A History of Italy Podcast Por Mike Corradi arte de portada

A History of Italy

A History of Italy

De: Mike Corradi
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Join history buff, Mike Corradi on a journey through time as he unfolds the rich tapestry of the Italian peninsula's history. This chronological story starts with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and leads you through the most iconic events, influential figures, and cultural milestones that have shaped Italy into what we see today. It’s all serious stuff, but we do take time to stop and laugh at battles over a bucket, rude names, naughty priests and popes, rabbits winning sieges, doves winning battles, bits of dead bodies as tokens of love, and whole series of real historical silly situations that no comedian could think of. Come along every other week for a compelling and insightful glimpse into A History of Italy.2024 Mike Corradi Mundial
Episodios
  • 195 - Italian Wars 12 - The sack of Rome (again) and the end of the Sforza (1526 - 1530)
    Oct 7 2025

    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.

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    19 m
  • 194 - The Italian Wars 11 - Medici pope to Medici pope - Battle of Pavia and Cognac
    Sep 16 2025

    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.

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    17 m
  • What has the printing press ever done for us? - Guest episode by the History of the Germans
    Sep 2 2025

    This is a guest episode by Dirk Hoffmann of the history of the German podcast, in which he tells us all about the impact of one of the most important inventions in human history, Gutenberg printing press.

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    38 m
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Stumbled across this looking for information on the Middle Ages…stayed for the night, then did not sleep because I was enjoying it so much! Very engaging and informative.

What a gift!

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I just really enjoy this podcast. It give me insight to where my mothers family comes from. ❤️

I just really enjoy this podcast

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