In the second of our Barbarossa 3-parter, we're joined again by Mike (A History of Italy) and Dirk (History of the Germans).

By the end of the 1150s, the plans of Western Emperor Frederick Barbarossa appear to be working perfectly. But within a few years, discontent is growing. Venice can't avoid getting involved when her territory is attacked from multiple directions. By the mid-1160s she is starting to finance the anti-imperial efforts of a growing number of Italian cities.

There's danger around every corner, not least in the new Venetian tradition of chasing bulls and pigs around the city, which derives from one of the events in today's story. The stage is set for a climactic showdown, which will determine the fate of Barbarossa's imperial ambitions and Venice's relationship with her nearby commercial markets.

More information about History of the Germans available here: History of the Germans Podcast • German History Podcast

More information about A History of Italy available here: A History of Italy – A podcast on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present

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Intro and outro music is Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni, used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org