We take a look back at the Byzantine presence in Italy, from the Gothic War in 535 up to the start of the seventh century. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/047-bye-bye-byzantines-part-1.mp3

We continue the story of Matilda of Canossa as war breaks out with Emperor Henry IV. We then see yet another failed attempt at marriage, the end of the fight against Henry IV and how things went with his son and successor, Henry V while alone she tan one of the largest areas in Italy. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/046-mati ...…

We look at the life of Matilda of Canossa, starting from the history of her family through her childhood, the humiliation of Canossa and to the start of the war against Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. The episode brings together parts from previous episodes, adding some new details and considerations. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/20 ...…

We see how Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV ended up, as well as his long-term nemesis Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Canossa. Meanwhile we change couple of popes and get a new Emperor, yet another Henry as he also struggles with a couple of popes on their way to the concordat of Worms. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/044-goodby ...…

On the “giornata del ricordo”, a commemoration to remember the victims of the Massacre of the Foibe in Istria and Venezia Giulia in 1943 and 1945, we talk to Roberta Alessandra Belulovich, an Istria Italian about her family history and the Istrian question. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/the-foibe-massacre-and-the-istrian-e ...…

We see how Urban II took the investiture controversy to a whole different level and scored major PR points for the papacy with the first crusade. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/043-a-crusading-we-will-go.mp3

To commemorate Holocaust remembrance day, we look at Italy’s role in the tragedy, from the initial indifference to the Jews in Italy, to the racial laws of 1938 and the deportations and killings of the war period. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/special-episode-06-italys-role-in-the-holocaust.mp3…

After the death of runaway pope Victor III, we follow the start of one of the most famous papacies in history, that of Urban II and his fight against Henry IV alongside the countess Matilda of Canossa as things get personal, while the Normans try to sort themselves out after the death of Robert Guiscard. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress. ...…

After the turmoil of the papacy of Gregory VII, we see a pope that just didn’t want the job and follow the final years of the great Norman Robert Guiscard. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/041-a-runaway-pope-and-the-end-of-the-fox.mp3

To celebrate the birthday of “A History of Italy” we are releasing a free versions of NewsCappuccino in which we talk about national stereotypes. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/nc-013.mp3

The investiture controversy heats up with an anti-king elected in Germany and an anti-pope elected by Henry IV who then take the fight against Gregory and Matilde down into Italy with the Normans of Robert Guiscard waiting in the wings. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/040-half-time-in-the-investiture-controversy.mp3…

We have a look at important events in Italy on and around Christmas as well as explore the traditions, including that of the Christmas witch. If you would like to donate to charity as a Christmas present, we suggest “Indomiti” a group of young people who have found their voice and place in society thanks to Facilitated Communication. You can su ...…

We see how Godfrey the Hunchback of Lorain, husband of the countess Matilda of Canossa meets a rather nasty “end” and how the investiture controversy reaches a high point and slides towards war. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/039-A-sticky-end-and-the-humiliation-of-Canossa.mp3

We follow the marital problems of Matilde of Canossa and Godfrey the Hunchback of Lorain while pope Gregory VII rolled up his sleeves and get’s down to some serious posing and reforming. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/038-gregory-vii-and-marriage-counselling.mp3

The Normand, having conquered as much as they could in Southern Italy, head for Sicily while the struggle between the papacy and the empire heats up. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/037-the-normans-run-out-of-land-and-the-papacy-out-of-patience.mp3

https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/036-introducing-a-beard-a-hunchback-abd-matida.mp3 Bonifacio Attone of Canossa dies leaving his wife Beatrice and stepdaughter to first look to the pope and then marry Godfrey the Bearded while in the backgrounds a couple of popes come and go and we also see a change of emperors.…

Once pope Leo IX takes power, we follow his rather disastrous decision to challenge the Normans and Robert Guiscard. After that, we have a quick look at the start of the Great East- West Schism. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/035-the-lion-the-fox-and-the-great-schism.mp3

We see off Conrad II and then Henry III come in and make his way down to Italy, sort out the pope situation and then look at some of the troubles in the church and start to see the winds of change blowing from the monasteries. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/034-another-henry-too-many-popes-and-naughtiness-in-the-church.mp3…

We take a look at the arrival of the Normans in Southern Italy at the start of the XI century and follow their participation in the anti-Byzantine rebellion of the 1040’s. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/episode-033-her-ecome-the-normans-there-goes-the-neighbourhood.mp3

We look at the passage from Henry II to Conrad and look at the trouble caused for the new emperor by Bishop Aribert of Milan while he tries to consolidate his hold on Italy with the help of Bonifacio of Canossa and the new pope. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/032-saxons-to-saliens-and-a-fake-news-legend.mp3…

We take a look at a forgotten rebellion in the south of Italy headed by an apple tree, check in with the Canossa family to observe their growing power in the north and then see how Holy Roman emperor Henry II got on when he made his way across the Alps. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/031-a-rebellion-in-the-south-a-lion-in-t ...…

Between the 29th September and 5th October 1944, the Nazi occupiers of Italy, along with their Fascist allies, rounded up and killed almost 800 civilians, mostly elderly, women and children in the worst single episode of violence against the civilian population in Western Europe. The massacre occurred on the slopes of Monte Sole, south of Bolog ...…

We leave Henry II waiting for a moment to look at the increasing Saracen raids in the early 11th century before taking a look at the unique history of the Sardinian “Giudicati”. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/episode-030.mp3

As a new millennium dawns on the Italian pensala, we see that nothing much has changed, at least for the moment, as we see Henry II of Bavaria attempting to take power in Italy and then become emperor. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/029-new-millennium-nationalist-myths-same-old-mess.mp3…

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the armistice between the Italian government and the allied forces we look at the fateful day the armistice was announced and the consequences for the Italian forces and people. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/special-episode-04.mp3

After our recap episode, we take a look at the attitudes towards the year 1000 and have a look at what daily life was like for people around that year. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/028-the-year-1000-qne-life-for-the-average-giuseppe.mp3

We explore the concept of national identity and pride and look at additive rather than subtractive human pride. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/nc-003.mp3

In this recap episode we look back over the period from the fall of the Lombard kingdom at the hands of Charlemagne in 774 to the year 1000. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/recap-02.mp3

A look at the paper is an opportunity to explain the make-up of the current government and prompts consideration about the state of Italian unity today. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/nc-02.mp3

In the bar today a conversation about the government between two men with Roman accents prompts memories of trips to the eternal city, inlacing one adventure riding with a coach-full of modern-day hippies. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/nc-01.mp3

Welcome to the new Paypal and patron-only feature of “A History of Italy”: NewsCappuccino. In this programme we’re going to take a look at current affairs, stories and memories, starting from Italy and Italian issues, but taking a look at the world as well. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/nc-000.mp3…

After the death of Otto II, we see how his young son was brought up to manhood under the regency of his mother Theophanu and his grandmother Adelaide of Italy and how he became an emperor with dreams of greatness, as well as how those dress clashed with reality. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/episode-027-yet-another-otto-ii ...…

We take just a moment to mourn Otto I and then proceed to see how his son, Otto II, got on with his attempt to hold the Holy Roman Empire together and even try to expand to all of the Italian peninsula while dealing with the usual pope complications. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/episode-026-another-otto-ii.mp3…

Otto I of Germany continues to consolidate his hold over Italy, attempting to go all the way south and dislodge the remaining Byzantine presence, meanwhile setting up his son with a Byzantine princess, Theophanu. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/episode-025-ottonian-italy.mp3

We have a chat with Italian teacher and history enthusiast Daniela Pellacani from Carpi on one of the heroes of the Risorgimento, Ciro Menotti. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/interview-episode-02.mp3

We take a look at the reign of the teenage oboe John XII and the start of the struggle between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/episode-024-putstanding-otto-and-more-mess-from-a-porn-pope.mp3

We look at how Alberic II did after taking control of Rome from his mother Marozia and his stepfather Guido of Provence. Then we jave a look at the usual confusion in northern Italy before the descent of the Saxon king Otto I, while we wait for the unforgettable pope John Xii to come on the scene. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/201 ...…

We look at the second part of the incredible story of Marozia, as we use her family as an example of the chaos that was early tenth century Italy. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/episode-22.mp3

We take a look at the situation of debauchery and corruption that Italy, and more specifically Rome, fell into during the ninth and tenth centuries, with a particular focus on the Tuscolo family and perhaps its most famous member, Marozia. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/episode-021-rowdy-roman-revelry-marozias-pornocracy.mp3…

We look at the anarchy Italy fell into after the end of the Carolingians with the dealings of such men as Berengarius of Friuli and Guy of Spoleto, intersperse with some more foreign kings and emperors. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/episode-020-annoying-anarchy.mp3

We finish off the last of th Carolingians in Italy and take a look at the feudal system they brought with them into the county. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/episode-019-feudal-fun-with-the-franks.mp3

We look back over the history of the upcoming celebration of Republic Day, 2nd June and look at the current political situation in the light of the constitution that came out of that historical moment. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/special-episode-03.mp3

We first cleat up the concept of the “Kingdom of Italy” and then make our way back up from the Arab Emirate of Sicily to look at the Principality of Benevento, the Duchy of Naples and the Duchy of Spoleto in the ninth century as the Carolingians do their thing up north. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/episode-018-a-clear-up- ...…

We leave the north for a while and take a look at Sicily. First we have a quick peak at the start of the Arab raids on the island in the early seventh century and then head back to the ninth when Sicily became an Arab Emirate. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/episode-017-some-silly-syracusans-some-saracens-and-sicily-plus-pir ...…

800 – 840 We look at what happened up to and after the death of Charlemagne to see what his sons got up to. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/episode-016-italy-after-charlemagne.mp3

The second part of a two-part episode on the history of the city of Bologna. Her ewe cover the modern and contemporary eras of the regional capital of Emilia Romagna https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/special-episode-02b.mp3

This is the first part of a two-part series on the history of the city of Bologna, from pre-history to the end of the Middle Ages. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/special-episode-02a.mp3

We look at the election and tumultuous adventures of pope Leo III before he goes on to crown Charlemagne, thus determining the relations between the papacy and the budding Holy Roman Empire for centuries to come https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/episode-015-a-confusing-chistmas-crowning.mp3…

We have a look at the system that Charlemagne set up in Italy, the administration, the economy and the educational reform. We also take a time to have a look at how the peninsula was divided up at this point and the ongoing relationship between the Frankish rulers and the popes of Rome. https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/episod ...…

This episode is a recap of the first thirteen episodes that acts as a refresher before we move on to the Carolingian reign in Italy and the growing power of the papcy and the Holy Roman Empire https://ahistoryofitaly.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/recap-01.mp3