A History of Italy16 Syys 2025

194 - The Italian Wars 11 - Medici pope to Medici pope - Battle of Pavia and Cognac

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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NewsCappuccino 000 – Launch episode

Welcome to the new Paypal and patron-only feature of "A History of Italy": NewsCapuccino. In this programme we're going to take a look at current affairs, stories and memories, starting from Italy and...

23 Elo 20184min

027 – Yet another Otto (III)

983 - 1002 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 w...

19 Elo 201821min

026 – Another Otto (II)

973 - 983 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 Italia...

12 Elo 201821min

025 – Ottonian Italy

966 - 973 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 Byzantin...

5 Elo 201819min

Interview – Daniela Pellacani on Ciro Menotti

We have a chat with Italian teacher and history enthusiast Daniela Pellacani from Carpi on one of the heroes of the Risorgimento, Ciro Menotti.

27 Heinä 201819min

024 – Outstanding Otto and more mess from a porn pope

951 - 066 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

21 Heinä 201819min

023 – Here come the Ottonians

932 - 955 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 t...

14 Heinä 201821min

022 – More mischief from Marozia

910 - 932 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.

30 Kesä 201822min