A Deadly Jousting Accident
In the 16th century, a Hungarian nobleman named Gregor Baci participated in a jousting tournament. During the event, an opponent’s lance struck him in the head, piercing through his right eye and exiting near his ear. Despite the severe injury, Baci did not die immediately and reportedly survived for some time after the incident.
A Portrait That Stunned Experts
A painting of Gregor Baci, created during the 16th century, depicts him wearing ornate armor with a long wooden lance still lodged through his skull. The artwork, displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, shows detailed features suggesting that Baci was alive even after the wound. Medical historians have debated how he could have survived such an injury, considering the damage to his skull and brain.
Unanswered Questions
Little is known about Baci’s life beyond the portrait and reports of his jousting accident. How long he lived after the injury remains unclear, but historical accounts indicate he survived for an extended period. His story remains one of the most astonishing cases of survival recorded in Renaissance history.
In the 16th century, Hungarian nobleman Gregor Baci suffered a jousting injury that should have been fatal. A lance pierced his right eye and exited near his ear, yet he survived. His story, captured in a painting, remains one of the most baffling medical mysteries of its time.🧵 pic.twitter.com/8Ms5uO44QE
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