History of Venice Podcast

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 [email protected], 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

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 be back on track in a few days with our regularly scheduled episodes.

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 the Germans Podcast • German History Podcast More information about A History of Italy available here: A History of Italy – A podcast on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present You can Email us at [email protected], 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

In the second of our Barbarossa 3-parter, we're joined again by Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans). By the end of the 1150s, the plans of Western Emperor Frederick Barbarossa appear to be working perfectly. But within a few years, discontent is growing. Venice can't avoid getting involved when her territory is attacked from multiple directions. By the mid-1160s she is starting to finance the anti-imperial efforts of a growing number of Italian cities. There's danger around every corner, not least in the new Venetian tradition of chasing bulls and pigs around the city, which derives from one of the events in today's story. The stage is set for a climactic showdown, which will determine the fate of Barbarossa's imperial ambitions and Venice's relationship with her nearby commercial markets.  More information about History of the Germans available here: History of the Germans Podcast • German History Podcast More information about A History of Italy available here: A History of Italy – A podcast on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present You can Email us at [email protected], 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

We've been focused on Venice's explosive relations with Constantinople recently, but the situation on her doorstep in Italy is just as dramatic. So this week, we turn our focus to the new Western Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Our podcasting friends Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans) guide us through the first of three-part special, which will culminate in the momentous battle of Legnano. This week we look at the background of Barbarossa's first two Italian trips and his grand imperial ambitions. More information about History of the Germans available here: History of the Germans Podcast • German History Podcast More information about A History of Italy available here: A History of Italy – A podcast on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present You can Email us at [email protected], 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