Episodes
July 3, 2019
Fill-in episode – A trip to Puglia and listener questions
While waiting to get back on track, we take a virtual trip to Puglia and answer some listener questions and comments
June 13, 2019
055 – A new Roman Republic and a kind-of crusade
1143 - 1147 n the first half of the 12th century, with communes popping up like mushrooms, Rome wasn't just gonna sit back and let them have all the fun. However, if there's something about Rome, it's that there is always a p...
June 7, 2019
054 – A troubled new kingdom and cantankerous communes
1130 - 1143 We accompany Duke Roger of Sicily, Puglia and Calabria in his attempt to set up a kingdom before we take a look around our spanking new communes.
May 29, 2019
053 – Guelfs, Ghibellines and Normans with big ideas
1122 - 1130 We finally get back to the chronological narration of Italian history, popping in to see a new Holy Roman Emperor, a new pope, or couple of popes and catch up with the ambitious Normans
May 21, 2019
052 – A wander around in the early 12th century
Having set up the start of the communes, we take a look at what it would be like to wander around an Italian city in the early 12th century
May 14, 2019
051 – Communes rising
We take a look at how a new form of local government, the Communes rose and gained their independence from the feudal powers that be,
May 1, 2019
Recap 03: Episodes 28 – 50 from the year 1000 to the concordat of Worms in 1122
Using th concordat of Worms as a stopping point, we look back over th episodes that cover from the year 1000 to the end of the investiture crisis in 1122.
April 22, 2019
050 – Arrivederci Arabs, the Emirate of Sicily part 2
We see the golden age of Muslim Sicily under the Fatimids and Kalbids before everything comes crashing down to to interval division and outside forces.
April 15, 2019
049 – Arrivederci Arabs, the Emirate of Sicily part 1
We take a look back at the Arab invasione of Sicily starting with the early raids in the seventh century, through the invasion of 827 up to the fall of the Aghlabids in the early tenth century.
April 1, 2019
048 – Bye bye Byzantines -The end of Byzantine Italy part 2
In the second part of this miniseries we go from the time of king Rotari of the Lombards at the end of the seventh century to the fall of Bai and the end of the Byzantine presence in Italy.
March 20, 2019
047 – Bye bye Byzantines – The end of Byzantine Italy part 1
We take a look back at the Byzantine presence in Italy, from the Gothic War in 535 up to the start of the seventh century.
March 5, 2019
046 – Matilda of Tuscany, the iron countess of Canossa, part 2
We continue the story of Matilda of Canossa as war breaks out with Emperor Henry IV. We then see yet another failed attempt at marriage, the end of the fight against Henry IV and how things went with his son and successor, H...
Feb. 25, 2019
045 – Matilda of Tuscany, the iron countess of Canossa Part 1
1046 - 1080 We look at the life of Matilda of Canossa, starting from the history of her family through her childhood, the humiliation of Canossa and to the start of the war against Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
Feb. 16, 2019
044 – Goodbye Henry, goodbye Matilda and a can of worms
We see how Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV ended up, as well as his long-term nemesis Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Canossa. Meanwhile we change couple of popes and get a new Emperor, yet another Henry as he also struggles wit...
Feb. 10, 2019
Interview – The massacre of the Foibe and the Italian Istrian exodus with Roberta Alessandra Belulovich
On the "giornata del ricordo", a commemoration to remember the victims of the Massacre of the Foibe in Istria and Venezia Giulia in 1943 and 1945, we talk to Roberta Alessandra Belulovich, an Istria Italian about her family h...
Feb. 4, 2019
043 – A crusading we will go
1095 - 1099 We see how Urban II took the investiture controversy to a whole different level and scored major PR points for the papacy with the first crusade.
Jan. 28, 2019
Special: Italy's role in the holocaust
To commemorate Holocaust remembrance day, we look at Italy's role in the tragedy, from the initial indifference to the Jews in Italy, to the racial laws of 1938 and the deportations and killings of the war period.
Jan. 20, 2019
042 – An "Urban" pope and an imperial soap opera
1087 - 1095 We follow the start of one of the most famous papacies in history, that of Urban II and his fight against Henry IV alongside the countess Matilda of Canossa as things get personal, while the Normans try to sort th...
Jan. 12, 2019
041 – A Runaway pope and the end of the Fox
1085 - 1087 After the turmoil of the papacy of Gregory VII, we see a pope that just didn't want the job and follow the final years of the great Norman Robert Guiscard.
Jan. 5, 2019
NC 013 – Happy birthday podcast and national stereotypes
To celebrate the birthday of "A History of Italy" we are releasing a free versions of NewsCappuccino in which we talk about national stereotypes.
Jan. 3, 2019
040 – Half-time in the investiture controversy
1077 - 1085 The investiture controversy heats up with an anti-king elected in Germany and an anti-pope elected by Henry IV who then take the fight against Gregory and Matilde down into Italy with the Normans of Robert Guiscar...
Dec. 26, 2018
Christmas 2018 – Italian Christmas past and present and a Christmas witch
We have a look at important events in Italy on and around Christmas as well as explore the traditions, including that of the Christmas witch.
Dec. 19, 2018
039 – A sticky end and the humiliation of Canossa
1076 - 1077 Godfrey the Hunchback meets a sticky end and the investiture controversy reaches a high point and slips towards war
Dec. 12, 2018
038 – Gregory VII and marriage counselling
1073 - 1076 We follow the marital problems of Matilde of Canossa and Godfrey the Hunchback of Lorain while pope Gregory VII rolled up his sleeves and get's down to some serious posing and reforming.