Episodes
Sept. 20, 2022
144 - A sickly father, a magnificent mother amd balls (1464 - 1468)
Piero De Medici takes over the shadow government of Florence at the death of his father and with the help of his wife and son manages to hold the reigns, overcome a plot on his life and a war with a rather interesting charact...
Sept. 6, 2022
143 Cosimus Medices Pater Patriae (1429 - 1464)
We finally get into the Medici in style with the man who is considered the founder of the family's great fortune and political dominance. We follow Cosimo de Medici as he slowly asserts his power over the Republic of Florence...
Aug. 31, 2022
142 - pope-ing out of the Middle ages (1447 - 1492)
We accompany the last set of popes of the middle ages, from Nicholas V to Innocent VIII as they take us out of th middle ages with the usual intrigue in the Italian peninsula with Naples,Florence, Milan and Venice as well as ...
Aug. 9, 2022
141 - The popes are back in business (1417 - 1447)
After the healing of the western schism in 1417, new pope Martin V must get his papal state sunder control which means dealing with a whole load of issue such as brigands, mercenary captains, pushy neighbours, unruly lords an...
Aug. 2, 2022
140 - King Ferdinand's woes (1458 - 1492)
After the death of Alphonse the Magnanimous, his son, Ferdinad, has quite a time managing to hold on to the kingdom of Naples what with revolting Barons, meddling popes and even an Ottoman invasion! Will the poor man ever get...
July 19, 2022
AMM: Paolo Borsellino and Rita Atria
On the 30th anniversary of his death, we look at the life and struggle of anti-mafia investigative magistrate Paolo Borsellino up to his tragic killing and how he crossed path with a brave young girl of only 17, willing to gi...
July 12, 2022
139 - King Alphonse of Naples (1436 - 1458)
We go back a little to see how Alphonse V of Aragon actually got onto the throne of Naples and what he had to put up with once he got there dealing with Milan, Venice, Genoa and Florence, before a rather unprecedented allianc...
June 21, 2022
138 - Aragonese Sardinia and Sicily (1410 - 1500)
We take a quick look at some of the situations and key events in Sardinia and Sicily in the 15th century as the Aragonese consolidate their hold over their new possessions
June 7, 2022
137 - The Republic of San Marino
While attempting to catch up with our studies, we go outside (or inside) Italy to look at a foreign country within our borders up to the 15th century and find out why we have yet another independent country on the peninsula.
May 31, 2022
Special: Anti-Judaism in Medieval Italy - The case of Simonino da Trento with Lorenzo Paluan
We explore a tragic travesty of justice as we look into the anti-jewish case of Simonino da Trento, a young boy who was found dead in 1475 and whose murder was blamed on the local Jewish community with no tangible proof, lead...
May 25, 2022
Recap 06: Episode 101 - 136
After quite a long tour (36 episodes) we take our routine look back to recap what we have been over, moving around Italy and back and forth in time
May 10, 2022
136 - Savoy from count to duke to pope (1391 - 1451)
We follow little count Amedeo VIII as he comes to power and manages to not only expand, consolidate and organise first his county and then duchy, but even has a go at being pope for a while!
May 3, 2022
Anti-mafia martyrs - Pio La Torre, the mafia fighting communist
We take a look at the life and struggle of Sicilian communist party leader Pio La Torre, who spent his whole life trying to oppose Cosa Nostra for the good of the opressed, even when it meant going against his own party.
April 26, 2022
F100: Before Evil - Interview with Brandon Gauthier on Benito Mussolini
As we finish celebrating the 77th anniversary of our liberation from the Fascist government and Nazi occupiers, I talk to author Brandon Gauthier about his new book, which explores the early lives of notirious dictators such ...
April 12, 2022
135 - Savoy - different coloured counts and a murder mystery (1255 - 1391)
We continue catching up with the house of Savoy picking up in 1255 and, after some zig-zagging succession, see the "colourful" green count Amedeo VI and then try to discover what really happened to his son, Amedeo VII the Red...
April 5, 2022
Announcement: 200th upload, new platform, new logo and happy birthday!
We have reached the 200th upload ( regular episodes plus extras) and have moved to a new platform. To celebrate this as well as my 45th birthday we are unveiling the new "A History of Italy" logo
March 22, 2022
134 - Piedmont and the rise of the house of Savoy
We catch the region of piedmont up to the 13th century and then start to take a look at the rise of the house of Savoy, beginning with its founder Umberto Biancamano, he of the white hand (for some reason).
March 15, 2022
F100: 03b The occupation of Fiume part 02
The second part of our chat on the occupation of Fiume where we look at the occupation itself and the life of D'Annunzio after the endeavor
March 8, 2022
F100: 03a The occupation of Fiume - part 01
We draw a profile of the Italian poet and activist Gabriele D'Annunzio up to the time in which he takes command of an expedition to take the city of Fiume, the current day Croatian city of Rijeka. We take a look at his extrem...
March 1, 2022
F100 Memories of Ukraine - an Italian ode to Odessa
In honour of the Ukrainian people, I look back at my fond memories of Ukraine in the "Italian" city of Odessa.
Feb. 22, 2022
133 – catching up with Genoa… again (1310 – 1442)
and 15th century Genoa to catch up on all their wars with Venice and the Aragonese as well as all the internal infighting between the various Doria, Spinola, Fieschi, Grimaldi and Campofregaso for which external rulers are co...
Feb. 8, 2022
F100: The crystallisation of totalitarianism
We take a break from our narrative of the history of Fascism to talk about the definition of Totalitarianism with Jackson Van Uden. Jackson is a Historian, Author and Podcaster. He hosts the History with Jackson YouTube chann...
Feb. 2, 2022
132 The end of the Visconti- how to lose a duchy
Filippo Maria Visconti, now sole Duke of Milan, has a bit of time to take a breather, before the chaos of the wars of Lombardy vs Venice and Florence, with special guest stars
Jan. 26, 2022
131 – Milan, chaos in the duchy (1402 – 1412)
After the untimely death of the first duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the duchy is thrown into turmoil as the widow, Caterina Visconti attempts to hold onto the realm of her sons, Giovanni Maria and Filippo Maria throu...