The Men Who Would Kill the Medici, Part 1
Lorenzo de Medici was the center of power in Florence. Three men—Girolomo Riario, Francesco de Pazzi, and Francesco Salviati, Archbishop of Pisa—were determined to take him down. They just needed the ...
20 Jun 202338min
The Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Fighting To Be Seen
Our two part series on the Chevalier de Saint-Georges continues, with our hero rubbing elbows with Whig politicians and fighting for freedom during the French Revolution—perhaps setting a record for m...
13 Jun 202326min
The Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Excellent or Nothing
In the late 1700s, one man became a celebrated fixture of Parisian salon culture: he was a prodigy fencer, and then a brilliant composer and violinists. He befriended Marie Antoinette and lead one of ...
6 Jun 202328min
The Woman Who Wrote Fairy Tales
When it comes to fairy tales, most people know Charrles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Fewer know of Madame d'Aulnoy, whose own life of murder and political inrigues inspired the stories where love ...
30 Mai 202334min
Through the Eyes of La Castiglione
More than a hundred years before the selfie became commonplace, a woman in France used photographs to immortalize her favorite subject: herself. But as she aged, she became a lighting rod for our cult...
23 Mai 202330min
The Pretty Prime Minister (with Jennifer Wright)
TW: This episode contains discussions of violence towards children that might be disturbing for some listeners. For decades, one woman was the heart and soul of Versailles: Madame de Pompadour. Dana s...
16 Mai 202346min
The Party to End Nicolas Fouquet's Career
In August 1661, the superintendent of finance in France threw the party of the century. In September, he was arrested. The lesson: don't fly too close to the sun (king). Support Noble Blood: — Bonus ...
9 Mai 202329min
The Self-Reported Life of the Sham Prince
In the aftermath of World War I, aristocratic Germans were clinging to whatever sense of identity and social structure they could. They relished the opportunity to parade around with the deposed Princ...
2 Mai 202339min
