China's First Tourists: Travel Writers in the Ming Dynasty
Around the same time as the Mayflower was landing at Cape Cod, on the other side of the world tourism was thriving in China, giving rise to a fascinating genre of travel writing.In this episode, first...
12 Aug 202432min
Rise of the Medici
The House of Medici ruthlessly wielded control of Florence for nearly 300 years. Through financial and political machinations, they transformed the city into a cultural powerhouse and the epicentre o...
8 Aug 202440min
Magellan: The First Man to Sail the World
Just over 500 years ago, a small band of sailors completed the first ever circumnavigation of the globe, launched by Ferdinand Magellan. From the armada of five ships and some 270 men that set out, on...
5 Aug 202433min
Henry VII: Rise of the Medieval Tudors
Henry VII was descended from some of the greatest Welsh princes. When word spread that he had a chance of taking the English throne, Welsh prophecies - which foretold that one day, one of their own w...
1 Aug 202446min
Vivaldi’s Greatest Protegé
In early 18th century Venice, the Ospedale della Pietà took in abandoned baby girls through a tiny gap in the wall. In addition to ensuring the girls’ survival, the orphanage employed one of the worl...
29 Jul 202432min
Charles II's Most Infamous Mistress: Barbara Villiers
The tempestuous and passionate Barbara Villiers captured the hearts of many in Stuart-era Britain, including King Charles II. But she had a dark side, humiliating her husband for decades, plotting the...
25 Jul 202443min
The Mighty Ashanti: Rival to the British Empire
At the end of the 17th century, a small clan - the Akan - in West Africa began growing into what would later become the powerful Ashanti Empire. The state grew rapidly in both wealth and land until i...
22 Jul 202429min
Spycraft: From the Elizabethans to the Restoration
The 16th and 17th centuries were a crucial time for spycraft, full of political intrigue and diplomatic subterfuge. Walsingham was known as a 'Spy Master', but there were many, all vying for attention...
18 Jul 202441min
