Author: A History of Italy
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150 – Decline of the Savoy and the Holy Shroud of Turin (1451 – 1490)
We go back to the north west to visit with Piedmont and the house of Savoy to take them out of the 15th century as they go through a period of decline with the rising power of France threatening their independence. It is in this period, in 1553, that the Savoy acquire the Holy Shroud,…
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149 The Genoa of Columbus (1442 – 1492)
We close out the 15th century for Genoa with things not looking too great thanks to the advancing Ottomans in the Eastern Mediterranean and in parallel follow the life of one of Genoa’s most famous sons, Christopher Columbus in his early life and follow the adventures of his body after his death before reflecting on…
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148 – Peak and twilight of the Magnificent (1478 – 1492)
After the failed Pazzi conspiracy and its bloody vengeful aftermath, Lorenzo De Medici has to face war against pope Sixtus IV AND Naples AND Urbino. As if that wasn’t enough also plague and more plots. Then, would you believe it, another war, the salt war of Ferrara and once all that is over, a good…
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147 – The conpiracy of the crazies (1476 – 1478)
Things heat up as the animosity between the Medici and pope Sixtus IV leads to one of the most infamous conspiracies in history: the Pazzi conspiracy, set up to kill Giuliano and Lorenzo De Medici and overthrow the Signoria, the government of Florence.
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146 – Lorenzo vs Sixtus and America’s beautiful cousin (1471 – 1476)
The rivalry between Lorenzo de Medici and pope Sixtus IV, Francesco della Rovere starts to heat up as they clash over lands and resources, reaching very dangerous levels. Meanwhile the Medici brothers find time for another great tournament and Giuliano finds love with the most beautiful woman in Florence, the “living Venus” Simonetta Vespucci, whose…