Inventing the Renaissance with Ada Palmer
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Ada Palmer about Petrarch, Machiavelli, atheism, and how we should look at the period formerly known as the Renaissance.
Did Pisa and Denia Form an Alliance in the Eleventh Century?
New research suggests a long-lost partnership between a Christian city and a Muslim taifa reshaped Mediterranean politics before the Crusades.
New Medieval Books: Inventing the Renaissance
The typical portrayal of Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries is that it was a great era in which everyone produced even greater art. However, this book reveals that the ‘Renaissance’ was not so great after all, as the period was marked by political turmoil, warfare, and tragedy.
Medieval Hospitals with Sarah Loose Guerrero
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Sarah Loose Guerrero about what to expect at a medieval hospital, how institutions like the Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala supported citizens from infancy to adulthood, and what hospital support looked like for both urban and rural communities.
Lucrezia Borgia’s Life in Ferrara: Marriage, Intrigue, and Scandal
In 1500, Lucrezia Borgia found herself once again a pawn in the ruthless game of power and politics. With two failed marriages behind her—one ending in murder—she was at the centre of a marriage negotiation that would test the strength of two powerful families: the Borgias and the Estes of Ferrara.
Hidden in Plain Sight: A Medieval Fresco Shows Islamic Tents Used in Christian Churches
A forgotten fresco in an Italian church has revealed a surprising medieval practice—Islamic tents were used to cover Christian altars. The 13th-century fresco, recently rediscovered in Ferrara, Italy, is believed to be the only known depiction of this tradition, shedding new light on the connections between Christian and Islamic artistic influences in medieval Europe.
Medieval Cathedral Transformed with Stunning New Lighting
A medieval Italian masterpiece, the Cathedral of Monreale, has undergone a dramatic transformation, unveiling a remarkable new look thanks to an advanced lighting renovation.
Early Medieval Christian Basilica Discovered in Italy
Archaeologists have uncovered a significant early Christian basilica in Aquileia, Italy, shedding new light on the city’s religious and geopolitical role during the Byzantine era.
Reviving a Medieval Masterpiece: Donatello’s Gattamelata Restoration Begins
Donatello’s iconic equestrian statue of Gattamelata, a pioneering medieval masterpiece, has just begun a long-awaited restoration in Padua. Supported by international organizations, this project aims to preserve the statue’s beauty and structural integrity for future generations.
Urban Gardening in Early Medieval Italy
This paper charts changing attitudes to urban agriculture between the late Roman and early medieval periods, with attention to how Christianity changed people’s views on flowers, how new regional economies affected what people ate, and how people in medieval Italy viewed gardens and gardening.
Political Advice from a Medieval Statesman
How should one govern a state? For answers, we can turn to the wisdom of Gino di Neri Capponi, a 15th-century statesman whose advice on politics and governance remains surprisingly relevant. Written nearly 600 years ago, Capponi’s insights continue to offer valuable lessons for both modern leaders and individuals alike.
Medieval Estate for Sale in Tuscany
Nestled between Florence, Pisa, and the sea, this magnificent 15th-century estate in Tuscany offers a perfect blend of medieval history and timeless elegance.
The Art of War in the Renaissance: Technology, Tactics, and the “Face of Battle”
In this talk, Clifford Rogers will place the Battle of Pavia in this context, explaining the general tactics of the day and how they related to what were then recent developments in the technology of firearms and of armor.
Medieval Papal Palace Discovered?
Archaeologists working in Rome have uncovered a series of medieval structures beneath Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano. They believe it might be a Papal residence dating between the 9th and 13th centuries.
Stunning Restoration Reveals Original Glory of Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Medieval Crucifix
After three years of meticulous work, a medieval painted Crucifix by Ambrogio Lorenzetti has been restored, unveiling its original splendour as it appeared in the 14th century.
Up to 50,000 coins from the 4th century discovered off of Sardinia
Archaeologists exploring the waters off the Italian island of Sardinia have discovered a cache of between 30,000 and 50,000 coins dating back to the first half of the 4th century.
Ibn Hamdis of Sicily: A Medieval Life in Modern Circumstances
Ibn Hamdis is the only Muslim Sicilian whose voice we hear from in medieval times. His poetry – about 370 poems survive – is autobiographical and tells us much about his life and experiences.
The Battle of Legnano (1176)
In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly look at how the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and a Milanese force suddenly encounter each other in northern Italy. How would this battle change the Holy Roman Empire’s plans for Italian conquest?
New Medieval Books: Political Meritocracy in Renaissance Italy
Patrizi deserves to be recognized as the most substantial and influential voice of Italian humanist political thought between the time of Francesco Petrarca in the fourteenth century and Niccolo Machiavelli in the sixteenth.
Details of Italian earthquake from 1446 discovered in Hebrew Prayer Book
The chance discovery of a note written in a 15th-century Hebrew prayer book fills an important gap in the historical Italian earthquake record, offering a brief glimpse of a previously unknown earthquake affecting the Marche region in the central Apennines.
John Hawkwood’s Greatest Victory: The Battle of Castagnaro
A look at how John Hawkwood won the Battle of Castagnaro, fought on 11 March 1387.
A Medieval Peace Movement: The Bianchi of 1399
Sick and tired of war and violence, many people throughout Italy left their homes and cities to march for peace in the year 1399.
A Medieval Wedding Feast in Bologna
If you wanted to hold a medieval wedding feast, you could do well to follow the example given by Annibale II Bentivoglio and Lucrezia d’Este in 1487.
“Hell itself was a more beautiful sight to behold”: The Sack of Rome in 1527
The tragic and terrible events that led to the Sack of Rome in 1527.
