Nostradamus: Strange and Unusual Facts

The Lost World of Nostradamus
—Nostradamus predicted the world would end in 2012 in one interpretation of a quatrain, matching that of the Mayan Calendar's ending; but that it will end in 3797, in another. Hence, the discreptancy that several have noticed and commented on. Let us all, in this era, hope that its the latter, and not the former ;)

—In 1555, he published a book of recipes for cosmetics, perfumes and fruit preservatives.

—Nostradamus treated plague victims with pills he made from rose petals. He supposedly instructed his patients to keep the pills under their tongues at all times. He also claimed that the rose remedy helped fight bad breath and tooth decay.

—While living in Salon in the 1550s, Nostradamus invested heavily in an ambitious canal project designed by engineer Adam de Craponne to bring an irrigation system to the arid region. The canal was a success and still stands in existence, today.

—In late 1561, Nostradamus was arrested and briefly detained for failing to obtain proper permission from the authorities to publish his 1562 almanac.

—Although Nostradamus died in the middle of 1566, his 1567 almanac was published because he actually had it all ready and prepared before his own death.

—According to legend, Nostradamus once encountered a young Franciscan monk herding pigs in Italy. To the surprise of onlookers, Nostradamus respectfully addressed the lowly monk as "Your Holiness." In 1585, years after Nostradamus died, that monk, Felice Peretti, became Pope Sixtus V.

—It is believed that Nostradamus was buried with a document containing the secrets to his prophecies. In 1700, officials in Salon decided to relocate his coffin to a more optimal location. In the process, they decided to look inside. No document was located; however, a medallion inscribed with "1700" was reportedly found around Nostradamus' skeleton, leading people to believe the prophet had correctly predicted the year his coffin would be opened.

—The house in Salon where Nostradamus lived with his second wife and their children still stands today and is open to the public as a museum. Every summer, the town holds a festival honoring its most famous former resident.

Postnotes:
1. According to the New York Times, in the days following the 9/11 attacks, the top search term on Google was "Nostradamus."

2. Today following the History Channels airing of its The Lost Book of Nostradamus, it is my top search link, as well. Hence, additional information constantly being added ;) Hey, I'm having a lot of fun with this...and I hope that some of you are, as well!

My other posts to check out:
Nostradamus watercolor images and quatrains:
The Lost World of Nostradamus
The Lost Book of Nostradamus: His Watercolor Images and Quatrains

All of my posts resourced the following sources or linked directly back to them:
the two-hour History Channel Special The Lost Book of Nostradamus
Ellie's World and CRYSTALINKS EZINE and her Nostradamus