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Doge Ranieri Zen had an action-packed career. His life story traces the course of Venice’s rise and rise during the turbulent 13th century. As a diplomat and a national leader, he navigated some turbulent waters at home and abroad. Find out more as we delve deeper into the career of one of the most accomplished politicians of his age.   Background reading for this episode “Il Doge di Venezia” by Giorgio Ravegnani “Le Promissioni del Doge di Venezia dalle Origini alla Fine del Duecento” (Fonti per la storia di Venezia, sezione 1, Archivi Pubblici). This is the text, in Latin, of every surviving Promissione Ducale up to the end of the 13th century.  “A History of Venice” by John Julius Norwich “Venice – the remarkable history of the lagoon city”, by Dennis Romano “The Dogaressas of Venice” by Edgcumbe Staley (look, I’m not suggesting that you learn your history from this one, but it’s fascinating in its own way) “Les Chroniques des Veneciens” by Martin da Canal, which you can read in its original old French, with a fairly old-fashioned Italian translation, here: https://archive.org/details/lacronacaveneta00zongoog/page/268/mode/2up 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

This week we talk to writer Kathleen Gonzalez, who has written books about contemporary and historical Venice, including a compilation of short biographies of many of the city's most notable women, all of whom should be better known than they are, as well as volumes that trace the footsteps of Casanova though both Venice and Rome.  You can find more of her work on her blog and her YouTube channel. You may have noticed that we've started putting background reading lists on our show notes. And today's recommended reading is any or all of her books, which you can find at the third of the links below. Blog: https://seductivevenice.wordpress.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathleenanngonzalez/videos Books: https://kathleenanngonzalez.wixsite.com/kathleenanngonzalez  And you can get in touch with us via the usual methods. 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

Doge Marino Morosini (1249-53) hasn’t made much of a dent on the history books. Contemporary chronicler Martin da Canal gives him a good write-up: “Throughout his time as Doge, Venice was abundantly supplied with provisions – twice as much as the city needed. The Venetians had all the goods that they needed, and they were full of joy and happiness” Other historians have less to say about him. This week, we investigate what little we can find out about the life and times of the 44th Doge of the Republic.  Background Reading for this episode: “Il Doge di Venezia” by Giorgio Ravegnani “Le Promissioni del Doge di Venezia dalle Origini alla Fine del Duecento” (Fonti per la storia di Venezia, sezione 1, Archivi Pubblici). This is the text, in Latin, of every surviving Promissione Ducale up to the end of the 13th century.  “A History of Venice” by John Julius Norwich “Storia di Venezia attraverso le sue fake news” by a collection of contemporary historians of Venice, under the collective name of “I Babai” “Les Chroniques des Veneciens” by Martin da Canal, which you can read in its original old French, with a fairly old-fashioned Italian translation, here: https://archive.org/details/lacronacaveneta00zongoog/page/268/mode/2up Details of Doge Marino Morosini’s tomb can be found here: https://www.venetianheritage.eu/portfolio/monument-of-the-doge-marino-morosini-st-marks-basilica-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

Venice had won a crushing naval victory against Genoa in the summer of 1258. But that just meant that the Genoese needed to look for new allies. And Genoa’s new best friend is an old friend of our story: one of our former protagonists, who has been in the background of our narrative for the past half a century, is about to take centre stage again. But even when faced with a potential disaster, Venice will find a way to turn it into yet another triumph. Background reading for this episode is very similar to last time, since this is really just a continuation of the same story: Other than the general histories of Venice, for more detail about this episode try:  “Il Grifo e il Leone: Genova e Venezia in Lotta per il Mediterraneo” by Antonio Musarra “The Black Sea: Trade and Navigation (13th to 15th Centuries)” by Michel Balard “Genoa and the Genoese: 928 to 1528” by Steven Epstein “Venice: The remarkable history of the lagoon city” by Dennis Romano “Le Repubbliche Marinare” by Ermanno Orlando “City of Fortune: How Venice won and lost a naval empire” by Roger Crowley “Les Chroniques des Veneciens” by Martin da Canal, which you can read in its original old French, with a fairly old-fashioned Italian translation, here: https://archive.org/details/lacronacaveneta00zongoog/page/268/mode/2up   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

War. What is it good for? Well, in Venice’s case, it’s good for expanding your commercial networks and, just as importantly, keeping your rivals out of the best ports and trade routes. After the death of Frederick II in 1250, the Republic’s uneasy alliance with Genoa frays dramatically at the edges. The arena of the conflict is Acre – the most significant trading port in the remnants of the Crusader state of Outremer. Get ready for the War of St Sabas. Key background reading for this episode: A general book on Venetian history will always be a good place to start for a broad overview. In Italian, try “La Repubblica del Leone” by Alvise Zorzi. In English, try “A History of Venice” by John Julius Norwich, or “Venice: The remarkable history of the lagoon city” by Dennis Romano. Or plenty of others. For more on the specifics of this episode, the resources that I used the most were: “Il Grifo e il Leone: Genova e Venezia in Lotta per il Mediterraneo” by Antonio Musarra “Genoa and the Genoese: 928 to 1528” by Steven Epstein “Le Repubbliche Marinare” by Ermanno Orlando “City of Fortune: How Venice won and lost a naval empire” by Roger Crowley “Les Chroniques des Veneciens” by Martin da Canal, which you can read in its original old French, with a fairly old-fashioned Italian translation, here: https://archive.org/details/lacronacaveneta00zongoog/page/268/mode/2up   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

It's two years today since we released our four-minute introduction episode into the world of podcasts. Today we try to recap the whole of Venetian history (up to 1250, where our narrative has reached) in about half an hour. Just in case you feel as though you've forgotten some of the key stuff from the past two years. We also pick our favourite episode from the past 12 months, and answer a few questions about both the past and the future of the show. Huge thanks to everyone for helping us to get this far. 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

After an enjoyable but ultimately financially draining two years in Paris, and a brief visit to his mother in Dresden, Casanova is making his way back home. But en route, he stops off in Vienna, the glittering home of the Hapsburg monarchy, headed by Empress Maria Teresa. What life lessons will he learn and what stories will he tell in the Austrian capital? Email us at [email protected], or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro and outro music is Estate from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

“The great Doge of Venice, Giacomo Tiepolo, was brave, wise and energetic. He was a winner. Before he became Doge, he had obtained victories over his enemies everywhere he went. And once he was the Doge, whenever and wherever there was a war he came out victorious”. That’s quite a write-up from our hype-man chronicler Martin da Canal. Does Doge Giacomo Tiepolo live up to it? Today, we consider his life and works, trying to draw together the political and cultural narratives that we’ve been talking about over the past few episodes. 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

Ezzelino da Romano is remembered in the mythology of north-eastern Italy as a cruel and vicious ruler who inflicted inhuman punishments on his enemies. And maybe he was. But the more that you look at the surrounding situation, the harder it becomes to separate fact from fiction, and heroes from villains. As the wars between the Pope and the Western Emperor heat up again, Venice’s interests require her to pick a side. Things are going to get messy. 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 1232, Venice received a visit from a short, ginger-haired man in his late 30s. But this was no ordinary visitor. This was the most powerful man in the known world; the convenor of the most brilliant court in Europe; the man who was referred to by an English chronicler as “Stupor Mundi” – the Wonder, or Astonishment, of the World. It's Emperor Frederick II's world, and we're all just living in it. 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 autumn of 1260, a new fashion arrived in Venice from the continental European mainland. It had started just a few months earlier in the central Italian city of Perugia, and somehow it had caught the mood of a worried, uncertain population, concerned about the capricious nature of human existence and eager to atone for the evils of a fallen society. The flagellants were in town. Seemingly out of nowhere, ordinary people were going around in groups whipping themselves in a frenzy of piety. Suddenly, hurting yourself for Jesus was all the rage.  What in the name of all that is holy was going on? This week we’re looking at religious devotion in 13th century Venice, and tracing the social and cultural legacy that it left on the Republic, some of which you can still see today.   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 joined by Monica Cesarato this week to discuss the artisan tradition in the city of Venice. In our main narrative, we're reaching the mid-13th century, when dozens of professional guilds start to appear in the city, defining the working landscape for ordinary Venetians. Monica talks to us about the background to some of those crafts, and how that artisan legacy still persists in the city today.  You can find Monica's website here: https://www.monicacesarato.com/blog/ Her podcast, Venice Talks, is available wherever you get your podcasts, and you can also find it here: https://www.monicacesarato.com/blog/venice-talks-podcast/ Her book "Andar per Bacari" looks at some of the best locations and recipes for typical Venetian cicchetti, and is available in English here, (or probably at another well-known online bookseller near you): https://editorialeprogramma.it/shop/regioni/veneto/andar-per-bacari-english-version/ And as ever, you can Email us at [email protected], or find us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Gloria, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

Today we’re looking at the life of Doge Pietro Ziani – the man who picked up the baton after the death of Enrico Dandolo and presided over the chaotic situation that we’ve been narrating over the past few episodes. Contemporary Venetian writers praise his wisdom, his fairness, and his desire for peace. Are they right, or are they just blowing smoke in our eyes? Join us as we examine the life of the wealthiest man in this increasingly wealthy city. 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

This week we're looking around the Mediterranean at the international political events that provide the wider context to the stories that we’ve been telling lately. We’ll be travelling to Genoa, Sicily, Nicaea, Epirus, Outremer, and, very briefly indeed, introducing a new threat from the East that’s about to burst into our story. 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

Easter 1214. In Treviso, about 20 miles north of Venice, the city’s governors have decided to set up a week-long “court of solace and mirth”. There will be dancing and jousting, feasting and fine fooling. And the symbolic heart of the celebrations will be the splendid Castle of Love, which the area’s finest ladies, wearing their most ostentatious hats, will be defending against the symbolic assaults of teams of young men brandishing flowers, fruits, and spices. The whole game is an idiosyncratic fusion of ancient springtime celebrations of courtship, and the latest fashions of courtly love which have been taking hold in respectable societies across the chivalric states of western Europe.  It’s a welcome distraction from the trials and tribulations of high politics and foolish wars. Until things go wrong. Tune in to find out more. 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