasion of Denmark in 1940, he dissolved the gold medals of Max von Laue and James Franck in aqua regia to prevent their confiscation. After the war, he recovered the gold and returned it to the Nobel Society for recasting.

Chapter 6: The Unusual Delicacy of Casu Marzu

On the Italian island of Sardinia, a peculiar and illegal delicacy known as casu marzu is produced. This cheese is notorious for being infested with maggots, earning it the title of "the world's most dangerous cheese" in the Guinness Book of Records.

Casu marzu is crafted from sheep's milk and differs significantly from typical cheeses. The cheese skipper fly, Piophila casei, is allowed to lay eggs within the cheese, or larvae are purposefully introduced, initiating a unique fermentation process.

The larvae consume the cheese, resulting in a soft, creamy texture. It is often consumed while the larvae are still alive; dead maggots render the cheese inedible.

Casu marzu is prohibited for sale in most countries and is challenging to find even in Sardinia, where it was once banned but later classified as a "traditional food." As a result, it is primarily sold on the black market or homemade by locals.

Its flavor is described as salty and intense, accompanied by a pungent aroma and unusual texture. However, many Sardinians would likely argue against these characterizations of their beloved cheese.

For more intriguing facts and explorations, return to Fact World for the next issue of Completely Random Facts.