We take another break from our chronological progress to take a look at Venice as we reach the fourth Crusade, the event that dramatically changed the maritime republic. IN this episode we go from the foundation to the Frankish attack in 810.
Oct 24, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is the second and last part of a collaboration with Assassinations Podcast on the notorious Borgia family. First Niall Cooper focuses on Lucrezia Borgia and then I follow the downfall of the short-lived dynasty.
Oct 15, 2019•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast a collaboration episode with one of my favourite podcast, Assassinations Podcast. In this episode I talk about the rise of the Borgia family and Neil of Assassinations Podcast focuses on Cesare Borgia.
Oct 08, 2019•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1176 - 1204 We take a look at the aftermath of the battle of Legnano which saw the forces of the Lombard League victorious against Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Then we take a quick look at the third and fourth Crusades.
Oct 01, 2019•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1176 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and the Cities of the Lombard League gather their forces and clash at a small town outside of Milan, called Legnano. The battle would echo through the centuries to be remembered in Italian politics to this day.
Sep 24, 2019•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1166 - 1174 After the formation of the Lombard League of the communes of northern Italy a clash with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had become almost inevitable. Both sides now started to prepare for the confrontation that would decide the future of Italy.
Sep 13, 2019•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this first ever crossover episode, we talk to Steve Guerra of the History of the Papacy podcast about the Lombards. This is part 2 of 2.
Sep 03, 2019•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this first ever crossover episode, we talk to Steve Guerra of the History of the Papacy podcast about the Lombards. This is part 1 of 2.
Aug 27, 2019•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1162 - 1167 We see how after sorting out Milan, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa also goes on to try and deal with pope Alexander III. Meanwhile, the communes start to learn that there can be strength in numbers, with the League of Verona in 1164 and the Lombard and Italic Leagues in 1167.
Aug 20, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1158 - 1162 After the diet of Roncaglia, we follow Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa as he tries to deal with a papal schism between Victor IV and Alexander III and then goes on to deal with the communes, particularly the every obstinate Milan.
Aug 14, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1155 - 1158 We see an attempt by Eastern Roman Emperor Manuel Komnenus to bring at least part of Italy back into the empire, a peace between pope Hadrian IV and the Norman king William I. Then, of course there is the continuing struggle between Frederick Barbarossa and the northern communes headed by Milan.
Aug 07, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1154 - 1155 Hadrian IV tries to come to terms with the Roman commune and its moral leader, Arnaldo da Brescia, but the results are not quite as they expected
Jul 30, 2019•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast The communes start to feel they need some admin changes. We go from pope Eugene III through an Anastasius for a bit to the major hitter Hadrian IV. All the while Frederick Barbarossa starts to come into play
Jul 23, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast While still doing a little dillying and a touch of dallying, we take a moment to look at the recent Women's Fifa soccer world cup and relive some soccer memories from the great state of Virginia.
Jul 12, 2019•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast While waiting to get back on track, we take a virtual trip to Puglia and answer some listener questions and comments
Jul 03, 2019•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1143 - 1147 n the first half of the 12th century, with communes popping up like mushrooms, Rome wasn't just gonna sit back and let them have all the fun. However, if there's something about Rome, it's that there is always a pope around.
Jun 13, 2019•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1130 - 1143 We accompany Duke Roger of Sicily, Puglia and Calabria in his attempt to set up a kingdom before we take a look around our spanking new communes.
Jun 07, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1122 - 1130 We finally get back to the chronological narration of Italian history, popping in to see a new Holy Roman Emperor, a new pope, or couple of popes and catch up with the ambitious Normans
May 29, 2019•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Having set up the start of the communes, we take a look at what it would be like to wander around an Italian city in the early 12th century
May 21, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast We take a look at how a new form of local government, the Communes rose and gained their independence from the feudal powers that be,
May 14, 2019•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Using th concordat of Worms as a stopping point, we look back over th episodes that cover from the year 1000 to the end of the investiture crisis in 1122.
May 01, 2019•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast We see the golden age of Muslim Sicily under the Fatimids and Kalbids before everything comes crashing down to to interval division and outside forces.
Apr 22, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast We take a look back at the Arab invasione of Sicily starting with the early raids in the seventh century, through the invasion of 827 up to the fall of the Aghlabids in the early tenth century.
Apr 15, 2019•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the second part of this miniseries we go from the time of king Rotari of the Lombards at the end of the seventh century to the fall of Bai and the end of the Byzantine presence in Italy.
Apr 01, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast We take a look back at the Byzantine presence in Italy, from the Gothic War in 535 up to the start of the seventh century.
Mar 20, 2019•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast We continue the story of Matilda of Canossa as war breaks out with Emperor Henry IV. We then see yet another failed attempt at marriage, the end of the fight against Henry IV and how things went with his son and successor, Henry V while alone she tan one of the largest areas in Italy.
Mar 05, 2019•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1046 - 1080 We look at the life of Matilda of Canossa, starting from the history of her family through her childhood, the humiliation of Canossa and to the start of the war against Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
Feb 25, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast We see how Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV ended up, as well as his long-term nemesis Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Canossa. Meanwhile we change couple of popes and get a new Emperor, yet another Henry as he also struggles with a couple of popes on their way to the concordat of Worms.
Feb 16, 2019•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast On the "giornata del ricordo", a commemoration to remember the victims of the Massacre of the Foibe in Istria and Venezia Giulia in 1943 and 1945, we talk to Roberta Alessandra Belulovich, an Istria Italian about her family history and the Istrian question.
Feb 10, 2019•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast 1095 - 1099 We see how Urban II took the investiture controversy to a whole different level and scored major PR points for the papacy with the first crusade.
Feb 04, 2019•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast