logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
21m 3s

170 - The Gonzaga of Mantua Mantua

MIKE CORRADI
About this episode

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, Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Canossa, to see the arrival and rise of the Corradi of Gonzaga. They would take over control of the city of Mantua and set up a county, and then a Marquisate that would put them in third place as the longest lasting dynasty in Italy

On the way, they will have to battle with the greedy Visconti of Milan, and have arguments with famous painter Andrea Mantegna who refused to make the ugly Gonzaga good looking and had issues with apples.

We will also answer the question of what happened to King Charles the eighth of Franc's porn collection.

Up next
Feb 24
202 - Spanish Italy in the early 1500's -The Kingdom of Naples
Episode OverviewHaving toured Spanish Sardinia and turbulent Sicily, we now complete our circuit of southern Italy by turning to the Kingdom of Naples.Once secured for Spain by the legendary Gonzalo de Córdoba, Naples became one of the crown jewels of the Spanish Empire — wealthy ... Show More
19m 43s
Feb 3
201 - Spanish Italy in the early 1500’s - Sardinia and Sicily
Episode OverviewHaving raced through the early 1500s following the Italian Wars, the Medici popes, Leonardo da Vinci, and the creation of the Medici duchy in Florence, it’s time to slow down and look at the parts of Italy we’ve left slightly out of focus.In this episode, we take ... Show More
17m 9s
Jan 3
200th episode 8th anniversary
To celebrate the 200th anniversary episode, which coincided with the 8th anniversary, we decided to hear from you, dear constant listener to create a special episode to celebrate this great milestone with many more hopefully to come.As well as greetings, we'll hear about:Sieges v ... Show More
29m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
The Rise of Marseilles: France's Oldest City
<p>Today it is the second largest city in France. But Marseilles is also the country’s oldest city. Founded at the turn of the 7th&nbsp;century BC by Greek settlers, the ancient history of Marseilles (known to the Greeks as Massalia and the Romans as Massilia) is rich. Strategica ... Show More
48m 15s
Feb 2021
Medieval Pilgrimage
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea and experience of Christian pilgrimage in Europe from the 12th to the 15th centuries, which figured so strongly in the imagination of the age. For those able and willing to travel, there were countless destinations from Jerusalem, Rome and ... Show More
50m 43s
Apr 2022
The Sistine Chapel
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the astonishing work of Michelangelo (1477-1564) in this great chapel in the Vatican, firstly the ceiling with images from Genesis (of which the image above is a detail) and later The Last Judgement on the altar wall. For the Papacy, Michelangelo's ... Show More
55m 50s
Feb 2010
017- Pyrrhic Victories
The Greek cities of southern Italy called on King Pyrrhus of Epirus to protect them from Roman encroachment. Though Pyrrhus was undefeated in battle, his victories were so costly that he was forced to withdraw from Italy in 275 BC, leaving Rome in control of Magna Graecia. 
17m 49s
Nov 2012
The Borgias
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Borgias, the most notorious family in Renaissance Italy. Famed for their treachery and corruption, the Borgias produced two popes during their time of dominance in Rome in the late 15th century. The most well-known of these two popes is Ale ... Show More
41m 58s
Nov 2017
Picasso's Guernica
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the context and impact of Pablo Picasso's iconic work, created soon after the bombing on 26th April 1937 that obliterated much of the Basque town of Guernica, and its people. The attack was carried out by warplanes of the German Condor Legion, join ... Show More
54m 17s
Mar 2024
Episode 288 - Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat
After throwing a huge strop Boniface, the Marquis of Montferrat, is made King of Thessalonica.He sent his men to conquer most of Greece but the Bulgarians were on his tail.Period: 1204-07 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
21m 5s
Mar 2023
Sardinia: Mysteries of the Bronze Age
<p>Shrouded in mystery, the Nuragic culture was an enigmatic Bronze Age Civilisation that lived on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. With their name deriving from the Island's iconic fortress-like Nuraghe monument - they have not only defined Bronze Age history, but even the ... Show More
42m 8s