In 1861, the kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the various Italian states under one national banner. But what did it mean to be 'Italian' in the mid-19th century? How did the pope react to the concept of a united Italy? And why did so many British women fall in love with Garibaldi? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian David Laven answers lis ... Show More
Sep 16
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 incl ... Show More
16m 58s
Aug 2024
484. The Food that Changed the World
The unexpected evolution of Italian food can serve as a tantalising doorway into some of the greatest moments of Italian history: from medieval monarchs, murdered popes, and the Renaissance, to secret societies, and Mussolini’s fascist propaganda. Yet the history of Italian food ... Show More
46m 33s
May 2018
Episode 26: The Promised Land
We meet some of the leaders of the Army of Italy. The First Italian Campaign begins in dramatic fashion, with two weeks of lightning battles at Montenotte, Millesimo, Dego, Ceva, and Mondovì. Napoleon negotiates with Piedmont, and worries about looting, and about his wife. Learn ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Joseph John Viscomi, "Migration at the End of Empire: Time and the Politics of Departure Between Italy and Egypt" (Cambridge UP, 2024)
How has migration shaped Mediterranean history? And what role did conflicting temporalities and the politics of departure play in the age of decolonisation? Using a microhistorical approach, Migration at the End of Empire: Time and the Politics of Departure Between Italy and Egyp ... Show More
1h 35m
Nov 7
Who was the Husband Poisoner of Renaissance Italy?
Odourless, tasteless, colourless, lethal. In the mid-17th century, men were dropping like flies in Italy. And this wasn't just the plague - it was the work of the poison Aqua Tofana.So what is Aqua Tofana? And who was its apocryphal purveyor, Giulia Tofana? In this episode we are ... Show More
35m 20s
Aug 2023
The Age of the Condottieri - A Short History of Mediaeval Italy from 1409-1530 by Oscar Browning ~ Full Audiobook [history]
The Age of the Condottieri - A Short History of Mediaeval Italy from 1409-1530 by Oscar Browning audiobook.
Genre: history
Italy from 1409 to 1530 is synonymous with the Renaissance, but this was also the age of the condottieri, Italian captains of mercenary companies and multin ... Show More
8h 41m