History of Venice Podcast

We’ve quoted at length from The Alexiad in the past few narrative episodes. But who was its author, Anna Comnena, and how did she come to write this 500-page history? We look into the life of this ext...

16 Sep 202533min

It's our first Podcast Anniversary, so we tried summarising the past year's worth of content in three minutes and then chatted about our favourite stories so far and what we're looking forward to most...

9 Sep 202542min

We’re back with Casanova this week, as he finishes his teenage years and reaches his early 20s. For this mercurial young man, every risk is an opportunity, and every opportunity is a chance to make a ...

5 Sep 202531min

Ordelaf Faledro is an unusual name, whether you're reading it forwards or backwards. He was Doxe of Venice for about 16 years in the early 1100s, when the city suffered a series of devastating natural...

27 Aug 202537min

This week the Venetian lagoon is the star of the show. These muddy, marshy islands are the home of something extraordinary. It’s easy to assume that Venice has always looked the way it does now, or at...

18 Aug 202536min

We're looking at Venice's contribution to the First Crusade and its aftermath. The crusading movement had set out to recover lost territory for the Christian Byzantine Empire. But within a couple of y...

11 Aug 202538min

This week we talk to another historical novelist who uses Venice as a setting for her work. We focus in particular on the lives of 16th century women, from nuns to courtesans. You can find out more ab...

5 Aug 202556min

Before we move into the pivotal 12th century, we spend some time on a recap of the 11th century by focusing on the seven men who held the top job in the city. Which of them do we think had the most la...

28 Juli 202545min