Having 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, strategic, and politically delicate.

In this episode, we follow the kingdom from consolidation under Spanish rule through internal tensions, shifting viceroys, the Battle of Ravenna, and finally to the dramatic French siege of Naples in 1528 — a moment when the city came dangerously close to slipping from Spanish control.

1. By 1505, Spanish control of Naples was nearly complete.
2. The city of Naples received special privileges compared to the rest of the kingdom:
3. Tax exemptions
4. Legal protections
5. Lower fixed prices on staple goods
6. All royal offices centralized in the capital

This preferential treatment helped Naples grow into one of the largest cities in Europe — rivaling Venice and Paris in population and prestige.

1. A delicate equilibrium existed between:
2. The nobility
3. Merchants and professionals
4. The popular classes
5. Unlike Sicily, Naples allowed limited representation of non-noble groups.
6. Spanish governors requested repeated donatives (extraordinary tax grants), creating periodic friction.

1. Gonzalo de Córdoba, the “Great Captain,” secured the kingdom but was recalled to Spain amid suspicions he harbored royal ambitions.
2. His successor, Juan of Aragon, Count of Ribagorza, briefly held the position.
3. From 1509 to 1522, real influence lay with Ramon de Cardona, who oversaw:
4. The transition from Ferdinand of Aragon to Charles V
5. Continued management of noble rivalries
6. Spanish dominance during key phases of the Italian Wars

1. De Cardona commanded Spanish forces against the French under Gaston de Foix.
2. Though defeated, the French victory was short-lived due to Foix’s death on the battlefield.
3. Naples remained securely Spanish.

Episode Overview

Having 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 a tour of the Italian peninsula’s two great islands — Sardinia and Sicily — and the Kingdom of Naples’ wider Mediterranean context. Though often treated as peripheral, these territories were central to Spanish power in Italy and deeply affected by war, rebellion, piracy, and imperial ambition.

A Geographic Reset: Italy Beyond the Mainland

1. Italy consists of the mainland “boot” and two major islands: Sardinia (to the west) and Sicily (to the southwest).
2. Both islands are today among Italy’s 20 administrative regions, along with many smaller islands such as Capri, Elba, and Stromboli.
3. Unlike many mainland states, these islands experienced a very different political and social evolution under Spanish rule.

Sardinia Under Spanish Control

1. By the early 1400s, Sardinia was firmly under Aragonese—and later Spanish—control, remaining so until 1720.
2. The island was governed by a viceroy, often drawn from powerful local feudal families.
3. Two families, the Carroz and Cubello, dominated nearly half of the island’s feudal income.

Power, Cities, and Administration

1. Unlike mainland Italy, Sardinian cities never achieved full autonomy.
2. Urban centers such as Cagliari, Sassari, Alghero, Iglesias, and Oristano developed influential merchant and professional classes.
3. Only Cagliari and Sassari possessed formal statutes, inherited from earlier Pisan and Genoese influence.

Stability and Growth

1. Ferdinand and Isabella restored parliamentary assemblies and introduced a lottery-based electoral system that allowed limited participation by non-nobles.
2. Sardinia enjoyed a period of relative peace and modest economic growth.
3. Charles V visited only briefly, leaving governance largely to the viceroy.

A Quiet Role in the Italian Wars

1. Sardinia was mostly spared the violence of the Italian Wars, with one brief French occupation of Sassari in 1527.
2. The island served primarily as a strategic logistical hub between Spain and Italy.

Sicily: A More Volatile Island

1. Sicily had a larger population than Sardinia but remained under tight noble control.

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 vs Battles

Moving Michelangelo artwork

An influential writer at the court of pope Leo X

The legend of the heart of bricks hidden among the alleyways of Venice

A warning from the lovely town of Carpi

The story of the unsung police hero Salvatore and his role in the notorious 1984 train bombing by the Sicilian Mafia and far-right terrorist organisations

Enjoy!