194 - The Italian Wars 11 - Medici pope to Medici pope - Battle of Pavia and Cognac

After three episodes exploring the life of Leonardo da Vinci, we return to the turbulent stage of the Italian Wars. In this episode, we pick up in the early 1520s, a period shaped by papal politics, dynastic rivalries, and the shifting fortunes of France and Spain.

Highlights include:

• The succession of popes after Leo X: Hadrian VI and Clement VII, and their struggles with reform, neutrality, and survival.
• The tug-of-war between France and Spain over Milan and Naples, with Spain ultimately gaining the upper hand.
• The dramatic Battle of Pavia (1525) — where Francis I of France was captured, changing the balance of power in Italy.
• Local legend and culinary history: the devil’s bridge of Pavia and the birth of zuppa alla pavese.
• The curious origin of the word lapalisiano (and its English cousin lapalissade), born from the death of French commander Jacques de La Palice.
• The rise of the League of Cognac (1526), a desperate coalition including France, the Papacy, Florence, and Venice against Charles V’s growing dominance.

Along the way, we balance high politics with folklore, language quirks, and even a recipe or two — showing how wars, words, and food can be unexpectedly intertwined.

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