197 - Giovanni of the Black Bands part II - The invincible very naughty boy

197 - Giovanni of the Black Bands part II - The invincible very naughty boy

Episode Summary

Picking up where we left off, Giovanni de’ Medici, son of Caterina Sforza and known to history as Giovanni of the Black Bands, continues his meteoric rise through the bloody and chaotic world of Renaissance warfare. Backed by a Medici pope and driven by his fierce loyalty to his men, Giovanni’s legend as a mercenary commander — and his troubles with the powerful Medici family — only grow.

Host Mike Corradi unpacks the dangerous charisma, discipline, and contradictions of this larger-than-life condottiero: a man both feared and admired, ruthless yet loyal, reckless yet revered. From duels and executions to daring river crossings and political intrigue, this episode captures Giovanni at the height of his brutal glory.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode
  • From Soldier to Legend – How Giovanni built the feared and disciplined Black Bands, and the tough standards that made them famous.
  • Mercenary Life in Renaissance Italy – The realities of the “condotta” contract system, pay, discipline, and the fine line between soldiers and extortionists.
  • A Code of Blood and Brotherhood – Giovanni’s uncompromising justice, personal duels, and brutal loyalty to his men.
  • Exile and Recklessness – The duel with Camillo d’Appiano, murders in Florence, and yet another banishment for the restless Medici captain.
  • Back to War – Giovanni’s return to papal service, his victories in the Marche, and the death of Pope Leo X — when his men finally took the name The Black Bands.
  • The Battle of Vaprio (1521) – A daring river crossing, a sleeping French commander, and a crucial victory that spared Milan from destruction.
  • Family and Bloodlines Again – Giovanni’s rescue of his stepsister Bianca Riario, echoing his mother Caterina’s courage.
  • A New Companion – The arrival of Pietro Aretino, the scandalous writer and provocateur, whose influence on Giovanni we’ll soon discover.

Key Figures
  • Giovanni de’ Medici “of the Black Bands” – The fearless condottiero whose name became a legend.
  • Pope Leo X (Giovanni de’ Medici) – The Medici pope whose death marked a turning point for Giovanni’s army.
  • Maria Salviati – Giovanni’s long-suffering wife, holding the family together in his absence.
  • Prospero Colonna – The respected general under whom Giovanni fought, and a link to the fall of Cesare Borgia.
  • Bianca Riario – Giovanni’s stepsister and loyal supporter, mirroring their mother’s fierce independence.
  • Pietro Aretino – The notorious writer and satirist soon to become Giovanni’s newest and most scandalous ally.

Highlights & Insights
  • The discipline and image of the Black Bands as a symbol of military professionalism.
  • Giovanni’s ruthless moral code: loyalty rewarded, betrayal punished — often fatally.
  • The economic and moral contradictions of the condottieri trade.
  • How personal honour and vendetta shaped early 16th-century warfare.
  • The seeds of change as firearms began to replace the medieval knight.

Closing Thought

As Giovanni’s fame and ferocity spread across Italy, his world teeters between the medieval and the modern — where mercenary loyalty, family honour, and the politics of popes collide.

But with the arrival of a new friend — and bad influence — in Pietro Aretino, Giovanni’s story is about to take an even darker and more dangerous...

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179 - Italian Wars 9: The Fall of Naples and France vs Spain

179 - Italian Wars 9: The Fall of Naples and France vs Spain

Naples once again falls to the French of king Luis XII, but once again they can't hold on to it for long as the delicate agreement with the Spanish of Queen Isabella and king Ferdinand quickly melts away and the legendary general Gonzalo De Cordoba manages to win the kingdom of Naples for his sovereigns with great victories at Cerignola and on the Garigliano river among others.We also see a little involvement of our old pal Cesare Borgia and hear about a tragic love triangle he was involved in with a woman called Ginevra da Monreale and a man who will resound through Italian history and literature called Hector Proudfly, Ettore Fieramosca.

22 Loka 202421min

178 New triumphs for Cesare and Naples under three (again) 1500 - 1501

178 New triumphs for Cesare and Naples under three (again) 1500 - 1501

We follow Cesare Borgia as he continues his conquest ousting Giovanni Sforza from Pesaro, Pandolfo Malatesta from Rimini and Astorre Manfredi from Faenza. We are also introduced to one of his most important generals, Vitelozzo Vitelli and his vengeful hatred for the Republic of Florence who executed his brother.Finally, France and Spain reach a secret pact for the division of the kingdom of Naples.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Province_1454.jpg

8 Loka 202416min

177 - Italian Wars 8 - Il Moro back in Milan… for a bit (1500 - 1508)

177 - Italian Wars 8 - Il Moro back in Milan… for a bit (1500 - 1508)

With the French hold on Milan looking weak, Ludovico il Moro sees his chance to take his duchy back, but only manages for a while before he is defeated at the Battle of Novara, made prisoner and taken to France where he will spend the rest of his days in captivity.

24 Syys 202417min

176 - Cesare the conqueror (1499 - 1500)

176 - Cesare the conqueror (1499 - 1500)

As we set the scene for the start of Cesare Borgia's military campaign, we start to observe the ominous signs of what is to come in Rome with the arbitrary accusation and confiscations of the Roman nobility. Then we go exploring to see what we intend with the term "Romagna" and trace it back to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the Byzantines and Julius Cesar's famous "The die is cast" speech, pronounced in Rimini after crossing the Rubicon river which we will also do to visit with the Malatesta of Rimini before Cesare comes to face of with Caterina Sforza to start his conquest. See link to Romagna explanation:https://emilia-o-romagna.netlify.app

10 Syys 202419min

175 - The Italian Wars 7 - Milan under threat (1499)

175 - The Italian Wars 7 - Milan under threat (1499)

King Louis XII prepares to descend upon Milan to stake his claim to the duchy. Before he sees out he needs to make deals with England, The Swiss and the Italian powers, Savoy and Ve3nice.Meanwhile, duke Ludovico il Moro is also preparing and doing a really bad job of it. The results will show.

27 Elo 202416min

174 - The last stand of the tigress - Caterina Sforza part IV (1499 - 1509)

174 - The last stand of the tigress - Caterina Sforza part IV (1499 - 1509)

We follow the last stand of Caterina Sforza as the French once again descend upon Italy with king Louis XII and Cesare Borgia, made representative of Romagna by his father Pope Alexander VI, closes in on the lands of Caterina as she prepares for her last great battle.

13 Elo 202421min

173 - The roar of tigress - Caterina Sforza part III (1488 - 1499)

173 - The roar of tigress - Caterina Sforza part III (1488 - 1499)

After the assassination of her husband Girolamo Riario, Caterina is in full control as regent for her son, Ottaviano Riario.She has to navigate regional issues in Romagna, another assassination in Faenza and then the tricky balancing act during the descent of Charles VIII of France.During all of this she managed to start a new passionate relationship with Giacomo Feo, which will also end in murder and in her thirst for vengeance, Caterina will lose sight of her role as a head of state.

30 Heinä 202415min

The Tigress in her Den - Caterina Sforza part II (1481 - 1488)

The Tigress in her Den - Caterina Sforza part II (1481 - 1488)

After settling in to their new signoria, Caterina Sforza and her husband Girolamo Riario have to deal with continuous plots, the War of Ferrara and the death of uncle pope Sixtus IV. After that Caterina will really show what she's made of by taking and holding Castel Sant Angelo, her sword at her side, while seven months pregnant.In the end after her husband's assassination, she will stand alone to face the conspirators in one of Italian Renaissance history's most famous legendary scenes.

16 Heinä 202419min

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