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.