Hello You! for our 220th and 8th anniversary episode I thought I would invite contributions from the most VIP I could think of... YOU!

So please send in a sound file or, if you don't feel like it, written message with a contribution, consideration, question, something i didn't mention or talk about enough.

Please send by 31st December at the very latest.

In this episode, we reunite with an old friend of the show — Caterina Sforza, the indomitable “Tigress of Forlì.” From her, we follow the turbulent and violent early life of her son, Giovanni de’ Medici, known as Il Gran Diavolo — the Great Devil — a man whose passions, battles, and excesses would shape the future of both the Sforza and Medicidynasties.

We go through the tangled lineage and fiery temperament of one of Renaissance Italy’s most fascinating figures, tracing his path from rebellious youth to feared mercenary captain — and father to the first Grand Duke of Tuscany.

• The Birth of “Il Gran Diavolo” (1498) – Giovanni’s birth to Caterina Sforza and Giovanni “Il Popolano” de’ Medici, and the prophetic words that would define his life.
• A Child of Chaos – His mother’s imprisonment by Cesare Borgia, his custody battles, and his violent childhood in Florence.
• Love, Blood, and Family Ties – The marriage to Maria Salviati uniting two Medici branches, and the domestic discord that followed.
• A Life of War and Vice – Duels, brothel fights, noble feuds, and the infamous bridge incident with the Orsini family.
• From Rogue to Commander – His rise through the papal ranks, battlefield heroics, and growing legend as a fearless condottiero.
• The Birth of Cosimo de’ Medici (1519) – The long-awaited heir who would one day found the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, born amid firelight celebrations across Italy.

• Caterina Sforza – The formidable mother whose courage and intellect defined Giovanni’s heritage.
• Giovanni de’ Medici “Il Popolano” – His father, from a cadet branch of the Medici family.
• Maria Salviati – His loyal but neglected wife.
• Giovanni della Stufa – The inseparable and scandalous companion.
• Pope Leo X – Patron, relative, and pivotal figure in Giovanni’s military career.
• Cosimo de’ Medici – The son who would carry the Medici name to new heights.

From Caterina’s fierce independence to Giovanni’s reckless courage, this episode explores how blood, loyalty, and ambition intertwined in the crucible of Renaissance Italy — giving rise to a new generation destined to rule.

In this episode, we pick up with Emperor Charles V consolidating his power over Italy after the Battle of Pavia (1525), where the French king Francis I was captured. The uneasy Italian states, including Pope Clement VII (Giulio de’ Medici), soon realized they had traded one master for another and formed the League of Cognac (1526) — an anti-imperial alliance including France, Venice, Florence, the Papal States, Milan, and under English protection, Henry VIII.

The league’s formation was steeped in intrigue, false pretenses, and even secret dealings with the Turks. One of Charles’s own commanders, the Marquis of Pescara, pretended to side with the league while feeding the emperor inside information.

Meanwhile, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, the famed mercenary from the Medici-Sforza line, met his end in battle, struck by artillery supplied by the duplicitous Duke of Ferrara. His death marked the fading of Italy’s old mercenary tradition — and one of its most charismatic figures.

When the pope attempted to back away from the alliance, Charles’s allies struck at Rome. The Sack of Rome (1527)followed — a devastating episode where mutinous Landsknechts, many of them fervent Lutherans, unleashed horrific violence on the city. For days, the Eternal City was ravaged: thousands slaughtered, churches desecrated, art looted, and the Renaissance dream in Rome brutally extinguished. Pope Clement VII barely escaped to Castel Sant’Angelo, thanks to the sacrifice of his Swiss Guards.

In the chaos that followed, the Papal States collapsed, local lords reclaimed their territories, and the Medici were expelled from Florence, where a new republic was declared — with Jesus Christ symbolically named as its king.

Ultimately, Charles V and Clement VII reconciled. Political realism won out over ideology. Through the Treaties of Barcelona (1529) and Bologna (1530), the Italian Wars entered a quieter phase, and imperial dominance over Italy was secured.

We close with the final chapter of the Sforza dynasty: Francesco II Sforza, the last Duke of Milan, whose death in 1535marked the end of an era — from the rise of the free communes to the age of dynastic rule and foreign domination.