097 – Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy
We have a look at the opus magna of Dante Alighieri, the Divine Comedy, before seeing him off to the end of his days and beyond, with the adventures of his corpse
8 Sep 202023min
Anti-mafia martyrs: Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
On 3rd September, the anniversary of his death, we look at the struggle against organised crime of Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, general of the Italian Carabinieri police force who dedicated his life to the fight against terrorism and the Sicilian Mafia.
3 Sep 202035min
Anti-mafia martyrs series launch
We are going to take a look at some of the brave men and women who have given their lives to fight organised crime in Italy. known as "Le Mafie", the mafias, which include Cosa Nostra, the 'Ndrangheta, the Stidda, the Sacra Corona Unita and the Camorra. On the anniversary of their deaths, we will look at the lives and struggle of people such as General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Peppino Impastato, Pio La Torre, Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino and Don Pino Puglisi just to nae a few.
1 Sep 20206min
096 – Florence goes black and white and Dante gets involved
After definitively defeating the Ghibellines, the Florentine Guelphs need new enemies so they split into White and Black Guelphs, catching Dante Alighieri, who had entered politics just a few years before, in a crossfire that will have dire consequences. On a literary level, he starts to get the idea of a sort od mid life crisis travel book...
26 Aug 202018min
095 – Young Dante Alighieri and Florence
We start to take a look at the life and times of the great poet Dante Alighieri, taking the opportunity to look more closely at the history of his city, Florence.
19 Aug 202026min
094 – Naples vs Sicily
We see how the descent of Emperor Henry VII reignites the conflict between Frederick of Sicily and the new king of Naples, Robert. The animosity will last as long as the two men live.
2 Aug 202021min
093 – A change of scenery for the papacy and an anachronistic emperor
The papacy, under Clement V heads off for its long exile to Avignone and then Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII tries to move back the clock on the Italian scene.
18 Juli 202024min
092 – Boniface VIII peaks and crashes
1298- 1303 Boniface VIII crushes the internal opposition of the Colonna, organises the first Jubilee, dabble in Italian politics including Florence and then clashes once again with Philipp IV of France, which seals his fate.
26 Juni 202023min