Charles of Anjou and the Sicilian Vespers
19 children Frederick II had had but his family was to be wiped out only a few years after his death. The enmity of the Pope is to blame or that – and an extremely effective opponent…
Sigismondo Malatesta – Condottiere and Ruler of Rimini
In 1462, there was a great fire to be witnessed in Rome: Pope Pius II burnt the effigy of Sigismondo Malatesta, once beloved son and captain-general of the Holy Roman Church. Who was this man? A beast? The anti-christ? Or simply a child of one’s times?
Human faces, part 26: Viva il popolo
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? John the Baptist paid for his convictions with his head. The Florentines honour his courage on their coinage.
Human faces, part 28: Fight for Sicily
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Find out why the Houses of Anjou and Aragón fought for Sicily and how Ferdinand of Aragón cleverly used coins for propagandistic purposes in this episode.
Human faces, part 29: The Doge, powerless ruler over a mighty empire
That reality and depictions of reality are two different things is a lesson we already learnt in the episode on Constantine the Great. On this coin, the image of the Doge in his pompous attire belies a reality in which he hardly holds any power anymore.
Human faces, part 30: The Hercules of Ferrara
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In today’s episode, we’ll tell you the story of an Italian prince who admired Hercules so much that he named his son after him.
Human faces, part 31: The Condottieri, winners in every war
From dishwasher to millionaire, or: from mercenary to Duke of Milan. Francesco Sforza did the impossible and founded one of the most influential families in Renaissance Italy.
Human faces, part 32: Murder in Milan
After the brutal murder of the Duke of Milan, only one question is on the mind of Milan’s aristocracy: who will follow in his office? The seven-year-old son? Quite surprisingly, the succession is settled peacefully. Peaceful, but not uneventful, thanks to the dowager duchess…
Human faces, part 33: Il Moro and Leonardo
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? As a generous patron of Leonardo da Vinci, Ludovico Sforza rightfully earned his coin portrait.
Expeditions into the realm of numismatics Part 2: Hercules in the backyard and a Paduan Hercules medal
In our series “Expeditions into the realm of numismatics”, we are taking you along on an expedition to the treasures of the Basel Coin Cabinet. In the second part, the mystery of a Hercules medal with a particularly high relief often attributed to the Paduan medallist Giovanni da Calvino will be solved.
