On 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 return to the bad old days of violent regime change.
https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/
All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
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35:27
Casanova Part 1. Mommy Issues
We 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.
https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/
Music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
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42:33
013. Twelve Weddings and a Funeral
We'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.
https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/
All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
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25:53
Rabbit Hole 1(d). The First Duchess
We 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.
https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/
All music is used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
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34:38
Rabbit Hole 1(c) Cherchez l'Homme -- The Walter Manny Story
In 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.
https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/
All music is used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org
France