Episode Overview

Having raced through the early 1500s following the Italian Wars, the Medici popes, Leonardo da Vinci, and the creation of the Medici duchy in Florence, it’s time to slow down and look at the parts of Italy we’ve left slightly out of focus.

In this episode, we take a tour of the Italian peninsula’s two great islands — Sardinia and Sicily — and the Kingdom of Naples’ wider Mediterranean context. Though often treated as peripheral, these territories were central to Spanish power in Italy and deeply affected by war, rebellion, piracy, and imperial ambition.

A Geographic Reset: Italy Beyond the Mainland

1. Italy consists of the mainland “boot” and two major islands: Sardinia (to the west) and Sicily (to the southwest).
2. Both islands are today among Italy’s 20 administrative regions, along with many smaller islands such as Capri, Elba, and Stromboli.
3. Unlike many mainland states, these islands experienced a very different political and social evolution under Spanish rule.

Sardinia Under Spanish Control

1. By the early 1400s, Sardinia was firmly under Aragonese—and later Spanish—control, remaining so until 1720.
2. The island was governed by a viceroy, often drawn from powerful local feudal families.
3. Two families, the Carroz and Cubello, dominated nearly half of the island’s feudal income.

Power, Cities, and Administration

1. Unlike mainland Italy, Sardinian cities never achieved full autonomy.
2. Urban centers such as Cagliari, Sassari, Alghero, Iglesias, and Oristano developed influential merchant and professional classes.
3. Only Cagliari and Sassari possessed formal statutes, inherited from earlier Pisan and Genoese influence.

Stability and Growth

1. Ferdinand and Isabella restored parliamentary assemblies and introduced a lottery-based electoral system that allowed limited participation by non-nobles.
2. Sardinia enjoyed a period of relative peace and modest economic growth.
3. Charles V visited only briefly, leaving governance largely to the viceroy.

A Quiet Role in the Italian Wars

1. Sardinia was mostly spared the violence of the Italian Wars, with one brief French occupation of Sassari in 1527.
2. The island served primarily as a strategic logistical hub between Spain and Italy.

Sicily: A More Volatile Island

1. Sicily had a larger population than Sardinia but remained under tight noble control.
2. Roman infrastructure was decaying, and political power was firmly in baronial hands.
3. Early attempts at power-sharing, such as in Messina, failed under noble pressure.

Spanish Rule and Rising Tensions

1. Sicily was ruled by a powerful viceroy, combining civil and military authority.
2. Under Ugo de Moncada, the island became a frontline bastion against North African Muslim powers.
3. Costly military campaigns, rising taxation, the arrival of the Spanish Inquisition, and endemic piracy increased social tension.

The Palermo Uprising of 1511

1. In August 1511, unrest exploded following an incident involving a Spanish soldier stealing bread from a young woman named Nina.
2. Her fiancé, Giovanni “Surciddu” Pollastra, chased the soldier, triggering a city-wide rebellion.
3. Hundreds of Spanish soldiers were killed, and their commander fled disguised as a woman.
4. Despite Surciddu’s attempts to calm the situation, he was arrested and executed, sparking further violence.

A Cycle of Revolts (1512–1522)

1. New taxes in 1512 ignited another rebellion, again violently suppressed.
2. After King Ferdinand’s death in 1516, Sicily entered a prolonged period of unrest marked by:
3. Anti-noble sentiment
4. Banditry in the countryside
5. Intensifying Arab raids along the coast

Leaders and Failures

1. Several short-lived administrations failed to restore order.
2. The rebel leader Gianluca Squarcialupo briefly seized power but proved incapable of governing.

Plague, Piracy, and Temporary Stability

1. Plague outbreaks from 1522 weakened both rebels and authorities.
2. The fall of Rhodes heightened fears of external invasion.
3. Viceroy Ettore Pignatelli, Count of Monteleone, eventually restored a fragile stability that lasted until his death in 1535.

Charles V Visits Sicily (1535)

1. In 1535, Emperor Charles V visited Sicily for the first time in 14 years.
2. He entered Palermo through a newly redesigned Porta Nuova, stayed in the city, and was reportedly captivated by it.
3. The visit boosted imperial prestige and momentarily soothed tensions—at least on the surface.

Closing Thoughts

Sardinia and Sicily reveal two very different faces of Spanish rule in Italy: one relatively stable and quietly strategic, the other restless, rebellious, and perpetually on edge.

Both islands remind us that the Italian Wars were not only fought on famous mainland battlefields but also shaped the lives of people far from Florence, Rome, or Milan—on islands that were anything but peripheral.

And as always, peace in early modern Italy rarely lasts long.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary episode, which coincided with the 8th anniversary, we decided to hear from you, dear constant listener to create a special episode to celebrate this great milestone with many more hopefully to come.

As well as greetings, we'll hear about:

Sieges vs Battles

Moving Michelangelo artwork

An influential writer at the court of pope Leo X

The legend of the heart of bricks hidden among the alleyways of Venice

A warning from the lovely town of Carpi

The story of the unsung police hero Salvatore and his role in the notorious 1984 train bombing by the Sicilian Mafia and far-right terrorist organisations

Enjoy!

Episode Summary

With Giovanni dalle Bande Nere gone, we return to Florence to witness the dramatic collapse of the centuries-old Florentine Republic and the emergence of Medici princely rule. Against the backdrop of the Sack of Rome, religious extremism, political infighting, and imperial intervention, this episode follows Florence’s final republican experiment and introduces one of its most controversial rulers: Alessandro de’ Medici, the first Duke of Florence.

Key Topics Covered

The Aftermath of the Sack of Rome (1527)

1. Pope Clement VII’s humiliation after the Sack of Rome by mutinous imperial landsknechts and the blow to Medici prestige.
2. The pope’s political failures, including his looming clash with Henry VIII and the broader collapse of Medici papal authority.
3. Florence’s growing disillusionment with Medici “informal rule” and the sense that the moment for change had arrived.

The Republican Revival in Florence

1. Early unrest during the passage of imperial troops and the damage to Michelangelo’s David.
2. The fall of Cardinal Silvio Passerini’s authority after the Sack of Rome.
3. The decisive confrontation involving Clarice de’ Medici and Filippo Strozzi that triggered the Medici flight from the city.
4. The rise of a new republican government under Gonfalonier Niccolò Capponi.
5. Factional divisions among the anti-Medici forces, from aristocratic moderates to radical, Savonarola-inspired religious extremists.
6. The extraordinary moment when Jesus Christ was proclaimed King of Florence in February 1529.

Siege, Resistance, and the End of the Republic

1. The Treaty of Barcelona (1529) between Clement VII and Charles V, sealing Florence’s fate.
2. The imperial siege of Florence and Michelangelo’s role—brief and reluctant—in strengthening the city’s defenses.
3. Internal betrayal and wavering leadership under Malatesta Baglioni.
4. Florentine defiance through ritual and sport: frozen-Arno games, Carnival football in Santa Croce, and cannon fire aimed at celebration.
5. Capitulation in August 1530 after famine and plague, and Clement VII’s intervention to prevent a sack.
6. The definitive death of the Florentine Republic.

The Rise of Alessandro de’ Medici

1. Alessandro’s appointment as Gonfalonier for life and later Duke of Florence, with authority imposed by imperial decree rather than civic choice.
2. Competing theories about his parentage and his nickname il Moro.
3. The transformation of Florence from republic to hereditary state.
4. Abolition of traditional republican institutions and creation of new councils loyal to ducal authority.

What Kind of Duke Was Alessandro?

1. His populist instincts and rapport with the lower classes, including public sports and personal modesty.
2. A strong commitment to justice, legal transparency, and accessible law codes.
3. Absolute rejection of republican freedom and ruthless suppression of dissent.
4. Confiscation of noble estates, exile extensions, and political repression to rebuild state finances.
5. His indulgent private life: hunting, luxury, perfumes, and a notorious sexual appetite that fueled opposition.

Opposition, Intrigue, and Assassination

1. The death of Pope Clement VII in 1534 and the loss of Alessandro’s greatest protector.
2. The emergence of Ippolito de’ Medici as an alternative claimant and his suspicious death in 1535.
3. Failed legal attempts to remove Alessandro, including a trial in Naples.
4. The betrayal by Lorenzino de’ Medici—friend, companion, and assassin.
5. The murder of Alessandro on the night of 6 January 1537 and the desperate secrecy surrounding his death.
6. The political vacuum left behind and the difficulty of founding a dynasty when its first duke dies so quickly.

Why This Episode Matters

This chapter marks a decisive turning point in Florentine—and Italian—history:

1. The final collapse of republican government in Florence.
2. The normalization of foreign domination in Italian politics.
3. The emergence of Medici rule not as behind-the-scenes power brokers, but as open, hereditary princes.

The question now is no longer whether Florence will be ruled by a Medici—but which Medici will rule it next.

If you’d like, I can also:

✔ tighten this into platform-ready podcast descriptions

✔ prepare a “Previously on…” recap

✔ draft transition notes leading into Cosimo I and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Just say the word.

In this episode, we trace the final chapters in the life of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, the last great condottiero of Renaissance Italy, and his unlikely, enduring friendship with the scandalous writer Pietro Aretino. From political satire in Rome to blood-soaked battlefields in Lombardy and Umbria, this story intertwines art, warfare, ambition, and the sweeping changes that transformed European conflict forever.

Key Topics Covered

Pietro Aretino: Scandal, Satire & Survival

• Early life in Arezzo, his refusal of his father’s name, and his rise as a sharp-tongued writer and showman in the papal court of Leo X.
• The “talking statues” of Rome—especially Pasquino—and how Aretino’s biting pasquinades shaped political discourse.
• His alignment with Giulio de’ Medici (future Pope Clement VII), flight after the election of Hadrian VI, and continued clashes with papal officials.
• The scandal of the erotic engravings of Giulio Romano, ensuing arrests, and Aretino’s provocative “lustful sonnets.”
• His stabbing in Rome, survival, and eventual wanderings through Mantua and finally Venice, where he spent the last decades of his colourful life.
• His literary legacy, including La Cortigiana and the Ragionamenti, with their unfiltered depictions of sex, society, and the hypocrisy of his age.

Giovanni dalle Bande Nere: Rise, Glory, and Decline of the Condottieri

• Giovanni’s campaigns under various Italian powers and his growing reputation as a fearless and impulsive commander.
• His service to Pope Leo X and later Hadrian VI, including action against the Baglioni in Umbria and the dramatic siege at Passignano.
• Giovanni’s early brushes with imperial interest—and his surprising decision to instead enter French service under Francis I.
• The Battle of Bicocca (1522): a turning point in military history marking the decline of heavy cavalry and mercenary companies in the face of firearms and artillery.
• Giovanni’s wounding at Pavia and the involvement of two remarkable physicians: Berengario da Carpi and Abraham of Mantua.
• His turbulent finances, reckless habits, and the selling of Aulla, which ended his dream of carving out a hereditary domain.
• Increasing tensions caused by his Black Bands as they created chaos across Tuscany and Emilia.

The League of Cognac & Giovanni’s Final Campaign

• The formation of the anti-imperial League of Cognac (1526): Italy and France united against Charles V.
• Giovanni’s renewed service—accompanied once more by Aretino—and widespread hopes that he might become the Italian hero capable of unifying the peninsula.
• Frustration with Duke Francesco della Rovere’s hesitant leadership and obstacles created by Italian rivalries, especially the Este of Ferrara.
• Giovanni’s last victory at Governolo near Mantua.
• His mortal wounding from a hidden sniper’s shot—ironically not from the artillery that was reshaping warfare—and the dramatic amputation performed by Dr. Abraham.
• Giovanni’s final days, the legendary accounts of his stoicism, and his death at just 28 years old.

Aftermath & Legacy

• The consequences of Giovanni’s death: the failure of the League of Cognac to stop the imperial advance and the catastrophic Sack of Rome in 1527.
• The continuation of the Black Bands under Pier Maria de’ Rossi—and Maria Salviati’s refusal to let young Cosimo join them as a mascot.
• Giovanni’s relocation from Mantua to Florence and his enduring presence in the city’s memory.
• A glimpse of his statue near the Uffizi, standing guard toward the Arno—a symbolic link to his son, Cosimo I, future Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Why This Story Matters

This episode captures a pivotal moment when:

• The age of mercenary captains gave way to modern, firearm-based armies.
• Italy’s political fragmentation reached a breaking point.
• Personalities like Aretino and Giovanni revealed the volatile mix of art, power, and violence shaping the High Renaissance.

Episode Summary

Picking up where we left off, Giovanni de’ Medici, son of Caterina Sforza and known to history as Giovanni of the Black Bands, continues his meteoric rise through the bloody and chaotic world of Renaissance warfare. Backed by a Medici pope and driven by his fierce loyalty to his men, Giovanni’s legend as a mercenary commander — and his troubles with the powerful Medici family — only grow.

Host Mike Corradi unpacks the dangerous charisma, discipline, and contradictions of this larger-than-life condottiero: a man both feared and admired, ruthless yet loyal, reckless yet revered. From duels and executions to daring river crossings and political intrigue, this episode captures Giovanni at the height of his brutal glory.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• From Soldier to Legend – How Giovanni built the feared and disciplined Black Bands, and the tough standards that made them famous.
• Mercenary Life in Renaissance Italy – The realities of the “condotta” contract system, pay, discipline, and the fine line between soldiers and extortionists.
• A Code of Blood and Brotherhood – Giovanni’s uncompromising justice, personal duels, and brutal loyalty to his men.
• Exile and Recklessness – The duel with Camillo d’Appiano, murders in Florence, and yet another banishment for the restless Medici captain.
• Back to War – Giovanni’s return to papal service, his victories in the Marche, and the death of Pope Leo X — when his men finally took the name The Black Bands.
• The Battle of Vaprio (1521) – A daring river crossing, a sleeping French commander, and a crucial victory that spared Milan from destruction.
• Family and Bloodlines Again – Giovanni’s rescue of his stepsister Bianca Riario, echoing his mother Caterina’s courage.
• A New Companion – The arrival of Pietro Aretino, the scandalous writer and provocateur, whose influence on Giovanni we’ll soon discover.

Key Figures

• Giovanni de’ Medici “of the Black Bands” – The fearless condottiero whose name became a legend.
• Pope Leo X (Giovanni de’ Medici) – The Medici pope whose death marked a turning point for Giovanni’s army.
• Maria Salviati – Giovanni’s long-suffering wife, holding the family together in his absence.
• Prospero Colonna – The respected general under whom Giovanni fought, and a link to the fall of Cesare Borgia.
• Bianca Riario – Giovanni’s stepsister and loyal supporter, mirroring their mother’s fierce independence.
• Pietro Aretino – The notorious writer and satirist soon to become Giovanni’s newest and most scandalous ally.

Highlights & Insights

• The discipline and image of the Black Bands as a symbol of military professionalism.
• Giovanni’s ruthless moral code: loyalty rewarded, betrayal punished — often fatally.
• The economic and moral contradictions of the condottieri trade.
• How personal honour and vendetta shaped early 16th-century warfare.
• The seeds of change as firearms began to replace the medieval knight.

Closing Thought

As Giovanni’s fame and ferocity spread across Italy, his world teeters between the medieval and the modern — where mercenary loyalty, family honour, and the politics of popes collide.

But with the arrival of a new friend — and bad influence — in Pietro Aretino, Giovanni’s story is about to take an even darker and more dangerous turn.

Hello You! for our 220th and 8th anniversary episode I thought I would invite contributions from the most VIP I could think of... YOU!

So please send in a sound file or, if you don't feel like it, written message with a contribution, consideration, question, something i didn't mention or talk about enough.

Please send by 31st December at the very latest.

In this episode, we reunite with an old friend of the show — Caterina Sforza, the indomitable “Tigress of Forlì.” From her, we follow the turbulent and violent early life of her son, Giovanni de’ Medici, known as Il Gran Diavolo — the Great Devil — a man whose passions, battles, and excesses would shape the future of both the Sforza and Medicidynasties.

We go through the tangled lineage and fiery temperament of one of Renaissance Italy’s most fascinating figures, tracing his path from rebellious youth to feared mercenary captain — and father to the first Grand Duke of Tuscany.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• The Birth of “Il Gran Diavolo” (1498) – Giovanni’s birth to Caterina Sforza and Giovanni “Il Popolano” de’ Medici, and the prophetic words that would define his life.
• A Child of Chaos – His mother’s imprisonment by Cesare Borgia, his custody battles, and his violent childhood in Florence.
• Love, Blood, and Family Ties – The marriage to Maria Salviati uniting two Medici branches, and the domestic discord that followed.
• A Life of War and Vice – Duels, brothel fights, noble feuds, and the infamous bridge incident with the Orsini family.
• From Rogue to Commander – His rise through the papal ranks, battlefield heroics, and growing legend as a fearless condottiero.
• The Birth of Cosimo de’ Medici (1519) – The long-awaited heir who would one day found the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, born amid firelight celebrations across Italy.

Key Figures

• Caterina Sforza – The formidable mother whose courage and intellect defined Giovanni’s heritage.
• Giovanni de’ Medici “Il Popolano” – His father, from a cadet branch of the Medici family.
• Maria Salviati – His loyal but neglected wife.
• Giovanni della Stufa – The inseparable and scandalous companion.
• Pope Leo X – Patron, relative, and pivotal figure in Giovanni’s military career.
• Cosimo de’ Medici – The son who would carry the Medici name to new heights.

Closing Thought

From Caterina’s fierce independence to Giovanni’s reckless courage, this episode explores how blood, loyalty, and ambition intertwined in the crucible of Renaissance Italy — giving rise to a new generation destined to rule.

In this episode, we pick up with Emperor Charles V consolidating his power over Italy after the Battle of Pavia (1525), where the French king Francis I was captured. The uneasy Italian states, including Pope Clement VII (Giulio de’ Medici), soon realized they had traded one master for another and formed the League of Cognac (1526) — an anti-imperial alliance including France, Venice, Florence, the Papal States, Milan, and under English protection, Henry VIII.

The league’s formation was steeped in intrigue, false pretenses, and even secret dealings with the Turks. One of Charles’s own commanders, the Marquis of Pescara, pretended to side with the league while feeding the emperor inside information.

Meanwhile, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, the famed mercenary from the Medici-Sforza line, met his end in battle, struck by artillery supplied by the duplicitous Duke of Ferrara. His death marked the fading of Italy’s old mercenary tradition — and one of its most charismatic figures.

When the pope attempted to back away from the alliance, Charles’s allies struck at Rome. The Sack of Rome (1527)followed — a devastating episode where mutinous Landsknechts, many of them fervent Lutherans, unleashed horrific violence on the city. For days, the Eternal City was ravaged: thousands slaughtered, churches desecrated, art looted, and the Renaissance dream in Rome brutally extinguished. Pope Clement VII barely escaped to Castel Sant’Angelo, thanks to the sacrifice of his Swiss Guards.

In the chaos that followed, the Papal States collapsed, local lords reclaimed their territories, and the Medici were expelled from Florence, where a new republic was declared — with Jesus Christ symbolically named as its king.

Ultimately, Charles V and Clement VII reconciled. Political realism won out over ideology. Through the Treaties of Barcelona (1529) and Bologna (1530), the Italian Wars entered a quieter phase, and imperial dominance over Italy was secured.

We close with the final chapter of the Sforza dynasty: Francesco II Sforza, the last Duke of Milan, whose death in 1535marked the end of an era — from the rise of the free communes to the age of dynastic rule and foreign domination.

After three episodes exploring the life of Leonardo da Vinci, we return to the turbulent stage of the Italian Wars. In this episode, we pick up in the early 1520s, a period shaped by papal politics, dynastic rivalries, and the shifting fortunes of France and Spain.

Highlights include:

• The succession of popes after Leo X: Hadrian VI and Clement VII, and their struggles with reform, neutrality, and survival.
• The tug-of-war between France and Spain over Milan and Naples, with Spain ultimately gaining the upper hand.
• The dramatic Battle of Pavia (1525) — where Francis I of France was captured, changing the balance of power in Italy.
• Local legend and culinary history: the devil’s bridge of Pavia and the birth of zuppa alla pavese.
• The curious origin of the word lapalisiano (and its English cousin lapalissade), born from the death of French commander Jacques de La Palice.
• The rise of the League of Cognac (1526), a desperate coalition including France, the Papacy, Florence, and Venice against Charles V’s growing dominance.

Along the way, we balance high politics with folklore, language quirks, and even a recipe or two — showing how wars, words, and food can be unexpectedly intertwined.

This is a guest episode by Dirk Hoffmann of the history of the German podcast, in which he tells us all about the impact of one of the most important inventions in human history, Gutenberg printing press.

Just to let you know I haven’t disappeared!