Gueplhs, Ghibellines and the rise of Florence - S01E02

Описание: Discover how a personal vendetta in 1216 escalated into a brutal struggle between the powerful Guelph and Ghibelline factions in medieval Florence.

In this episode we'll unravel the myths behind the factional divide, revealing it as a dynamic local power struggle rather than purely ideological conflict. From the city’s early independence after Matilda di Canossa’s reign, through the turbulent rise of merchant guilds, to the explosive rivalry between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX, we'll examine how these dramatic events shaped Florence’s destiny.


This episode is also available on Spotify, Acast, and all major podcast platforms. For enthusiasts, the written version — complete with bibliography and source links — is available on my blog.
Just look for "The Italian Tales", and when YouTube allows me I'll drop links too!



SOURCES
Anonymous. (n.d.). Cronaca senese (14th century). As cited in Balestracci, D. (2017). La battaglia di Montaperti (p. 27). Laterza.
Bartolo da Sassoferrato. (n.d.). De Guelphis et Gebellinis. As cited in Salvemini, G. (1974). Magnati e popolani in Firenze dal 1280 al 1295. Feltrinelli.
Canaccini F. (2010) Restano i termini, mutano i significati: Guelfi e Ghibellini. L'evoluzione semantica dei nomi delle fazioni medioevali italiane. In: Lotta politica nell'Italia medievale, 85-94
Cardini, F. (2007). Breve storia di Firenze. Pacini.
Cavalli, A. (1914). Il fenomeno associativo dai collegia antichi alle corporazioni medioevali. Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali e Discipline Ausiliarie, 66(262), 149–176.
Davidsohn, R. (1956–1968). Geschichte von Florenz (Vol. 1). Firenze.
Kington-Oliphant, T. L. (1862). History of Frederick II: Emperor of the Romans (Vol. 2, p. 54). Cambridge University Press.
Solmi, A. (1929). Arti. In Enciclopedia Italiana. Treccani.
Gasparri S., Di Salvo A., Simoni F. (2002). Antologia delle fonti bassomedievali, XV, Aristocrazia e Popolo nelle città italiane, 4. Il caso di Firenze, 2, Il Comune e il Popolo, Reti Medievali
Villani, G. (1991). Nuova Cronica (G. Porta, Ed.). Fondazione Pietro Bembo/Guanda



CREDITS

Music:
"Ancient Wind" by Noru from Pixabay
"Epic Way" by Magnetic_Trailer from Pixabay
"Floralia" by theromancrow from Pixabay
"Medieval Settlemetn" by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay
"The Battle of Coalitions" by Peter Barbaix from Pixabay
"Anxious March - Full"by LiteSaturation from Pixabay
"Sad Dramatic Trailer" by Roman Senyk from Pixabay


Effects:
"Medieval Music" by Själ, on Hunehals Borg, from Pixabay
"Brutal Battle" by Marcus Vogt from Pixabay
"Sword Thud" Sound Effect from Pixabay

Images:
The images shown, unless otherwise specified, are in the public domain or from my personal archive.
The illustrations were made with the help of LeonardoAI and based on public domain images or personal drafts. As soon as I have the budget available, I will gladly commission professional illustrators - in the meantime, I do what I can!