A History of Italy
Latest Episodes
173 - The roar of tigress - Caterina Sforza part III (1488 - 1499)
After the assassination of her husband Girolamo Riario, Caterina is in full control as regent for her son, Ottaviano Riario.She has to navigate regional issues in Romagna, another assassination in Faenza and then the tricky balancing act during the descen
The Tigress in her Den - Caterina Sforza part II (1481 - 1488)
After settling in to their new signoria, Caterina Sforza and her husband Girolamo Riario have to deal with continuous plots, the War of Ferrara and the death of uncle pope Sixtus IV. After that Caterina will really show what she's made of by taking and ho
171 - The Tigress rising: Caterina Sforza part 1 (1464 - 1481)
We look at the early years of the woman who would come to be known as "The Tigress of Forl", Caterina Sforza starting with her youth at the court of her father, duke of Milan Galeazzo Maria.We then move on to the traumatic start to her marriage to Girola
170 - The Gonzaga of Mantua Mantua
Having met Francesco II Gonzaga, at the battle of Fornovo, we take some time to go back and have a look at the beautiful city of Mantua from its legendary origins, surrounded by lakes created by the tears of a prophetess, through the period of our heroine
Special: Republic Day 2024
To celebrate 2nd June, Republic Day as well as the release of the related film "C' ancora domani" (There's still tomorrow) by director Paola Cortellesi, we are brushing up our episode on the Historical events that lead up to the referendum od 1946 which
169 - The Italian Wars 6 - round 1 aftermath, the north
After leaving the Papal States with Cesare Borgia waiting for us, we head into the Republic of Florence to look at the struggle with the other Italian powers over Pisa and also stop to talk a little about the man who named America, the Florentine Amerigo
168 - The Italian war 5 - round 1 aftermath - the south and centre
After seeing French King Charles VIII out of the Italian peninsula, we take a quick tour around to see what the situation is at the end of the 15th century and make sure everyone is on the same page. We look at Sardinia, Sicily, the Kingdom of Naples and
167 - The Italian Wars 4 - Charles has left the building (1495 - 1498)
Charles VIII of France is on his way out as king Ferrandino of Naples, along with Gonzalo de Cordoba, are gradually taking back the kingdom.Meanwhile Charles is headed off by the Holy League of Venice at the town of Fornovo in the Apennines of Parma. In t
166 - The Italian Wars 3 - finally Naples… for a bit (1495)
Charles VIII of France finally managed to get to Naples, but doesn't hang around long, the players on the Italian scene feel he has worn out his welcome and Venice, Milan, the pope, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian and Ferdinand II of Spain band together in
Special - The Gulf of poets: Byron, Keats and Shelly in Italy
A chance visit to the beautiful Ligurian town of Porto Venere, staying in a 900 year-old tower, Torre Capitolare (https://www.capitolare.com/) gave us the opportunity to meet not only with medieval history, the Republic of Genoa and Pisa, the Castle of th