Shows
History of Venice Podcast050. Show Me The MoneyThe contract of 1201 was simple. Venice will build a fleet for 33,500 men, and the crusaders will pay for it, spreading the cost across four instalments. Well, Venice has now built that fleet, and the accounts are overdue. But where are the crusaders, and where is their money?
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2026-02-1844 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 8 Bonus. Remebering HenrietteSo, what happened after Casanova and Henriette parted in Geneva on that cold morning early in 1750? We had a chat about the rest of the story after the end of the recording of the main episode, so if you'd like to know about the two further times that they met each other later in life, and some theories about who she might really have been, tune in for this bonus Valentine's Day special.
Music is from Vivaldi's "Estate" (Summer) from Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2026-02-1432 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 8. His Greatest Love"Tu oublieras aussi Henriette". The words scratched with diamond on a window of the finest hotel in Geneva remained scored on Casanova's soul for 50 years. This week, we tell the story of the woman he adored without reservation. If you're looking for a love story for Valentine's Day, look no further.
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Intro music is Estate (Summer) from Antonio Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni. Closing music is from the Adagio (mis)attributed to Tomaso Albinoni. Both are used under Creative Commons licence fr...
2026-02-1157 minHistory of Venice Podcast049. The ConspiracyChristmas 1201. Hagenau, Alsace. While the faraway Venetian shipyards are busy building a massive fleet for the crusading army, two men with ambitions to rule the Eastern and Western Empires respectively are hatching a cunning plan. It's a long shot, but it might just work. Join us as we consider the Conspiracy of Hagenau with author and podcaster Marco Cappelli.
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For more information about Marco's Storia d'Italia podcast, and to buy his excellent books:
Website: www.italiastoria.com
Books
"Per un pugno di barbari" sulla crisi del III secolo
2026-02-041h 15History of Venice Podcast048. Crusaders AssemblePope Innocent wants a Crusade. The Venetians are good and devout Catholics, but what they really want is trade. How do these two forces combine in the preparations for the Pope’s glorious attempts to recapture the lost territory of the Holy Land?
In the second part of our epic series on the 4th Crusade we look at how the early fateful decisions were made, as the Doge agrees a contract with the Marshal of Champagne. Everything that happens later flows from here.
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2026-01-2853 minHistory of Venice Podcast047. Introducing the Crusade of the LiarsWe've finally reached the Fourth Crusade. To kick us off with the background, we speak to history podcaster and author Marco Cappelli, whose recent book "Quando Venezia Distrusse l'Impero Romano" lays out the whole story in colourful and captivating detail. We ask him about the political environment in the crusading movement and in Byzantium when the new Pope Innocent III calls yet another crusade in 1198. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
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Find Marco's podcast, Storia d'Italia, on all good podcast...
2026-01-2153 minHistory of Venice Podcast046. Blind Man's PromiseIn 1192, Venice elects a new Doge. In an age of warrior kings, the Venetian electoral college picks an 85-year-old blind man. It’s time for us to meet the legendary Enrico Dandolo.
Recommended reading for this episode: Thomas Madden “Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice”.
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2026-01-1452 minHistory of Venice Podcast045. Four Wise MenWe’ve been so focused on the dramatic events of the second half of the 12th century recently that we haven’t had much chance to look at the people who led the city of Venice through these dramatic times. Today, we reflect on the Doges from 1148 to 1192, to see whether any of them are likely to be in the conversation when we eventually reach the end of the century and pick our favourite overall. So please join us for the stories of Campanile Doge, Murdered Doge, the Doge of Peace, and Cookie Doge.
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2026-01-0757 minHistory of Venice Podcast044. Chaos with ChoniatesByzantine chronicler Niketas Choniates tells a lurid tale of the chaos that engulfed the Empire between 1180 and 1185 -- the crucial period when the Venetian hostages were finally released. It's an extraordinary story, and it's hugely important as background for what the Venetians are going to do next. In a break from our normal format, we did this one as a chat rather than a fully scripted episode. So please sit back and relax with us as we try to navigate our way through the turmoil of Constantinople in the 1180s. It's going to be a wild ride.
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2026-01-011h 38History of Venice Podcast043. Bring Them HomeA few episodes ago, we left thousands of Venetians languishing in makeshift Byzantine prisons. As the fires of history burned their way through the 1170s, those hostages could have been forgiven for feeling increasingly forgotten. Slowly but surely, though, Venice was working on ways to bring them home. In the end, after a seemingly interminable decade, the solution would come from the unlikely source of a mad Emperor, and an Empire that turns inwards and eats itself.
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Intro and outro music...
2025-12-2933 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 7. MetamorphosisApproaching his 21st birthday, Casanova's fortunes are in the gutter, and his behaviour is in the sewer. After one criminal escapade too many he's lucky to still be a free man, and he needs to reform his behaviour quickly. Just a few weeks later, a chance encounter and an act of ordinary kindness prove to be the biggest turning point of his life.
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Intro and outro music is Estate from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from mus...
2025-12-2246 minHistory of Venice Podcast042. Just Making Stuff UpAfter Barbarossa’s defeat against the army of the Lombard League in May 1176, the search was on for a suitable location to hold peace talks between the Emperor and the Pope. And in 1177, Venice ended up being the host for this defining moment in Italian history. A century and a half later, though, the city’s chroniclers decided to embellish the story to that point that it was almost unrecognisable. We look at the truth and the fiction behind the legends of the Peace of Venice.
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2025-12-1547 minHistory of Venice PodcastUpdate and Intelligent Speech PromoWe're a few days late with our regular episode this week due to illness, but we needed to tell you about the Intelligent Speech conference, where we'll be joining a whole host of other history podcasters on Saturday 28 February 2026.
There's an Early Bird Discount on tickets right now, but it ends soon, so if you'd like to join us online for a chat about all things Venice, head to intelligentspeechonline.com for a ticket, and use the discount code VENICE at the checkout for an extra 10% off.
We'll be back on track in a few d...
2025-12-1004 minHistory of Venice Podcast041. Redbeard FallingOur crossover trilogy concludes with the story of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's Italian campaign of 1174-76. Once more, we are joined by our podcasting friends Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans) to explain how the Emperor took offence at the name of a new city and ended up in a fight for his life. The conclusion of the story will have huge implications for Venice and for European history in general.
More information about History of the Germans available here: History of the Germans Podcast • German History Podcast
More information about A...
2025-12-031h 14History of Venice Podcast040. Everything's Coming Up Barba-RosesIn the second of our Barbarossa 3-parter, we're joined again by Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans).
By the end of the 1150s, the plans of Western Emperor Frederick Barbarossa appear to be working perfectly. But within a few years, discontent is growing. Venice can't avoid getting involved when her territory is attacked from multiple directions. By the mid-1160s she is starting to finance the anti-imperial efforts of a growing number of Italian cities.
There's danger around every corner, not least in the new Venetian tradition of chasing bulls...
2025-11-2646 minHistory of Venice Podcast039. Redbeard RisingWe've been focused on Venice's explosive relations with Constantinople recently, but the situation on her doorstep in Italy is just as dramatic. So this week, we turn our focus to the new Western Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Our podcasting friends Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans) guide us through the first of three-part special, which will culminate in the momentous battle of Legnano. This week we look at the background of Barbarossa's first two Italian trips and his grand imperial ambitions.
More information about History of the Germans available here: History of the...
2025-11-1947 minHistory of Venice Podcast038. Revenge DeferredThousands of ordinary Venetian merchants have suddenly been imprisoned and bankrupted by the Byzantine Emperor. The city’s leaders need to act quickly and decisively. Within months, a new fleet has been built and is sailing down the Adriatic, ready to confront Manuel Comnenos, just as a previous fleet had bullied his father into submission almost 50 years earlier. But will history repeat itself? Or are there more disasters in store for the Venetians? And what does all of that have to do with a strangely anomalous modernist hotel right at the heart of the city’s historic waterfront?
Em...
2025-11-1232 minHistory of Venice Podcast037. St Brice's Deja VuRelations between Venice and Constantinople are getting tense, even as commercial activity is booming. With Emperor Manuel’s universalist ambitions showing no signs of abating, and the equally acquisitive Frederick Barbarossa on their doorstep to the west, the Venetians have a difficult path to tread. And then, on St Gregory’s Day 1171, Manuel takes a dramatic step that ensures that things will never be the same again.
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creati...
2025-11-0531 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt 06. Halloween Special 2025We're wandering down a few dark Venetian alleyways this week, in search of some ghost stories to celebrate Halloween. And one of them allegedly features the spirit of one of the presenters' favourite historical characters, Giordano Bruno.
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Intro and outro music is from Vivaldi’s Gloria, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-10-2918 minHistory of Venice Podcast036. Got 99 Problems but a Bishop ain't one (oh, hang on...)Church schisms, imperial schisms, neighbours illegally trying to divert rivers into your lagoon, other neighbours asking for help out of the blue ... as the 12th century heads towards its mid-point, Venice has a lot going on around her. And that's before her Archbishop goes rogue and the Normans seize Corfu. Again. And if that isn't enough for you, we've also got a guest appearance by a distant ancestor of a Shakespearean hero. Find out more as Doxe Pietro Polani realises that he's got 99 problems but a Bishop ain't ... no, 100. He's got 100 problems.
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2025-10-2240 minHistory of Venice Podcast035. Cheques and BalancesThis week we’re looking at how all the political shenanigans affected regular Venetian merchants. What were they buying and selling, where were they doing all this general “business”, and how did the rising merchant class affect the city’s political structures? From cashing cheques to imposing checks on political power; from weighing goods on balance scales to creating balance between different family factions at home – every aspect of Venetian life was in some way affected by both checks and balances.
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Intro and o...
2025-10-1537 minHistory of Venice Podcast034. Friends ReunitedIn 1124, the Venetians were the heroes of the crusading movement. They’d destroyed the Saracen fleet and captured one of the two remaining Muslim ports in the area. But this fleet always had a second target in mind, and Domenico Michiel was determined to show the Byzantines why it had been a mistake to end their Special Relationship. Venice isn’t just Constantinople’s junior partner, to be discarded at will. She’s playing in the big leagues now and she can take on anyone. Also, obviously, the Venetians are going to steal a few more Holy Bones while they’re...
2025-10-0837 minHistory of Venice Podcast033. Raiders of the Lost CrusadeWith a new Doxe in Venice and a new Emperor in Constantinople, it’s all change in 1118. As the two friends and allies struggle to redefine their relationship and the Byzantines start saying that they were never really exclusive and they’d like to start seeing other people, the Venetians bet the house on a naval expedition that could bankrupt the city if it goes wrong, but could drive even more prosperity to the lagoon if it goes right. This week we find out what happens when the Doxe becomes a crusader.
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2025-10-0143 minHistory of Venice PodcastRH02B. Cause Without a Rebel - Anna Comnena (2/2)We conclude our investigation into the life of historian Anna Comnena. This week, we look at what The Alexiad is like as a book of history, and we discuss her alleged plot to overthrow her brother and take the crown for herself. Did that really happen, or is it pure slander?
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Intro and outro music is Inverno from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-09-2336 minHistory of Venice PodcastRH02A. Writing History While Female - Anna Comnena (1/2).We’ve quoted at length from The Alexiad in the past few narrative episodes. But who was its author, Anna Comnena, and how did she come to write this 500-page history? We look into the life of this extraordinarily talented polymath to understand more about the background to one of the most important contemporary historical sources for the era that we’ve recently been talking about. And we look at some of the obstacles that she faced as a woman working in a world that was dominated by men.
The book by Professor Leonora Neville that we ment...
2025-09-1633 minHistory of Venice PodcastFirst Birthday SpecialIt's our first Podcast Anniversary, so we tried summarising the past year's worth of content in three minutes and then chatted about our favourite stories so far and what we're looking forward to most in the future of the show. Also, Simon was confused about how Venice's (arguably) most famous son became a swimming pool game in the US. What is that all about, anyway?
Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons li...
2025-09-0942 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 6. Punching Gift Horses in the MouthWe’re back with Casanova this week, as he finishes his teenage years and reaches his early 20s. For this mercurial young man, every risk is an opportunity, and every opportunity is a chance to make a complete mess of things. Within two years, he has screwed up two potential careers, lost a couple of small fortunes, and ended up right back where he started. Find out how as we follow his life and get beneath the legend.
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Intro and outro mu...
2025-09-0531 minHistory of Venice Podcast032. The Palindrome DoxeOrdelaf Faledro is an unusual name, whether you're reading it forwards or backwards. He was Doxe of Venice for about 16 years in the early 1100s, when the city suffered a series of devastating natural disasters. With neighbours looking to exploit this moment of weakness, the city had to get back on its feet quickly. This week we look at how they managed.
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.or...
2025-08-2737 minHistory of Venice Podcast031. Bird's Eye ViewThis week the Venetian lagoon is the star of the show. These muddy, marshy islands are the home of something extraordinary. It’s easy to assume that Venice has always looked the way it does now, or at least as it did in the many splendid Renaissance maps that you can find. But as we head into the 12th century, the city is only just starting to take on an appearance that we would recognise today. Join us as we fly over Venice’s amphibious territory as it might have looked in 1100.
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2025-08-1836 minHistory of Venice Podcast030. Profits and ProphetsWe're looking at Venice's contribution to the First Crusade and its aftermath. The crusading movement had set out to recover lost territory for the Christian Byzantine Empire. But within a couple of years, it had become a means of establishing a series of Latin Christian states in the MIddle East, which were quickly at loggerheads with the Byzantines. Venice had a delicate path to tread between these frenemies. She didn’t want to miss out on new commercial opportunities, but she didn't want to alienate her old friends either. Most importantly, though, she really wanted to take the opportunity to...
2025-08-1138 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt & Culture 05. Venetian Historical Fiction with Gina BuonaguroThis week we talk to another historical novelist who uses Venice as a setting for her work. We focus in particular on the lives of 16th century women, from nuns to courtesans.
You can find out more about Gina’s latest work here: https://ginabu.com/the-virgins-of-venice/
To contact the podcast, email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
The music used in this episode is from Vivaldi’s Gloria, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-08-0556 minHistory of Venice Podcast029. Top Doxe (11th Century)Before we move into the pivotal 12th century, we spend some time on a recap of the 11th century by focusing on the seven men who held the top job in the city. Which of them do we think had the most lasting impact, and best fits our five criteria to be acclaimed as the century’s Top Doxe? Will it be: Teenage Doxe; Two-names Doxe; Reform Doxe; Church-building Doxe; Golden Bull Doxe; First Gondola Doxe; or Big Navy Doxe? Find out what we think, and see whether you agree.
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2025-07-2845 minHistory of Venice Podcast028. Never get involved in a land war in Asia MinorWith the 11th century nearly at an end, Venice’s economy is motoring thanks to her hugely favourable trade deal with Constantinople and the relentless hard work of thousands of ordinary Venetians. But the international situation is volatile for the lagoon dwellers, with their main ally looking increasingly precarious. In the 1090s, Emperor Alexios’s call for western help against the Turks unleashes a new force that will rearrange the international chessboard dramatically, shaking up some of Venice’s most important markets. The Crusades have arrived.
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2025-07-1832 minHistory of Venice Podcast027. Food Glorious FoodYou can see the legacy of Venice's mighty commercial prowess everywhere around the city. This week we look at how those international trading influences helped to shape a couple of her most characteristic foods: the fritole that have become a classic Carnevale sweet treat; and the iconic creamed cod of baccala mantecato -- a dish that is so important that it recently gained its own Ducal Confraternity to protect and promote it.
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le...
2025-07-1123 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt & Culture 04: Venetian Historical Fiction with Christian CameronThis week we talk to historical fiction author Christian Cameron, whose recent novel "The Venetian Heretic" takes place in Venice in 1651. We discuss some of Christian's favourite Venetian characters and stories, and look at how he researched some of the scenes in the novel.
You can find out more about Christian's novel here: https://christiancameronauthor.com/book/the-venetian-heretic/
To contact the podcast, email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
Music used in this episode is from Vivaldi's Gloria, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-07-0341 minHistory of Venice Podcast026. Trading PlacesIn 1082, Venice won valuable trading concessions from Emperor Alexios in Constantinople. We live in a world where leaders often talk up the importance of trade deals without it ever being clear what the tangible benefits are. But this Golden Bull was genuinely significant. This week we look at what it meant not just for the rich and powerful in Venice, but for the whole community.
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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons li...
2025-06-2338 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 5. Roman HolidayA woman meets a charming but mercurial young stranger on a coach trip from Naples to Rome. With the apparent connivance of her husband, their relationship blossoms into a delightful, but fleeting, Roman Holiday before she returns to her daily life back in Naples. As the years go by, their recurring meetings will mark out the passing decades of Casanova’s life. But is any of it true? Or is he just fantasising and setting out to shock us? This week we investigate the story of Lucrezia.
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2025-06-1441 minHistory of Venice Podcast025. Norman WisdomThe maelstrom of Mediterranean chaos that we described last week comes crashing into Venice, with the Investiture Controversy raging on her doorstep and the terrifying Robert Guiscard threatening to destroy the city’s oldest and most stable ally, the Eastern Roman Empire. The city will need wisdom, skill, and some well timed good fortune, but in the end Venice will emerge from this moment of peril stronger than ever, laying the foundations for a future golden age of commerce and prosperity.
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In...
2025-06-0337 minHistory of Venice Podcast024. Noisy NeighboursVenice’s neighbours on all sides were in various stages of turmoil by the early 1070s. To understand the impact of all this on our little independent maritime Republic, we need to pull the camera back a little and examine this sea of troubles that all of her neighbours seemed resolutely determined to stir up or swim in. The century is boiling up towards a dramatic climax and Venice needs to be ready for anything. This week, we map out the nexus of forces that are shifting the tectonic plates of Mediterranean power.
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2025-05-2337 minHistory of Venice Podcast023. Long Live The DoxeIn the spring of 1071, Venice celebrated the appointment of a new Doxe*. And for the first time we have a surviving eye witness account of the event. Today we look at how that election of 1071 went down, and what Domenico Tino’s account tells us about the society that his namesake, new Doxe Domenico Selvo, was now in charge of.
*For the time being we’ve adopted an old Venetian spelling, since the more standard “Doge” currently has other unfortunate connotations.
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In...
2025-05-1626 minHistory of Venice Podcast022. The Calm Before The StormAfter a quick recap of Venice’s ups and downs in the 1020s and early 1030s, we watch the city continue to navigate a delicate diplomatic route between her powerful neighbours. With peace and stability returning to the city, renewed trading wealth brings an outburst of church building, including the jewel in the crown, the Basilica of San Marco, which begins to take its final shape under Doxe Domenico Contarini starting in 1061. There may be ominous signs of trouble ahead in the wider world, but for now the city is making money while the sun shines.
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2025-05-0935 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 4b. Fate Finds a Different Way18-year-old Casanova has a job offer as an assistant Bishop (Assistant to the Bishop, that is). But before he can take his first step on this road to the fame, fortune and social prestige that surely await him in a glittering church career, he is desperate to take revenge on his enemy, Antonio Razzetta. Once that is accomplished, he faces a lengthy journey to the south of Italy, which will involve poor decision-making, a couple of bouts of venereal disease, some very dubious company, and a steep learning curve in how to navigate his way through a world of...
2025-05-0234 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 4a. Fate Will Find a WayAt the age of 17, Casanova suddenly lost his grandmother, his house, and his chief patron / stand-in father figure. Feeling rootless, he started to lash out and ended up being sent to a seminary in an attempt to keep him on the straight and narrow. This was a predictably terrible idea. But help was on the way, in the unlikely shape of a Bishop who would soon take Casanova away and set him on the road to a brilliant career in the Church. Young Giacomo even dreamt of becoming Pope one day. Don't hold your breath on that one, though...
2025-04-2821 minHistory of Venice Podcast021. Campo San BarnabaA slighty different episode this week, as we do an outside broadcast from Venice. We look at the sights and sounds of Campo San Barnaba, in Dorsoduro. Like almost anywhere in Venice, you don't have to look very far beneath the surface to discover a rich tapestry of historical stories.
To find Campo San Barnaba when you're in Venice, take the Vaporetto No. 1 to Ca Rezzonico, then walk one minute down the Calle del Traghetto.
To see whereabouts it is relative to other sights, try this link on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8...
2025-04-1919 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt03. The Crocodile SlayerSt Theodore, or Tòdaro, stands on a crocodile-dragon at the top of one of the two huge columns on the picture-postcard San Marco waterfront. He’s usually described as the original patron saint of Venice, before the arrival of St Mark. But what’s the story behind the man himself, his very unusual statue, and his connection with a city that he never went anywhere near in life? This week we investigate the crocodile-slaying saint.
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All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-04-0924 minHistory of Venice Podcast020. The Republic Strikes BackAfter last week's adventures with Patriarch Poppo, we go back to look at what was happening inside Venice. Neither a fully fledged hereditary state nor a recognisable Republic, the city's future political structures could go in either direction. But as internal divisions abound and external pressures multiply, the city emerges from the crucible of the 1020s with a clearer view of her future political direction, and the stage is set for the trailblazing Republic that she will become.
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All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-04-0331 minHistory of Venice Podcast019. The Trouble with the PatriarchyVenice was moving confidently into the new millennium when we last checked in on her. But with a powerful and resurgent Holy Roman Empire on her doorstep, danger lurks around every corner. When the ambitious and amusingly named Patriarch Poppo turns up just across the border in Friuli, the city's ongoing independence hangs by a thread, as the unresolved conflict between the rival Archbishoprics of Aquileia and Grado descends into murder, rape, and pillage.
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All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-03-2629 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 3. Teenage kicksCasanova's reputation is often more of a hindrance than a help in understanding the character of the man himself. In the third part of our series marking the 300th anniversary of the birth of Venice's most notorious son, we look at his formative teenage years. Giacomo is back in his home city, with minimal parental supervision. The highs and lows of his experiences, and the habits and attitudes that he picks up from the people he interacts with, will be crucial influences on the adult that he later becomes.
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2025-03-1939 minHistory of Venice Podcast018. City of MillennialsWe've reached the year 1000 in our story, so it's time to take a breath and think about what sort of society Venice is right now. The traces of the city's future stone-and-marble elegance are there, but it's a very different place from the Venice that we know and love today. What were their houses like? Where did their food and drinking water come from? And why did they keep bringing holy relics back home with them from their travels?
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All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
2025-03-0838 minHistory of Venice Podcast017. Top Doge (10th Century)We reached the first millennium in the last episode, and that means that it's time to look back at the Doges of the past 100 years and think about how we rate them. We've got three guys with the same name; four guys who leave office to become monks (including one actual Saint), and an extremely valuable Golden Bull. Who will come out as our favourite? Will it be Inferno Doge? Pirate-slaying Doge? Nothing-to-see-here Doge? Or one of the many Monk Doges? Tune in and find out.
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2025-03-0134 minHistory of Venice Podcast016. Marriage to the SeaAs the new millennium dawns, the Venetians take a decisive step that will be commemorated for the next 800 years in the increasingly elaborate and spectacular Marriage to the Sea ceremony. The episode also paves the way for the city to become the recognised Queen of the Adriatic -- a waterway that she would dominate so completely that foreign mapmakers referred to it as the “Gulf of Venice”. And the Venetians didn’t have to throw tantrums or hissy fits to force anyone to use that name.
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All music is used under Creati...
2025-02-2134 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 2. First LoveYoung Giacomo Casanova has been sent away to Padova at the age of 9 to cure his nosebleeds and get an education. He soon starts enjoying his schooling, and finds himself particularly fascinated by his teacher’s teenage sister, Bettina. What are these strange new emotions that he feels for her? And how will he feel when an older boy takes an interest in her? Stand by for an ogress, a rat-infested bedroom, a brilliant quip in Latin, an accidental romantic intrigue with a pair of knitted socks, and a series of failed exorcisms.
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2025-02-1436 minHistory of Venice Podcast015. Walking the TightropeWhen you're walking a political tightrope you need strong nerves, good judgement, and sometimes a bit of luck. But with the resurgent Holy Roman Empire on her doorstep, Venice is politically divided between those who want to cosy up to their large and acquisitive neighbour, and those who want to keep a safe distance. The city's independence is on the line as the millennium approaches. Find out how she handles Emperor Otto's uncomfortably close attentions.
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2025-02-0723 minHistory of Venice Podcast014. Candiano CrushOn a hot August afternoon in 976, the city of Venice burst into flames, both politically and literally. After spending most of the century trying to steer a delicate but serene course between the competing interests of her much larger friends, neighbours, and rivals, the young republic could no longer contain its political tensions. If cleansing by fire was the only way to cure the sickness at the heart of the body politic, then let the conflagration rip.
Get ready for a boatload of identically named all-action Doges, interspersed with a couple of peaceful monk-like ones, and a r...
2025-01-3035 minHistory of Venice PodcastCasanova Part 1. Mommy IssuesWe begin our investigation into the life of the original Casanova -- a famous name whose popular reputation tends to obscure the much more interesting man who lies underneath. We start by looking at his earliest memories, and his relationship with his parents. We've got a mysterious witch, an alleged indiscretion by the Prince of Wales, copious nosebleeds, and much more.
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2025-01-2242 minHistory of Venice Podcast013. Twelve Weddings and a FuneralWe're back in Venice this week with a couple of local legends set in the 8th and 9th centuries. First, we look at the story of the 12 Marias, featuring pirates, wedding calamities, sea battles, and the etymology of the marionette. Then we explain the supposed origin of the Venetian practice of giving a "bocolo", or rosebud, to your beloved on St Mark's Day, to commemorate the sad love story of Vulcana and Tancredi.
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2025-01-1325 minHistory of Venice PodcastRabbit Hole 1(d). The First DuchessWe conclude our four-part investigation into the life of our own local heroine, Margaret Marshal, first Duchess of Norfolk, and we find a couple of unlikely connections to our main subject of the city of Venice in the process.
Margaret and Walter are now a serious power couple, but the Golden Age of Edward's Arthurian court is slowly starting to fade. Find out what happens to them both as the 14th century draws to a close.
Next week, we'll be back to some more Venetian content, so stay tuned.
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2025-01-0634 minHistory of Venice PodcastRabbit Hole 1(c) Cherchez l'Homme -- The Walter Manny StoryIn the third part of our mini-series on our own local heroine, Margaret Marshal, we catch up with the glittering career of Walter Manny, the purveyor of relentless amounts of derring-do whom she married in 1353, after a long struggle to have her first marriage annulled. Get ready for Walter to buckle monumental quantities of swash as he cuts a dash through early stages of the Hundred Years War and wins the heart of our heroine.
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2024-12-3040 minHistory of Venice PodcastRabbit Hole 1(b). The Scandal SistersWe continue our Rabbit Hole series on the life of Margaret Marshal, England's First Duchess. Margaret and her younger sister Alice are trying to negotiate their late teens and early 20s in an environment where, behind the veneer of courtly love and chivalric culture, danger lurks around every corner. Both sisters will be the subject of scandals. For one of them, it will prove fatal.
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2024-12-2330 minHistory of Venice PodcastRabbit Hole 1(a). Margaret Marshal -- Daughter of a SpareIn a break from our usual narrative, today we start a special Rabbit Hole mini-series. This is the first of four episodes on the life of Margaret Marshal, the 14th century owner of our own local landmark, Framlingham Castle, and a customer of the many exotic foods and luxury goods that were traded by medieval Venetian merchants. Today we're looking at her background and her childhood, as a prelude to the scandals of her early adulthood, which we'll cover in part 2.
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2024-12-1819 minHistory of Venice Podcast012. Top Doge (9th century edition) Part 2Wrapping up our exploration of the lives of the Doges in the 9th century, we look at the turbulent lives and times of the final four office holders, before considering which of the 9 top dogs from the 800s deserves to be hailed as the century's Top Doge.
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2024-12-1239 minHistory of Venice Podcast011. Top Doge (9th century edition) Part 1We continue our look at the lives of the Doges and our quest to find who is worthy of the accolade of Top Doge. In the first episode of a two-parter, we look at the first five Doges of the 9th Century.
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2024-12-0530 minHistory of Venice Podcast010. Top Doge: Round 1This week we take a break from the economic and social history of the Venetians to take a closer look at the lives of the early Doges. Who were they, and what do we know about them? After a brief canter through the eight Doges of the 8th century, we consider which of them deserve the accolade of "Top Doge" of the century.
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2024-11-2833 minHistory of Venice Podcast009. Pirates of the AdriaticIt's Double Trouble for Venice this week. Business has been going well, but as the city navigates the dangerous 9th century, Pirates and Saracens both want a piece of the action. Find out how our protagonists cope as we follow them through the perils of the 800s.
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2024-11-2136 minHistory of Venice Podcast008. The Merchants of VeniceWe return to the historical narrative of the early 800s this week, with the Venetian economy on the verge of taking off. The growing city is showing the first signs of its future as a commercial powerhouse. But how did it get to that position? And how dubious were the ethics of its trading practices? We look at the origins of the city's later mercantile pre-eminence and try to understand the moral and cultural context in which its merchants were operating.
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2024-11-1433 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt02. The Horses of St MarkThe four bronze horses on the balcony of St Mark's Basilica have silently witnessed the highs and lows of both Constantinople and Venice. Ancient and exquisite, they stand guard serenely over the Piazza, almost as iconic a symbol of the city as the winged lion itself. Today, we delve into their history.
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2024-11-0719 minHistory of Venice PodcastArt01. The Lion of St MarkThis week we take a break from the chronological narrative and delve into the story of the city's iconic and enduring symbol, the Winged Lion of St Mark.
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2024-10-3115 minHistory of Venice Podcast007. Ocean's TenWith the threat from the neighbouring Frankish kingdom still looming, the Venetians need a powerful protector. So they head off to Egypt to carry out a daring heist that will see them bring back a dead body camouflaged with pork. We look at the story behind the abduction of the body of St Mark and how he becomes the city's spiritual protector.
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2024-10-2438 minHistory of Venice Podcast006. Showdown with CharlemagneStuck between two rival empires, the Venetians are divided on which way to turn. As the Frankish and Byzantine forces clash in the northern Adriatic, Venice is caught in the crossfire, setting the stage for an event that resonates down the centuries as a foundational moment for the city. Get ready for a crazy food fight and some heroic female super-spies as our friends in the lagoon fight for their survival against their all-conquering neighbours. At least, that's what the Venetian accounts say. But are they telling the truth?
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2024-10-1736 minHistory of Venice Podcast005 I want to break freeVenice is slowly starting to take shape. Already semi-autonomous from the Byzantine Empire, and with Doges now in place, the Venetians begin to assert themselves in international politics and trade. But when the Carolingian Empire sweeps into Italy, they have to tread a delicate diplomatic tightrope, while still working out what sort of nation they want to be. Blindings, defenestrations and beheadings await the unwary as Venice strives to find its place among some powerful and acquisitive neighbours.
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2024-10-1026 minHistory of Venice Podcast004 Such Doge. Wow.The Doge's Palace is one of the most iconic buildings in Venice today. But what is a Doge, and how did the position come into being? Today we look at the stories of the first three Doges in the early 8th century, as the Venetians begin their slow journey of emerging from the shadow of their Byzantine masters to become a political and commercial force to be reckoned with in their own right.
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2024-10-0328 minHistory of Venice Podcast003 Written in StoneAs the Lombards sweep through the north-east of Italy, some of the inhabitants of the Byzantine province of Venetia retreat to form new permanent settlements on the islands of the long, narrow coastal lagoon. The foundation stone of the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello dates from 639AD, giving us the first evidence of permanent buildings in the scattered settlements that will eventually coalesce to form the city of Venice.
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2024-09-2624 minHistory of Venice Podcast002 Lost in the MistAfter travelling through the foundation myths of the city in the last episode, this week we are peering into the dense fog of history to find the earliest real traces of life in the lagoon. Join us as we navigate our way through Goths and Huns, look for omens in the flight of birds, and encounter the worst decade in human history.
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2024-09-2034 minHistory of Venice Podcast001 The MythThe medieval Venetians loved to tell the story of the foundation of their city -- and everyone told the story slightly differently. This episode is an October 2025 re-recording of the original version, exploring the history of the city's foundation myth.
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2024-09-1245 minHistory of Venice PodcastIntroductionA short introductory episode for the History of Venice Podcast previewing what's coming up, who we are and why we chose this wonderful city and its people to tell their stories.
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2024-09-0904 min