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PODCAST

History of Venice Podcast

A journey through the history of the city of Venice, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way.

history

All Episodes

36:32

055. Raising Eyebrows

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/04/01

The Crusaders’ stunning victory in July 1203 had resolved nothing. They had won, perhaps by default, but it can hardly have been a surprise that the people of Constantinople had never welcomed them. After a few months of phoney peace, by December the war was back on again. As the Crusaders overwintered in Galata, a new, more aggressive opponent emerged in Constantinople. Will the man known as Big Eyebrows save the Empire?Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and

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42:26

054. Out of the Frying Pan

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/03/25

There’s no more room left on the knife-edge that’s balancing everyone’s fortunes on the night of 17th July 1203. Daybreak will bring unexpected clarity, and a victory for one side or the other. But when you find yourself gratefully jumping out of the frying pan, where do you land? Nowhere good, that’s for sure. For all its apparent success, this Crusade has the reverse-Midas touch, rapidly transforming gold into dusty death. And it’s only getting worse. As one war ends, another one soon

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59:46

053. Someone Else's Civil War

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/03/18

The “crusade” has finally reached Constantinople. This ragged coalition has agreed to stick together, at least for now. The proponents of this preposterous diversion have one shot at persuading the people of Constantinople to accept their puppet Emperor. With the shambolic history of this Crusade so far, it’s a plan that should stand almost no chance of success. Stand by for adrenaline-fuelled action as the Venetian navy and a ragtag band of French chivalric misfits attempt the impossible.Email us

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32:18

052. Let's Make Poor Decisions

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/03/11

The crusading army has successfully captured a Christian town that was under the protection of a Christian King. The Pope is furious. But it’s only going to get worse from here. Because on New Year’s Day 1203, messengers arrive in the camp with a spectacular offer that will rid them of all their money troubles. The only catch is that it involves going to completely the wrong target. The diversion to Constantinople is on, and there’s every chance that it’s going to tear this crusade apart.Email us

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20:28

Art and Culture 07. Legend of the Golden Ring

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/03/04

We got a bit sidetracked with all the work that we put into the Intelligent Speech conference last week, so this is a bonus episode telling the story of a Venetian legend, to give us a bit of breathing space to get back into the main research on the Fourth Crusade narrative, which will return next week. The story of the three saints and the gold ring is a curious tale which tells us something about how the medieval Venetians liked to view themselves. We hope you enjoy it.Email us at

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43:57

051. Excommunication? What Excommunication?

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/02/25

It’s four years since the Crusade was originally called, and the under-sized army is still stuck in Venice, hopelessly unable to pay their hosts for the magnificent navy that has been prepared for them. A very questionable deal has been agreed that the Holy Army will take a short diversion, to help Venice to recapture the nearby Dalmatian port of Zara. But with the Pope very definitely opposed to the plan, can this fractious and unstable coalition stay together long enough to avoid the entire

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44:05

050. Show Me The Money

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/02/18

The contract of 1201 was simple. Venice will build a fleet for 33,500 men, and the crusaders will pay for it, spreading the cost across four instalments. Well, Venice has now built that fleet, and the accounts are overdue. But where are the crusaders, and where is their money? Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

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32:42

Casanova Part 8 Bonus. Remebering Henriette

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/02/14

So, what happened after Casanova and Henriette parted in Geneva on that cold morning early in 1750? We had a chat about the rest of the story after the end of the recording of the main episode, so if you'd like to know about the two further times that they met each other later in life, and some theories about who she might really have been, tune in for this bonus Valentine's Day special.Music is from Vivaldi's "Estate" (Summer) from Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from

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57:07

Casanova Part 8. His Greatest Love

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/02/11

"Tu oublieras aussi Henriette". The words scratched with diamond on a window of the finest hotel in Geneva remained scored on Casanova's soul for 50 years. This week, we tell the story of the woman he adored without reservation. If you're looking for a love story for Valentine's Day, look no further. Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro music is Estate (Summer) from Antonio Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni. Closing music is from the Adagio

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75:15

049. The Conspiracy

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/02/04

Christmas 1201. Hagenau, Alsace. While the faraway Venetian shipyards are busy building a massive fleet for the crusading army, two men with ambitions to rule the Eastern and Western Empires respectively are hatching a cunning plan. It's a long shot, but it might just work. Join us as we consider the Conspiracy of Hagenau with author and podcaster Marco Cappelli.------------------------------ For more information about Marco's Storia d'Italia podcast, and to buy his excellent books: Website:

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53:30

048. Crusaders Assemble

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/01/28

Pope Innocent wants a Crusade. The Venetians are good and devout Catholics, but what they really want is trade. How do these two forces combine in the preparations for the Pope’s glorious attempts to recapture the lost territory of the Holy Land? In the second part of our epic series on the 4th Crusade we look at how the early fateful decisions were made, as the Doge agrees a contract with the Marshal of Champagne. Everything that happens later flows from here. Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com,

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53:19

047. Introducing the Crusade of the Liars

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/01/21

We've finally reached the Fourth Crusade. To kick us off with the background, we speak to history podcaster and author Marco Cappelli, whose recent book "Quando Venezia Distrusse l'Impero Romano" lays out the whole story in colourful and captivating detail. We ask him about the political environment in the crusading movement and in Byzantium when the new Pope Innocent III calls yet another crusade in 1198. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky,

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52:06

046. Blind Man's Promise

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/01/14

In 1192, Venice elects a new Doge. In an age of warrior kings, the Venetian electoral college picks an 85-year-old blind man. It’s time for us to meet the legendary Enrico Dandolo.Recommended reading for this episode: Thomas Madden “Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice”. Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

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57:24

045. Four Wise Men

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/01/07

We’ve been so focused on the dramatic events of the second half of the 12th century recently that we haven’t had much chance to look at the people who led the city of Venice through these dramatic times. Today, we reflect on the Doges from 1148 to 1192, to see whether any of them are likely to be in the conversation when we eventually reach the end of the century and pick our favourite overall. So please join us for the stories of Campanile Doge, Murdered Doge, the Doge of Peace, and Cookie

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98:34

044. Chaos with Choniates

History of Venice Podcast ·

2026/01/01

Byzantine chronicler Niketas Choniates tells a lurid tale of the chaos that engulfed the Empire between 1180 and 1185 -- the crucial period when the Venetian hostages were finally released. It's an extraordinary story, and it's hugely important as background for what the Venetians are going to do next. In a break from our normal format, we did this one as a chat rather than a fully scripted episode. So please sit back and relax with us as we try to navigate our way through the turmoil of

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33:30

043. Bring Them Home

History of Venice Podcast ·

2025/12/29

A few episodes ago, we left thousands of Venetians languishing in makeshift Byzantine prisons. As the fires of history burned their way through the 1170s, those hostages could have been forgiven for feeling increasingly forgotten. Slowly but surely, though, Venice was working on ways to bring them home. In the end, after a seemingly interminable decade, the solution would come from the unlikely source of a mad Emperor, and an Empire that turns inwards and eats itself.Email us at

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46:20

Casanova Part 7. Metamorphosis

History of Venice Podcast ·

2025/12/22

Approaching his 21st birthday, Casanova's fortunes are in the gutter, and his behaviour is in the sewer. After one criminal escapade too many he's lucky to still be a free man, and he needs to reform his behaviour quickly. Just a few weeks later, a chance encounter and an act of ordinary kindness prove to be the biggest turning point of his life. Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro and outro music is Estate from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni,

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47:42

042. Just Making Stuff Up

History of Venice Podcast ·

2025/12/15

After Barbarossa’s defeat against the army of the Lombard League in May 1176, the search was on for a suitable location to hold peace talks between the Emperor and the Pope. And in 1177, Venice ended up being the host for this defining moment in Italian history. A century and a half later, though, the city’s chroniclers decided to embellish the story to that point that it was almost unrecognisable. We look at the truth and the fiction behind the legends of the Peace of Venice.Email us at

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4:55

Update and Intelligent Speech Promo

History of Venice Podcast ·

2025/12/10

We're a few days late with our regular episode this week due to illness, but we needed to tell you about the Intelligent Speech conference, where we'll be joining a whole host of other history podcasters on Saturday 28 February 2026. There's an Early Bird Discount on tickets right now, but it ends soon, so if you'd like to join us online for a chat about all things Venice, head to intelligentspeechonline.com for a ticket, and use the discount code VENICE at the checkout for an extra 10% off. We'll

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74:04

041. Redbeard Falling

History of Venice Podcast ·

2025/12/03

Our crossover trilogy concludes with the story of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's Italian campaign of 1174-76. Once more, we are joined by our podcasting friends Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans) to explain how the Emperor took offence at the name of a new city and ended up in a fight for his life. The conclusion of the story will have huge implications for Venice and for European history in general.More information about History of the Germans available here: History of

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