A History of Italy

By Mike Corradi

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Image by Mike Corradi

Category: History

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast

Subscribers: 219
Reviews: 1
Episodes: 247


 Jan 15, 2024

Description

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.

Episode Date
167 - The Italian Wars 4 - Charles has left the building
Apr 23, 2024
166 - The Italian Wars 3 - finally Naples… for a bit (1495)
Apr 09, 2024
Special - The Gulf of poets: Byron, Keats and Shelly in Italy
Mar 26, 2024
165 - The Borgias are the bosses (1492 - 1497)
Mar 19, 2024
Special - Lucrezia Borgia
Mar 05, 2024
Special - Caterina of Siena
Mar 05, 2024
Special - Matilde di Canossa
Mar 05, 2024
164 - The rise of the Borgias
Jan 23, 2024
6th Anniversary episode - Best of the sketches
Jan 03, 2024
Interview on the Aldo Moro Affair with Simon Gaul, Author of "White Suicide"
Dec 19, 2023
163 - The rise and Fall of Gerolamo Savonarola
Dec 12, 2023
162 - The Italian wars 2- opening hostilities and the Medici get kicked out
Nov 28, 2023
161 - The Italian wars 1: setting up and setting off
Nov 14, 2023
Recap 07 - Episodes 139 to 160
Oct 26, 2023
Special: 9th October 1963 - Vajont, a man-made natural disaster
Oct 09, 2023
Quick annoucement - demolition work in progress
Oct 03, 2023
160 - Federico Da Montefeltro and bits getting cut off
Sep 12, 2023
Summer announcement - listen even if you haven't cought up
Jul 26, 2023
159 - Life, death and sex in the middle ages
Jun 13, 2023
158 - The Este of Ferrara
May 23, 2023
Interview: Artemisia Gentileschi with Lori from "Her Half of History"
May 09, 2023
25th April - Liberation
Apr 25, 2023
157 - Venice out of the middle ages and into uncertainty (1454 - 1492)
Apr 12, 2023
156 - Venice tangles with the Turks and messes with Milan (1416 - 1454)
Mar 28, 2023
155 - Venice has trouble with the neighbours (1400 - 1416)
Mar 14, 2023
154 Trentino Alto Adige (up to 1509)
Feb 28, 2023
153 - The assassination of Galeazzo Maria and the Moore takes control (1468 - 1494)
Feb 14, 2023
152 - Duke Francesco Sforza and his sex-crazed son (1450 - 1568)
Jan 31, 2023
151 - Milan from Visconti to Sforza (1447 - 1450)
Jan 17, 2023
5th anniversary
Jan 10, 2023
150 - Decline of the Savoy and the Holy Shroud of Turin (1451 - 1490)
Dec 20, 2022
149 The Genoa of Columbus (1442 - 1492)
Dec 13, 2022
148 - Peak and twilight of the Magnificent (1478 - 1492)
Dec 06, 2022
147 - The conpiracy of the crazies (1476 - 1478)
Nov 15, 2022
Interview with Philippa Gregory on Maria Beatrice D'Este
Nov 08, 2022
Halloween special: Azzurrina, the ghost of Montebello
Oct 31, 2022
F100: 04 The March on Rome
Oct 28, 2022
146 - Lorenzo vs Sixtus and America's beautiful cousin (1471 - 1476)
Oct 18, 2022
145 - Fleeting youth, Lorenzo de Medici's early years (1468 - 1471)
Oct 04, 2022
144 - A sickly father, a magnificent mother amd balls (1464 - 1468)
Sep 20, 2022
143 Cosimus Medices Pater Patriae (1429 - 1464)
Sep 06, 2022
142 - pope-ing out of the Middle ages (1447 - 1492)
Aug 30, 2022
141 - The popes are back in business (1417 - 1447)
Aug 09, 2022
140 - King Ferdinand's woes (1458 - 1492)
Aug 02, 2022
AMM: Paolo Borsellino and Rita Atria
Jul 19, 2022
139 - King Alphonse of Naples (1436 - 1458)
Jul 12, 2022
138 - Aragonese Sardinia and Sicily (1410 - 1500)
Jun 21, 2022
137 - The Republic of San Marino
Jun 07, 2022
Special: Anti-Judaism in Medieval Italy - The case of Simonino da Trento with Lorenzo Paluan
May 31, 2022
Recap 06: Episode 101 - 136
May 25, 2022
136 - Savoy from count to duke to pope (1391 - 1451)
May 10, 2022
Anti-mafia martyrs - Pio La Torre, the mafia fighting communist
May 03, 2022
F100: Before Evil - Interview with Brandon Gauthier on Benito Mussolini
Apr 26, 2022
135 - Savoy - different coloured counts and a murder mystery (1255 - 1391)
Apr 12, 2022
Announcement: 200th upload, new platform, new logo and happy birthday!
Apr 05, 2022
134 - Piedmont and the rise of the house of Savoy
Mar 22, 2022
F100: 03b The occupation of Fiume part 02
Mar 15, 2022
F100: 03a The occupation of Fiume - part 01
Mar 08, 2022
F100 Memories of Ukraine - an Italian ode to Odessa
Mar 01, 2022
133 – catching up with Genoa… again (1310 – 1442)
Feb 22, 2022
F100: The crystallisation of totalitarianism
Feb 08, 2022
132 The end of the Visconti- how to lose a duchy
Feb 01, 2022
131 – Milan, chaos in the duchy (1402 – 1412)
Jan 25, 2022
130 – The father of the father of the nation: the rise of the Medici (1402 – 1428)
Jan 13, 2022
4th anniversary episode
Jan 04, 2022
Re-release: 129 – Catherine of Siena – Medieval UN ambassador
Dec 29, 2021
Happy Whatever episode
Dec 25, 2021
129 – Catherine of Siena – Medieval UN ambassador
Dec 21, 2021
128 – Caterina of Siena: God's teenage rebel
Dec 14, 2021
127 – Milan vs Florence: fight to the death (1395 – 1402)
Dec 07, 2021
126 – Visconti family feud and a new duchy is born (1378 – 1395)
Dec 01, 2021
The Great Q & A session
Nov 23, 2021
125 – War and rebellion in Tuscany (1348 to 1382)
Nov 16, 2021
124 – Troubled Tuscan times and Boccaccio's Decameron
Nov 09, 2021
Halloween Special: The Ghost of Bardi Castle
Oct 31, 2021
123 – The Tuscan scene and Florence rising (1302 – 1327)
Oct 26, 2021
Tech update test and free "NewsCappuccino" episode
Oct 20, 2021
122 – Braccio da Montone's last stand (1417 – 1424)
Oct 19, 2021
121 Braccio da Montone, Lord of Perugia (1407 – 1417)
Oct 13, 2021
120 – Braccio da Montone, early life of a condottiero (1368 – 1406)
Oct 05, 2021
119 – Joanna II of Naples and some schism fixing
Sep 21, 2021
118 Sicily goes Spanish and Naples gets big ideas (1372 – 1414)
Aug 17, 2021
The bagpipes of resistance – Crossover ep. with "The History of England"
Aug 03, 2021
117 – Eleonora of Arborea and the fall of Sardinia (1326 – 1410)
Jul 21, 2021
NewsCappuccino: Roman helmets and insulting Austria – The Italian national anthem
Jun 17, 2021
F100: 02 Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini, early years
Jun 15, 2021
116 – Venice in mortal peril (1356 – 1400)
Jun 09, 2021
Special: Republic Day 2021
Jun 02, 2021
115 – Hard times for Venice, a very naughty doge and some funny names (1339 – 1356)
Jun 01, 2021
Anti-mafia martyrs: Giovanni Falcone
May 23, 2021
114 – More Milan and popey come home (1345 – 1385)
May 18, 2021
F100: 01 What is Fascism?
May 15, 2021
Coming soon: Fascism 100
May 11, 2021
Special: The Aldo Moro assassination with Lorenzo Paluan
May 09, 2021
113 – The definitive death of communal Milan (1339 – 1354)
May 05, 2021
112 – Queen Joanna of Naples (1345 – 1382)
Mar 30, 2021
Crossover: Colombus and Genoa with the History of North America
Mar 23, 2021
Interview: Jennifer Anton, author of "Under the Light of the Italian Moon"
Mar 08, 2021
111 – Joanna of Naples, teenage queen with a boring husband (1326 – 1345)
Mar 02, 2021
110 – Cola fizzes and goes flat (1347 – 1354)
Feb 17, 2021
109 – Popeless Rome and the rise of Cola (not the drink)
Feb 10, 2021
Fill-in episode – 2021 Italian government crisis
Feb 07, 2021
108 – Italians against stairs
Jan 19, 2021
107 – An unexpected king
Jan 12, 2021
106 – An imperial tour of Italy (1327-1329)
Jan 05, 2021
105 – The battle of the Bucket (1325)
Dec 23, 2020
104 – The last Sardinian Judicate (1323-1326)
Dec 15, 2020
103 – Catching up with Genoa (up to 1310's)
Dec 08, 2020
102 – Venice kicks off its 14th century (up to 1310's)
Dec 01, 2020
The first great MEGA-RECAP launch
Nov 28, 2020
101 – The many paths to communal demise (up to early 1300's)
Nov 17, 2020
Recap 05 – From episode 077 to 100
Nov 10, 2020
Berlusconi and Bunga Bunga part 3
Nov 03, 2020
Berlusconi and Bunga Bunga part 2
Oct 27, 2020
Berlusconi and Bunga Bunga part 1
Oct 20, 2020
100 – An interview the godfather of history podcasting and more
Oct 13, 2020
099 – The Visconti lose Milan and take it back again
Oct 06, 2020
098 – The Visconti take Milan, Act 1
Sep 28, 2020
Anti-mafia martyrs: Father Pino Puglisi
Sep 15, 2020
097 – Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy
Sep 08, 2020
Anti-mafia martyrs: Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
Sep 03, 2020
Anti-mafia martyrs series launch
Sep 01, 2020
096 – Florence goes black and white and Dante gets involved
Aug 26, 2020
095 – Young Dante Alighieri and Florence
Aug 19, 2020
094 – Naples vs Sicily
Aug 02, 2020
093 – A change of scenery for the papacy and an anachronistic emperor
Jul 18, 2020
092 – Boniface VIII peaks and crashes
Jun 26, 2020
091 – Boniface VIII on the scene
Jun 21, 2020
090 – Twilight of the Sardinian Judicates
Jun 12, 2020
089 – The "cannibal" count – an example of late 13th century Italian politics
Jun 04, 2020
088 – Twilight of the communes
May 16, 2020
087 – Marco Polo part 2
May 08, 2020
086 – Marco Polo part 1
Apr 30, 2020
Special: 25th April Liberation
Apr 25, 2020
085 – The war of the Sicilian Vespers gets confusing
Apr 17, 2020
084 – The war of the Sicilian Vespers
Apr 10, 2020
083 – Who are these Aragonese anyway? With David Cot of "The History of Spain"
Apr 02, 2020
082 – Charles in charge and the Sicilian Vespers
Mar 27, 2020
081 – The last stand of the house of Staufen with guest host Marco Cappelli
Mar 19, 2020
080 – Frederick II's boys and here come the French
Mar 13, 2020
079 – The Prisoner King and the rest of Frederick II's boys
Mar 05, 2020
078 – The Golden age of communes
Feb 27, 2020
077 – The situation in the 13th century and revenge in Florence
Feb 20, 2020
Recap 04: Episodes 051 – 076 from the Concordat of Worms to the death of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II
Feb 11, 2020
076 – St. Francis of Assisi
Feb 06, 2020
075 – Heresies and the Inquisition
Jan 21, 2020
074 – Goodbye Freddie II
Jan 14, 2020
073 – Frederick II stupor mundi (and a bit naughty)
Jan 07, 2020
072 – Frederick II takes the reigns and trouble starts
Dec 29, 2019
071 – Wonderboy rising: Freddie II
Dec 23, 2019
070 – No more Normans and Horrid Henry
Dec 12, 2019
069 – Venice part 06
Dec 04, 2019
068 – Venice part 05
Nov 28, 2019
067 – Venice part 04
Nov 14, 2019
066 – Venice part 03
Nov 07, 2019
065 – Venice part 02
Nov 01, 2019
064 – Venice part 01
Oct 23, 2019
Crossover 2 part 2 – The fall of the Borgias
Oct 15, 2019
Crossover 2 part 1 – The Rise of the Borgias
Oct 08, 2019
063 – After Legnano, the cool Crusade and the Italian one
Oct 01, 2019
062 – The battle of Legnano
Sep 24, 2019
061 – Prelude to Legnano
Sep 12, 2019
Crossover 1 part 2 – With "The History of the Papacy" on the Lombards
Sep 03, 2019
Crossover 1 part 1 – With "The History of the Papacy" on the Lombards
Aug 27, 2019
060 – A communal storm arising
Aug 20, 2019
059 – Barbarossa brings the heat
Aug 14, 2019
058 – Byzantium is back and so is Barbarossa
Aug 07, 2019
057 – Hadrian and Frederick's troubles in Rome
Jul 30, 2019
056 – Communal growing pains, an English pope and Barbarossa on the scene
Jul 23, 2019
Fill in episode – Women's world cup and how offsides came to Pulaski, VA
Jul 12, 2019
Fill-in episode – A trip to Puglia and listener questions
Jul 03, 2019
055 – A new Roman Republic and a kind-of crusade
Jun 13, 2019
054 – A troubled new kingdom and cantankerous communes
Jun 07, 2019
053 – Guelfs, Ghibellines and Normans with big ideas
May 29, 2019
052 – A wander around in the early 12th century
May 21, 2019
051 – Communes rising
May 14, 2019
Recap 03: Episodes 28 – 50 from the year 1000 to the concordat of Worms in 1122
May 01, 2019
050 – Arrivederci Arabs, the Emirate of Sicily part 2
Apr 22, 2019
049 – Arrivederci Arabs, the Emirate of Sicily part 1
Apr 15, 2019
048 – Bye bye Byzantines -The end of Byzantine Italy part 2
Apr 01, 2019
047 – Bye bye Byzantines – The end of Byzantine Italy part 1
Mar 20, 2019
046 – Matilda of Tuscany, the iron countess of Canossa, part 2
Mar 05, 2019
045 – Matilda of Tuscany, the iron countess of Canossa Part 1
Feb 25, 2019
044 – Goodbye Henry, goodbye Matilda and a can of worms
Feb 16, 2019
Interview – The massacre of the Foibe and the Italian Istrian exodus with Roberta Alessandra Belulovich
Feb 10, 2019
043 – A crusading we will go
Feb 04, 2019
Special: Italy's role in the holocaust
Jan 27, 2019
042 – An "Urban" pope and an imperial soap opera
Jan 20, 2019
041 – A Runaway pope and the end of the Fox
Jan 12, 2019
NC 013 – Happy birthday podcast and national stereotypes
Jan 05, 2019
040 – Half-time in the investiture controversy
Jan 03, 2019
Christmas 2018 – Italian Christmas past and present and a Christmas witch
Dec 26, 2018
039 – A sticky end and the humiliation of Canossa
Dec 19, 2018
038 – Gregory VII and marriage counselling
Dec 12, 2018
037 – The Normans run out of room and the papacy out of patience
Dec 05, 2018
036 – Introducing a beard, a hunchback and Matilda
Nov 28, 2018
035 – The lion, the fox and the Great Schism
Nov 22, 2018
034 – Another Henry, too many popes and naughtiness in the church
Nov 11, 2018
033 – Here come the Normans, there goes the neighbourhood
Oct 28, 2018
032 – Saxons to Salians and a fake news legend
Oct 18, 2018
031 – A rebellion in the south, a lion in the north and how Henry II got on
Oct 10, 2018
Special: The massacre of Monte Sole
Sep 30, 2018
030 – Saxons, Saracens, Sardinia
Sep 26, 2018
029 – New millennium, nationalist myths, same old mess
Sep 16, 2018
Special: 8th September 1943, from infamy to resistance
Sep 10, 2018
028 – The year 1000 and life for the average Giuseppe
Sep 03, 2018
NC 003 – Identity crisis of a Brexit victim
Aug 30, 2018
Recap 02 – episodes 014 – 027
Aug 27, 2018
NewsCappuccino 002 – On the possible third Italian republic and unity
Aug 23, 2018
NewsCappuccino 001 – Choosing coffee, choosing a government and a visit to Rome
Aug 23, 2018
NewsCappuccino 000 – Launch episode
Aug 23, 2018
027 – Yet another Otto (III)
Aug 19, 2018
026 – Another Otto (II)
Aug 12, 2018
025 – Ottonian Italy
Aug 05, 2018
Interview – Daniela Pellacani on Ciro Menotti
Jul 27, 2018
024 – Outstanding Otto and more mess from a porn pope
Jul 21, 2018
023 – Here come the Ottonians
Jul 14, 2018
022 – More mischief from Marozia
Jun 30, 2018
021 – Rowdy Roman Revelry: Marozia's pornocracy
Jun 21, 2018
020 – Annoying anarchy
Jun 13, 2018
019 – Feudal fun with the Franks
Jun 08, 2018
Special: Republic Day and an unprecedented institutional crisis
May 30, 2018
018 – A clear-up on kingdoms and back up the boot in the ninth century
May 24, 2018
017 – Some silly Syracusans, some Saracens and Sicily, plus pirates
May 17, 2018
016 – Italy after Charlemagne
May 09, 2018
Special: A load of baloney from Bologna part 2
May 02, 2018
Special: A load of baloney from Bologna Part 1
Apr 26, 2018
015 – A Confusing Christmas Coronation
Apr 18, 2018
014 – Carolingian Italy
Apr 11, 2018
Recap 01 Episodes 001 – 013 from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of the Lombards
Apr 04, 2018
013 - A look at the Catholic church
Mar 28, 2018
Interview – Dario Pedrazzini on the Lombards
Mar 28, 2018
012 – Here come the Franks
Mar 21, 2018
011 – The Lombards' last linger in the limelight
Mar 14, 2018
Special: The 2018 Italian election
Mar 07, 2018
010 – Getting tired of living with the Lombards
Feb 28, 2018
009 – A crazy confusing conundrum of kings
Feb 21, 2018
008 – The Lombards get comfy and some laws
Feb 14, 2018
007 – Living with the Lombards
Feb 07, 2018
006 – Here come the Lombards
Jan 31, 2018
005 – The Gothic War continues
Jan 24, 2018
004 – Queen Amalasuntha and Byztantium gets annoyed
Jan 17, 2018
003 – Theodoric and the rise and fall of the Ostrogoth kingdom
Jan 10, 2018
002 – The new Italian kingdom from Odoacer to Theodoric
Jan 03, 2018
001 – The end of the end and the beginning of the beginning (408 - 476)
Jan 03, 2018
000 – Launch
Oct 06, 2017
Trailer
Oct 01, 2017