Giordano Bruno: Mystic, Heretic, Spy
Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake 425 years ago this month. His crime? Radical thinking which clashed with the ideas of the Roman Catholic church. But his extraordinarily colourful life, ideas...
20 Feb 202540min
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War - which happened exactly 500 years ago - saw peasants across Germany, Switzerland and Austria rise up against oppressive lords in a bid for freedom and social reform. This wa...
17 Feb 202553min
Versailles: Science & Splendour
The opulent halls of 17th and 18th-century Versailles were not just filled with dazzlingly dressed courtiers and royal intrigue. They also positively buzzed with scientific discovery and innovation, m...
13 Feb 202533min
Nell Gwyn: Actress and Royal Mistress
How did a lowly orange seller become the most famous actress of her time and mistress of King Charles II?In 1660, King Charles II ruled that female stage roles must be played by women, leading to the ...
10 Feb 202556min
Rene Descartes
The famous saying "I think, therefore I am" was the cornerstone of the philosophy of Rene Descartes, who died 375 years ago this month at the age of 53. His groundbreaking ideas shaped Western though...
6 Feb 202536min
When Europeans reached Australia
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the dramatic story of the first European encounters with the indigenous people of Australia. She's joined by Professor Alistair Paterson who sheds light on the ...
3 Feb 202546min
Lucrezia Borgia
For our final foray into the shadowy Renaissance world of the Borgia Dynasty, we explore the enigma that was Lucrezia Borgia, whose life navigating a perilous patriarchal landscape was enmeshed in sca...
30 Jan 202536min
Little Ice Age
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discusses the impact of the Little Ice Age, a period of significant cooling from the 15th to early 19th centuries that caused widespread famine, drought, and socio-economic...
27 Jan 202546min
