The Grand Tour: everything you wanted to know
In the 18th century, countless British travellers set off to continental Europe in search of art, architecture... and a good time. But what were the must-see locations on the Grand Tour? How did peopl...
27 Jul 202443min
Black Death: everything you wanted to know
Earlier this week, new comedy drama The Decameron dropped on Netflix. Based on a set of 14th-century tales by Giovanni Boccaccio, it follows the raucous exploits of a group of medieval Italian nobles,...
26 Jul 202443min
The Decameron: sex, plague, and a medieval Love Island
What would you do if your home town was ravaged by plague? Would you lock your doors and hide? Run for the hills? Or accept that the end was nigh and party? Boccaccio's The Decameron - a medieval best...
25 Jul 202445min
Toilets through time | 1. Roman latrines
What was it like to do your business in a Roman communal toilet? In the first episode of our new mini-series, Toilets Through Time, David Musgrove begins his journey through the bathrooms of British h...
24 Jul 202435min
Assassinations that shaped US history
Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump earlier in July, historian Adam Smith speak to Matt Elton about previous attempts to kill political leaders in the United States – and how these e...
23 Jul 202433min
Is democracy doomed? History behind the headlines
In the latest episode of our monthly series exploring the past behind the present, Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter are joined by Professor Paul Cartledge to explore the long roots of recent tensions in d...
22 Jul 202441min
Catherine of Braganza: the Merrie Monarch's forgotten queen
Picture Charles II's court and you'll probably imagine a riot of excess, filled with drinking, games, and of course, mistresses. The queen by Charles' side, Catherine of Braganza, is often obscured by...
21 Jul 202441min
The Spanish Inquisition: everything you wanted to know
The era of the Spanish Inquisition is most commonly remembered as a period of widespread fear and paranoia, where communities turned on each other and torture was rife. But how true is this popular pe...
20 Jul 202442min
