History of Venice Podcast
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History of Venice Podcast
@historyofvenicepod.bsky.social
200 followers 66 following 110 posts
Telling the story of a unique city and its fascinating people.
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Ep 39 "Redbeard Rising". In collaboration with Dirk from @hotgpod.bsky.social and Mike from A History of Italy, we're starting a 3-parter today on Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa and his misadventures in Italy. Don't miss this epic tale. 👑
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Stained glass image of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, from Strasbourg Cathedral.
November 19, 2025 at 11:10 AM
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Venetian-themed pumpkins for Halloween. If you fancy a few simple ghost stories from Venice, check out our Special Halloween episode.
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Two Halloween pumpkins -- one with a gondola and the other with a typical Venetian window.
October 31, 2025 at 5:34 PM
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Ep 34 "Friends Reunited". Domenico Michiel's tomb calls him "The terror of the Greeks". The Historia Ducum Venetorum calls him "a warlike man ... who slaughtered many enemies". But he also invented municipal street lighting. A man of many talents, then.👑
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/034-friend...
Funeral epitaph of Venetian Doge Domenico Michiel.
October 8, 2025 at 9:18 AM
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Domenico Michiel features three times in the artwork of the Venetian Hall of Fame in the Palazzo Ducale. What did he do that was worth painting? Find out in this week's episode, "Raiders of the Lost Crusade", available wherever you get your podcasts. 👑
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/033-raider...
The ceiling and walls of the Sala dello Scrutinio in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice.
October 1, 2025 at 12:50 PM
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This idealised face of Anna Comnena / Komnene has been staring at me from my Kindle for several weeks. Today we begin a mini-series on this brilliant 12th century polymath. How did she become the first published female historian of the Roman Empire?👑
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/rh02a-writ...
Book cover image of Anna Comnena, the subject of this week's podcast.
September 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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It's our first birthday as a podcast! We celebrate with a special episode featuring a 3-minute summary of our story so far, some chat about favourite moments and what we're looking forward to in future episodes - next week's 2-parter being top of that list.👑
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/first-birt...
September 9, 2025 at 10:37 AM
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Corfu, 1745. One of those Venetian ships in the harbour has brought the 20-year-old Casanova for a posting during his brief military career. He has money in his pocket and a track record of poor decision-making. Find out how it went in this week's episode.👑
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An 18th century view of Corfu.
September 5, 2025 at 8:52 AM
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I'm currently in around 1118, so my C19th sources are limited, but this pic is the hilarious result of the referendum on unification in 1866 in the Veneto. If you've ever watched (or read) il Gattopardo / The Leopard, you'll recognise a similar thing there.
August 31, 2025 at 7:42 PM
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For context, here's a wider angle on that detail of the Pala d'Oro. The Doxe is on the bottom row, almost in the centre, next to the virgin Mary and the Byzantine Empress Eirene Doukaina.
The Pala d'Oro in San Marco, Venice.
August 27, 2025 at 9:25 AM
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The horsemen of the apocalypse were beating a path for Venice in the early 1100s, but among the chaos there was money for some massive ecclesiastical bling. The lower part of the Pala d'Oro dates from this time, featuring Palindrome Doxe Ordelaf Faledro. 👑
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Detail from the Pala d'Oro in San Marco, showing early 12th century Doxe Ordelaf Faledro (Ordelaffo Falier)
August 27, 2025 at 9:25 AM
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This week we talk about what the Venetian lagoon looked like in 1100 -- four centuries before this iconic map was made. 👑
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A map of Venice from 1500
August 19, 2025 at 2:20 PM
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Profits & Prophets. By 1099, the Crusader states were at loggerheads with Byzantium as well as the Muslims. Venice found herself on both sides of this rift in the Christian world. But that didn't stop her taking the opportunity to steal some Holy Bones. 👑
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/030-profit...
Illustration from a medieval manuscript showing a ship from the First Crusade.
August 11, 2025 at 8:58 AM
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This Doxe looks glum, but his portrait was painted before he found out that he's the winner of our 11th century Top Doxe contest. Find out who he was, and how he triumphed over his rivals, by tuning in to this week's episode wherever you get your podcasts.👑
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16th Century portrait of an 11th Century Doge of Venice.
July 28, 2025 at 2:31 PM
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The medieval European worldview had Jerusalem at the centre. When Byzantium's request for help in retaking lost territory unleashed the crusades in the 1090s, Venice's key marketplace was significantly disrupted. This week we look at the background. 👑
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The Mappa Mundi, from Hereford Cathedral, showing a medieval European view of the world, with Jerusalem at the centre.
July 18, 2025 at 9:57 AM
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We're looking at food this week. Venice has a long-lasting seafood tradition, but her historic status as an international trading city means that some of the most characteristic Venetian culinary specialities have significant outside influences. 👑
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The Rialto fish market in Venice. April 2025.
July 11, 2025 at 9:47 AM
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Almost every aspect of 11th century Venice's economy supported the city's maritime trading business, which expanded rapidly after the 1082 commercial treaty with Byzantium. Shipbuilding was everywhere. Today, only a few gondola yards like this remain. 👑
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One of the last remaining gondola repair yards in the city of Venice, the Squero San Trovaso.
June 23, 2025 at 1:09 PM
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Bernini's elephant would have seen Casanova's visits to his paramour "Lucrezia", with whom he had a relationship on their Roman Holiday in 1744. We have no idea whether Casanova is telling us the truth, but elephants never forget. Jess asked him about it. 👑
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Bernini's elephant statue in Piazza della Minerva, Rome.
June 16, 2025 at 9:17 AM
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"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes". On which subject, here is an extract from the script of this week's episode of the History of Venice Podcast, about the impact of the Investiture Crisis 950 years ago.
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Extract from the script of a History of Venice Podcast episode about the Investiture Crisis of the 1070s.
June 6, 2025 at 8:03 AM
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Episode 25: Norman Wisdom. To recount Venice's clash with the terrifying warlord Robert Guiscard, we quote liberally from Anna Comnena's Alexiad, probably the earliest female-authored work of secular history.
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Manuscript copy of Anna Comnena's Alexiad, used under Creative Commons 3.0 licence.
June 3, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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Venice’s neighbours on all sides were in various stages of turmoil by the early 1070s. This week we pull the camera back and examine this sea of troubles. Also featuring Robbie the Weasel, Heroic Lion, and, tangentially, Charlie the Simple. 👑
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A map of the Mediterranean, from the floor of a local fish and chip shop in Suffolk.
May 23, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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In the spring of 1071 Venice celebrated the appointment of a new Doxe*. And for the first time we have a surviving eye witness account of the event. Today's episode looks at the festivities and what they tell us about the growth of the Venetian community. 👑
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May 16, 2025 at 9:39 AM
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On this day in 1797, the sun finally set on the Venetian Republic. On 12 May, the Maggior Consiglio voted itself out of existence in the face of the overwhelming threat from Revolutionary France's Army of Italy. Napoleon claimed to bring liberty and democracy. He brought neither.
Venice. San Marco and the Doge's Palace in the sunset, seen from Santa Maria della Salute.
May 13, 2025 at 10:50 AM
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This week we look at mid-11th century Venice, recovering from the turmoil of the 1020s and accumulating riches that are spent on prestigious church-building, including the most spectacular of all, San Marco, whose current structure dates from 1061.
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May 9, 2025 at 8:57 AM
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Papal Conclaves are in fashion right now. The last one to happen outside Rome was at San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, in 1799-1800. Among the 35 Cardinal Electors in the Benedictine monastery was the "Cardinal Duke of York", Henry Stuart, younger brother of the "Young Pretender" Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Picture of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, across the water from the Punta della Dogana.
May 8, 2025 at 9:02 AM
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In today's episode, Casanova is as bad at cards as Blackadder's Prince George. Also featuring two cunning plans, two bouts of the clap, and a triumphant arrival to take up his new job of assistant Bishop (sorry, that's assistant to the Bishop).
histvenicepod.podbean.com/e/casanova-p... 👑
An 18th century gambling table, from the House of Carlo Goldoni, Venice.
May 2, 2025 at 9:57 AM