History of Venice Podcast
A journey through the history of the city of Venice, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way.
Podcast Description
A journey through the history of the city of Venice, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way.
Episodes

Mar 18, 2026
053. Someone Else's Civil War
Mar 18, 2026
Mar 18, 2026
59 min
The “crusade” has finally reached Constantinople. This ragged coalition has agreed to stick together, at least for now. The proponents of this preposterous diversion have one shot at persuading the people of Constantinople to accept their puppet Emperor. With the shambolic history of this Crusade so far, it’s a plan that should stand almost no chance of success. Stand by for adrenaline-fuelled action as the Venetian navy and a ragtag band of French chivalric misfits attempt the impossible.
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

Mar 11, 2026
052. Let's Make Poor Decisions
Mar 11, 2026
Mar 11, 2026
32 min
The crusading army has successfully captured a Christian town that was under the protection of a Christian King. The Pope is furious. But it’s only going to get worse from here. Because on New Year’s Day 1203, messengers arrive in the camp with a spectacular offer that will rid them of all their money troubles. The only catch is that it involves going to completely the wrong target. The diversion to Constantinople is on, and there’s every chance that it’s going to tear this crusade apart.
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

Mar 4, 2026
Mar 4, 2026
20 min
We got a bit sidetracked with all the work that we put into the Intelligent Speech conference last week, so this is a bonus episode telling the story of a Venetian legend, to give us a bit of breathing space to get back into the main research on the Fourth Crusade narrative, which will return next week. The story of the three saints and the gold ring is a curious tale which tells us something about how the medieval Venetians liked to view themselves. We hope you enjoy it.
Email us at histvenicepod@gmail.com, or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
Intro and outro music is from Vivaldi’s Gloria, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

Feb 25, 2026
051. Excommunication? What Excommunication?
Feb 25, 2026
Feb 25, 2026
43 min
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

Feb 18, 2026
050. Show Me The Money
Feb 18, 2026
Feb 18, 2026
44 min
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

Feb 14, 2026
Casanova Part 8 Bonus. Remebering Henriette
Feb 14, 2026
Feb 14, 2026
32 min
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

Feb 11, 2026
Casanova Part 8. His Greatest Love
Feb 11, 2026
Feb 11, 2026
57 min
"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

Feb 4, 2026
049. The Conspiracy
Feb 4, 2026
Feb 4, 2026
1hr 15 min
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

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








