How expensive was blue dye in ancient Europe? It is said that there was a pigment called ultramarine (dark blue) in ancient Europe, which was used in a wide range of uses and was often used in oil paintings. However, this pigment was very expensive in ancient times.

How expensive is it? The same weight of ultramarine pigment is five times that of gold. Moreover, there was only one source of ancient European ultramarine pigments – lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. As for the blue of the indigo grass, it is close to cyan, just like the blue on the Scottish flag of later generations, which belongs to blue-cyan. Prussian blue, on the other hand, is a dark blue, similar to ultramarine, which is also a dark blue.

Because ultramarines are currently too expensive, they have to be imported from Afghanistan. Therefore, the cost of oil painting is quite high now. After all, ultramarine is an important raw material for oil painting. It is said that Michelangelo gave up his creation because of the lack of ultramarine.

Later, after the advent of Prussian blue, a color-stable dye, many painters began to switch to the cheaper Prussian blue instead of the expensive ultramarine. After all, the average painter can't afford to buy Afghan ultramarines that cost more than gold.

In general, ultramarines were exported from Central Asia to West Asia, where they were sold by Arab merchants from West Asia at high prices to Venetian merchants. The Venetian merchant said that after the ultramarines were shipped back to Europe, the price was more expensive than gold.

Moreover, in oil paintings, ultramarine is the special color of the Virgin Mary, which is very noble. Actually, it's mainly because ultramarines are expensive. Expensive things are naturally used by noble objects......

Prussian blue, which appeared later, was somewhat different from ultramarine. But because it is all dark blue, it was adopted by many poor painters and replaced ultramarine. Mainly, it's cheap......

In these days, dark blue is a symbol of grandeur in Europe, representing high prices. Marin suddenly didn't want to promote dark blue clothing in the army so early. If it's used as a military uniform, it's a bit degraded. So, let's take advantage of the high price and make more money......

……

Here, Marin has a headache for Angela, who likes to walk in the rain. Angela has been pregnant for several months and is now a pot-bellied woman. However, this woman likes to walk in the rain, which is very poetic......

Ma Lin doesn't care if he is poetic or not, he only knows that this woman has a child in her belly, and if she walks on a rainy day, she has a windbreaker-type raincoat, but he is not worried about her getting wet. However, the road was slippery on rainy days. If you accidentally fall, you may have to take at least one life, either big or small, and you may take it all together......

So, next, Marin forcibly restricted Angela from going out crazy on a rainy day. This mother-in-law is a pot-bellied woman, and she can't use her waist, but she likes rainy days. Although the raincoat was advertised, Marin paid more attention to the child in her belly......

On the medical side, the lateral incision technology has been developed, and it has been upgraded from giving birth to animals to the point of using it for humans. By the time Angela gives birth, it will almost be able to be applied. Then, the low-tech stuff of the forceps was also made. In short, Angela's production this time should have a low risk factor......

……

While Marin was busy working on raincoats and paints, there were war clouds on the southern European side. Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba is Spain's number one player. After learning that the French were preparing to defend the city of Naples for a decisive battle, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba adjusted its tactics and intended to move the French army, or part of the French army, away from Naples first......

After all, the French army of seventy or eighty thousand people was stationed in a fortified city like the city of Naples. Morality. Córdoba's self-proclaimed famous general is also very helpless.

So, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba intended to take some action to distract the French and force the other side to divide their forces......

……

Then, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba contacted the Aragon Navy and had them block the sea lines of communication of the Kingdom of Naples. Then, the Aragon navy attacked the port of Marseille, assuming the appearance of attacking it. Its purpose was to "encircle Wei and save Zhao" and force the French army to divide its troops.

However, Jean Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba was depressed that Louis XII seemed unconcerned about the dangers of the port of Marseille. The Spaniards bombarded Marseille many times, but they could not get a single French soldier in the city of Naples. Obviously, Louis XII was determined to fight the Spaniards in Naples this time. As for Marseille, he really didn't care......

The only thing that Louis XII cared about was the safety of Paris. However, Louis XII accepted John. At Rafite's suggestion, 20,000 militiamen were placed in the barracks outside Paris to pose as defenders. But because of the good secrecy work, except for Marin's knowledge, other countries really thought that France had left more than 20,000 people to guard Paris. Therefore, no one will fight the idea of Paris.

So, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba's plan to "encircle Wei and save Zhao" failed......

……

In desperation, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba had no choice but to withdraw the Spanish troops and ships that had surrounded and put on the illusion of a siege. Then the Spanish army began to land in the port of Salerno, not far from the capital of the Kingdom of Naples.

This side is not too far from the city of Naples, and it is only a dozen kilometers from Pompey. After landing here, it will only take a little more than a year to reach the city of Naples, which is also convenient.

Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba has already realized that the other side is clearly going to fight the Spaniards in Naples this time. He had no choice but to send troops to besiege the city of Naples first. At the very least, the French supply sources must be cut off first......

Wait until the supplies are cut off, and then talk about attacking the city. After all, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba is no fool, and in the face of a larger enemy army, the siege is expected to not only suffer heavy losses, but also may fail as a result......

……

This is a national war, the top national war......

The combined size of the armies on both sides is already more than 100,000 troops, remember, it is a real army of 100,000, not the kind of fake army that uses grain to transport people.

Here, no one can afford to lose. Because, once one side loses, the price to pay is too high. The most direct is the loss of the Kingdom of Naples.

This is still light, the loss of the Kingdom of Naples is nothing more than the loss of territory. But if tens of thousands of troops are folded in Naples, what will be ruined may be the fortune of the country......

The fate of a country is often linked to the victory or defeat of a war, and if the war is won, the country will be prosperous and strong. The war was lost...... The country may also collapse......

……

Whether it was King Louis XII of France, or the Supreme Commander of Spain, Gonzalo. Morality. Córdoba, none of them dared to joke with the future and fate of the country.

Therefore, both sides were especially careful not to affect the development of the national fortunes due to the defeat......