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.
Harald Hardrada: Fighting in Sicily and Italy
Between 1038 and 1041, a Byzantine force attempted to take control of Sicily and southern Italy. Harald Hadrada would take part in this invasion, but were the saga stories of his victories true?
Battering Ram and Fire: Civic Glory and Devastation in Dante’s Age
Battering Ram and Fire: Civic Glory and Devastation in Dante’s Age Lecture by Areli Marina Given as part of the Conway Lectures at…
New Medieval Books: Renaissance Italy
Five new publications on Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Why Was a Scotsman Working as a ‘Cop’ in 15th-century Bologna?
How can this be, and what does it say about both medieval policing and the movement of people in the Middle Ages?
First genetic evidence of the Black Death in southern Italy
Researchers have discovered 14th-century graves in southern Italy containing the remains of two men infected with Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for the Black Death. It is the first genetic evidence that the pandemic reached the region.
“Would you like to see his head?”: The battlefield and the bishop from 13th century Italy
We had concluded that the Guelph forces had fared so badly initially in the battle, fought with so much ineptitude – including Dante – that they threw the Ghibellines into such an overconfident frenzy that they abandoned their tactical plan
Ravenna, capital of empire between east and west, with Judith Herrin
A conversation with Judith Herrin about the fascinating history of Ravenna between 400 and 800 AD.
Medieval Italian village may resurface in 2021
The waters of Lake Vagli in Tuscany are the hiding place of a medieval village. Plans are now being made to reveal this site once again in 2021.
Negotiation and tolerance or brutal show of force? The Normans in Southern Italy
What was the strategy of the Norman expansion in Apulia, Calabria and Sicily and what were the factors that shaped it?