Medieval Italy

Fourteenth-century Italy was chaotic: mercenaries swarmed across the land as competing city-states attempted to vie with each other for power, while pestilence and famine decimated populations. Into this cauldron was born Giangalezzo Visconti, a man who perfectly exemplified all the contradictions of his age. E. R. Chamberlin's The Count of Virtue is a remarkable study of the life and times of Giangaleazzo Visconti that provides fascinating insight into the political, social and cultural world of fourteenth-century Italy.

It is hard to find an island on the map more central than Sicily. Located at the crossroads between Europe and Africa, and between the eastern and western Mediterranean, Sicily has rarely been governed as an independent, unified state. Nonetheless, the island has been the seat of some of the most important events in history, and nowhere is this more obvious than during antiquity.

The book provides a detailed chronological history of early Western Europe through the lives of the nobility, their marriages, wars, rebellions, and betrayals. The book has original source documentation embedded. This book was compiled from 20-plus years of research combined with an interest in the history of western civilization. By putting all the events in chronological order, I was able to show the impact of relationships between the various factions, and how these relations helped shape Western Europe.

BY PASSION OBSESSED Women called him Captain Firebrand because he fought and loved with a hot-headed passion. His real name was Michele di Cadogna, a loyal friend of Casanova and casual seducer of countless women. He swore that sensation-seeking Countess Margarita would be his last mistress when her husband used her to bait a trap that nearly cost Michele his life. But innocent and seductive Princess Tea proved just as deadly a snare. For, when Michele carried her off into the wild mountains of Italy, her wantonness not only maddened his senses but plunged him into the savage War of the ...

The Italian Wars refers to a period of prolonged conflict between 1494 and 1559 when the major European powers of the time fought for control over Italy. While it began with a French attempt to gain control over the territory of Naples, it soon expanded to a general struggle between the royal houses of Valois and Habsburg - specifically, Francis I of France and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The Italian Wars represented a change in warfare tactics from the contract armies common in the Medieval period to full-time standing armies common in the modern era.

Quando il giovane ed energico Federico Barbarossa viene incoronato re d'Italia a Monza nel 1155, non immagina certo quello che il futuro gli riserva. Sa che per l'inerzia dei suoi predecessori le città della Lombardia, nome con il quale s'intende l'intera pianura padana, si sono abituate a governarsi da sole, a farsi la guerra per promuovere gli interessi commerciali dei loro mercanti, e persino a battere moneta; ma d'ora in poi le cose cambieranno.

Tre papi attraversano la vita di san Francesco contrastandone il dirompente potere spirituale e il desiderio innovatore: Innocenzo III, Onorio III e Gregorio IX. Il primo di loro, Innocenzo III, nel 1209 alla proposta di vita cristiana portata da Francesco dà una risposta estremamente cauta e, secondo alcune fonti, sprezzante e negativa. Non è l'unico rifiuto. Più volte Francesco cerca di far approvare una regola per il proprio ordine e più volte gli viene negato.

The Lombards originated in Scandinavia before migrating slowly through central Europe, and as the Western Roman Empire collapsed and the Byzantine successor state in Constantinople attempted to reestablish order, the Lombards took advantage of the chaos and planted themselves firmly on Italian soil.

Of all the Catholic Church’s great saints, few are as venerated as Saint Francis of Assisi. The founder of one of the largest religious orders in the Catholic Church today, his is a story that captivates the faithful and historians alike. This biographical work is a window into that incredible tale. Author Nick Pascoe unspools the remarkable story of the saint and his Franciscan Order with captivating prose and thorough historical research. Delve into the history of Saint Francis in The Canticle of the Sun: The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Birth of the Franciscan Order by Nick ...

Fino all'inizio del XIV secolo il Medioevo europeo registra una crescita demografica e urbana, del commercio e della tecnica. Ma l'aumento della popolazione provoca una domanda alimentare superiore all'offerta e si avvertono i segni della crisi. Poi, a metà del secolo, un terribile flagello si abbatte sul Vecchio Continente: nel giro di pochi anni la peste riduce di un terzo circa la popolazione. È l’apice di una crisi profonda che trasforma radicalmente il paesaggio e l'economia e provoca aspri conflitti tra Stati.

Through dark magic, Californian Gwendolyn Godwyn has been swept back in time to medieval Italy. There, she finds herself in the midst of a war between Italy’s rightful queen, Adelaide, and those who have kidnapped her and seek to usurp her crown. Risking her life, Gwen elects to play a pivotal role in the planned rescue. In the midst of the chaos, she is drawn to the queen’s champion, Lord Alberto Uzzo, who battles not only their military foes, but also his personal demons. Tested to the limit when he discovers Gwen’s true identity as a time traveler, Alberto nevertheless fights ...

In the year 1282, after their daring heroics liberating Sicily, Esmeray and Bastone find a haven on the island of Favignana. But the War of the Sicilian Vespers reignites, dragging them into their prior roles as spies. Finding strength in each other, they once more join the patriots to rid the Angevins from Sicily. They return to their sanctuary in Favignana, sharing the welcome challenge of raising their adventurous daughter, Aspasia. Esmeray and Bastone, however, long for the open sea, and she accepts command of a trading vessel, but questions if the sea is the best home for their ...

"Dovunque sorga una controversia, lì deve esistere la possibilità di giudizio" scrive Dante nella Monarchia, mentre nell'Italia del Trecento, ovunque nasca una controversia non esiste alcuna possibilità di ottenere giustizia perché due sono i poteri e due solo le parti destinate a restare sempre in bilico, in un eterno braccio di ferro. Con i Guelfi e i Ghibellini, per il Papa o per l'Impero, ma quasi mai per un diverso modo di vedere il mondo, quasi sempre e solo per opportunità e contingenza.

A stolen bucket. Two proud cities. One of history’s most peculiar wars. In the annals of medieval conflict, few tales are as bizarre—and as revealing—as the War of the Bucket. What began as a petty provocation between the rival Italian city-states of Modena and Bologna erupted into a bloody clash that claimed hundreds of lives, all over a wooden bucket taken from a city well. In The War of the Bucket: A Deep Dive into the 1325 Conflict, author Terry Sloan unpacks the absurdity and the gravity of this infamous episode. With rich detail and a sharp narrative voice, Sloan explores the ...

Meditations is former US President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor AD 161-180, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Scholar and language expert Gwendolyn Godwyn seeks to learn her family’s history and hopes to restore the bond that once existed between her Italian forebearers and those who live in America. While visiting her ancestral Italian town, Gwen is caught in a violent earthquake and inexplicably thrust through time. At first refusing to believe what has happened, she nevertheless uses her wits to survive, donning a monk’s cowl to hide her identity as a woman. Ripped apart from all she has ever known, Gwen finds herself in the midst of brutal territorial battles in an era she once blithely ...

He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man... and then there was his other side. It's the year 1690, and Antonia Crivelli's father has arranged for her to be married to one of the wealthiest, most handsome men in Venice. Although her fiancé seems strangely uninterested in her, 19-year-old Antonia naively hopes things will be better after the wedding. Everything changes the day Antonia meets Tavros, the mysterious shipyard blacksmith whose smoldering glances leave no doubt as to where his desires lie. In the dark, mysterious eyes of the Greek laborer, Antonia sees her chance for true love...

When Livy began his epic The History of Rome, he had no idea of the fame and fortune he would eventually attain. He would go on to become the most widely read writer in the Roman Empire and was eagerly sought out and feted like a modern celebrity. And his fame continued to grow after his death. His bombastic style, his intricate and complex sentence structure, and his flair for powerfully recreating the searing drama of historical incidents made him a favorite of teachers and pupils alike.

Eccolo il Marco Aurelio, il meraviglioso gruppo equestre che domina la piazza del Campidoglio. Non sempre è stato qui, ci è arrivato: prima era collocato davanti al Laterano. La sua lunga storia ha dell'incredibile. Vi si mescolano fortuna, equivoci, fraintendimenti. Nel Medioevo, infatti, si credeva che la statua raffigurasse Costantino, l'imperatore che aveva concesso libertà di culto alla Chiesa cristiana. Lo scambio di persona gli valse la salvezza: fu per quell'errore che sfuggì alle fiamme della fusione, come invece accadde a molte altre statue.

IRON LOVER recounts the pageantry, the drama, the chivalry, the cruelty and passion of 14th Century Italy. But this was an era that carried memories of Dante and Beatrice, Héloise and Abélard—hence it was not so strange that a penniless young English adventurer should pursue his impossible dream of possessing an Italian princess. BLAZING - BAWDY - MAGNIFICENT This is the Stormy, heroic saga of Sir John Hawkwood who created the notorious White Company and became the most feared conqueror of 14th Century Europe-all because of a woman. From the moment young Hawkwood set eyes on the dark, ...