Episodes

7 days ago
7 days ago
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 venture collapsing into a chaos of bitter recriminations?
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

Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
050. Show Me The Money
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
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

Saturday Feb 14, 2026
Casanova Part 8 Bonus. Remebering Henriette
Saturday Feb 14, 2026
Saturday Feb 14, 2026
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 musopen.org

Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Casanova Part 8. His Greatest Love
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
"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 (mis)attributed to Tomaso Albinoni. Both are used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
049. The Conspiracy
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
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: www.italiastoria.com
Books
"Per un pugno di barbari" sulla crisi del III secolo
"Il miglior nemico di Roma" sulla storia dei Visigoti
"Quando Venezia distrusse l'Impero romano" sulla Quarta crociata
---
Other links: https://linktr.ee/italiastoria
-------------------------------------------
Don't forget that we'll be at the Intelligent Speech conference on 28 February this year. Tickets are available from:
https://intelligentspeechonline.com/tickets/
Use the discount code VENICE for 10% off at the checkout.
_________________________________________
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

Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
048. Crusaders Assemble
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
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, 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

Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
047. Introducing the Crusade of the Liars
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
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, Facebook, and Instagram.
Find Marco's podcast, Storia d'Italia, on all good podcast providers.
Storia d'Italia website: www.italiastoria.com
Join Marco's mailing list
Read his books:
- "Per un pugno di barbari" sulla crisi del III secolo
- "Il miglior nemico di Roma" sulla storia dei Visigoti
- "Quando Venezia distrusse l'Impero romano" sulla Quarta crociata
Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
046. Blind Man's Promise
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
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

The Most Serene Podcast
The Venetian Republic has a long and fascinating history. Join us as we meet some its most interesting characters.
You can get in touch via histvenicepod@gmail.com








