Ep. 15 (58) - The Lombard League
(1162-1167 again) This week we will talk about the second part of the pincer movement that brought that Hohenstaufen construct of imperial power crashing down to earth. The first was the schism in the...
5 Aug 202433min
Ep. 14 ( 57) - The Hand of God - The siege of Rome in 1167 that changes everything
This week we do what we have done so many times and seem to be unable to avoid, talk about the conflict between pope and emperor. And that always means trouble, bad decisions and a siege of Rome. But ...
29 Jul 202438min
Ep. 13 (56) - The Siege of Crema - Barbarossa razes Milan to the ground
1159-1162 This week we will see how the Italian Communes take the Laws of Roncaglia. Not well is the understatement of the 12th century. Prepare for some epic sieges and harsh imperial justice.The mus...
22 Jul 202433min
Ep. 12 (55) - The Laws of Roncaglia - Barbarossa brings back Roman Law
By September 1158 Barbarossa had completed one of the shortest and most efficient Italian campaigns of the medieval period. He had set off from Augsburg in mid-July and by early September Milan had ca...
15 Jul 202429min
Ep. 11 (54) - A Bohemian Bluff - Barbarossa conquers Milan for the first time
(1158) This week we will see Barbarossa try using his freshly minted army to take down the city of Milan, a city of 150,000 and the one commune that he needs to defeat if he really wants to establish ...
8 Jul 202431min
Ep. 10 (53 - Sacrum Imperium - The moment when the Empire becomes Holy and Roman
(1155-1158) This week we will see how Barbarossa addresses the big issue he had in his first Italian campaign, the size of the army and how he creates the Holy Roman Empire in the process.The music fo...
1 Jul 202434min
Ep. 9 (52) - The Honour of the Empire - Bringing the broken Empire back together
1153-1155This week we finally get our narrative going. Barbarossa will boost the honour of the empire by burning cities, hanging heretics, slaughtering rabble-rousing Romans and inventing the concept ...
24 Jun 202439min
Ep. 8 (51) - The Barbarossa - Who was the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa?
1152 In this episode we examine Barbarossa's background, childhood and education. What is it that made him so exceptional? And we investigate whether the Cappenberger Head is indeed an individual like...
17 Jun 202418min
