Episode Summary
Picking up where we left off, Giovanni de’ Medici, son of Caterina Sforza and known to history as Giovanni of the Black Bands, continues his meteoric rise through the bloody and chaotic world of Renaissance warfare. Backed by a Medici pope and driven by his fierce loyalty to his men, Giovanni’s legend as a mercenary commander — and his troubles with the powerful Medici family — only grow.
Host Mike Corradi unpacks the dangerous charisma, discipline, and contradictions of this larger-than-life condottiero: a man both feared and admired, ruthless yet loyal, reckless yet revered. From duels and executions to daring river crossings and political intrigue, this episode captures Giovanni at the height of his brutal glory.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
- From Soldier to Legend – How Giovanni built the feared and disciplined Black Bands, and the tough standards that made them famous.
- Mercenary Life in Renaissance Italy – The realities of the “condotta” contract system, pay, discipline, and the fine line between soldiers and extortionists.
- A Code of Blood and Brotherhood – Giovanni’s uncompromising justice, personal duels, and brutal loyalty to his men.
- Exile and Recklessness – The duel with Camillo d’Appiano, murders in Florence, and yet another banishment for the restless Medici captain.
- Back to War – Giovanni’s return to papal service, his victories in the Marche, and the death of Pope Leo X — when his men finally took the name The Black Bands.
- The Battle of Vaprio (1521) – A daring river crossing, a sleeping French commander, and a crucial victory that spared Milan from destruction.
- Family and Bloodlines Again – Giovanni’s rescue of his stepsister Bianca Riario, echoing his mother Caterina’s courage.
- A New Companion – The arrival of Pietro Aretino, the scandalous writer and provocateur, whose influence on Giovanni we’ll soon discover.
Key Figures
- Giovanni de’ Medici “of the Black Bands” – The fearless condottiero whose name became a legend.
- Pope Leo X (Giovanni de’ Medici) – The Medici pope whose death marked a turning point for Giovanni’s army.
- Maria Salviati – Giovanni’s long-suffering wife, holding the family together in his absence.
- Prospero Colonna – The respected general under whom Giovanni fought, and a link to the fall of Cesare Borgia.
- Bianca Riario – Giovanni’s stepsister and loyal supporter, mirroring their mother’s fierce independence.
- Pietro Aretino – The notorious writer and satirist soon to become Giovanni’s newest and most scandalous ally.
Highlights & Insights
- The discipline and image of the Black Bands as a symbol of military professionalism.
- Giovanni’s ruthless moral code: loyalty rewarded, betrayal punished — often fatally.
- The economic and moral contradictions of the condottieri trade.
- How personal honour and vendetta shaped early 16th-century warfare.
- The seeds of change as firearms began to replace the medieval knight.
Closing Thought
As Giovanni’s fame and ferocity spread across Italy, his world teeters between the medieval and the modern — where mercenary loyalty, family honour, and the politics of popes collide.
But with the arrival of a new friend — and bad influence — in Pietro Aretino, Giovanni’s story is about to take an even darker and more dangerous...