Florence, Italy during the Renaissance was an era of lavish art, scientific discoveries, and powerful families. The wealth and popularity of the Medici family was not to be questioned. They owned one of Italy's largest banks and if you needed a favor, you needed the Medici's approval. The Pazzi family had plans of their own, though, and decided they wanted to be the top players. What became known as the Pazzi Conspiracy ended in bloodshed and capital punishment. Get ready for the Italian accents, because we're talking about pizza and executions in this episode of Beheaded!

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Tudor monarchs are notorious for executing their lovers, and it didn’t stop with King Henry VIII. In full Tudor fashion, Queen Elizabeth I dappled in romance with the young Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (despite being 34 years his senior). While Elizabeth was enamored with his energy, spirit, and good looks, the rest of the court rolled their eyes at Robert’s arrogance. No doubt, they were excited to see his inevitable and bloody downfall after one too many slip-ups. In his own final words, he is the “most wretched of all”.

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Voodoo (also known as Vodou or Vundun) is an ancient practice that has gone back over 6,000 years with origins from West Africa. While perhaps a very misunderstood religion, people of all cultures have been fascinated and intrigued by its mysterious virtues. Despite Catholicism being claimed as the primary religion of Haiti in the 1860's, without a doubt, Vodou was the popular religion amongst citizens. But is it evil? Those on the jury during the Affaire de Bizoton may argue so. In 1864, eight Vodou practitioners were put on trial and sentenced to death for sacrificing and eating a 12-year-old girl during a Vodou ceremony.  In this episode, we talk about the grotesque and disturbing (as usual) that ends with severe and pitiful capital punishment.  

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Brunhilda of Austrasia was Queen Consort  of the Merovingian age from 575 - 613 AD. She was a fierce and brave leader of the Frankish dynasty, despite having to rule through her sons and grandsons. Her story, though not widely popular, is a tale of confusing names and violence, making it sound like something out of a fable. It includes assassinations, murder, suicide, family rivalry, and brutal wars. Her execution was no different as she paid the price for decades of a savage lifestyle. 

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The myths and legends of the Knights Templar goes back almost a century. At their peak of power, these glorious and brave heroes  escorted pilgrims through the Holy Land while also protecting their territories in the Crusades. They were rich and above any law, making them the ultimate celebrity of 13th century Europe. King Phillip IV got caught up in some bad debt with the Knights, though, and his only way to financial freedom was arresting, torturing, and burning thousands of members. In another 'mass execution' style episode, Elizabeth and Megan take on the epic story of that fatal night on Friday the 13th, 1307. 

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Let's start with saying the ancient Romans loved a good halftime show. Very similar to modern day sporting events, it involved large stadium seating, great concessions, a boisterous crowd of thousands of people, and solid entertainment. Rather than watching a ball get tossed around, though, their form of entertainment was watching people get torn to shreds by wild animals. In this episode, Elizabeth and Megan discuss a plethora of ways the Romans executed criminals in the infamous Colosseum. From crucifixion to elephant stampedes, the Romans were notorious for their creative execution styles. The question was never if the victim would survive, but rather, how long could they survive? 

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Sophie and Hans Scholl were brother and sister who shared more than blood, but a passionate hatred towards the Nazi's during their rise to power. As two young Germans who went from Hitler's Youth Program to attending the University of Munich, it was extremely illegal and beyond dangerous to speak out against the Nazi's. With a small group of their university friends who privately shared the same liberal perspective, they formed a secret society called the White Rose. Together, they worked to spread anti-Nazism belief and the truth behind the horrors of what was happening right under the German people's noses in the form of pamphlets and leaflets that were spread across their campus and country.  They knew the risk  going into it... but did they know the outcome could be losing their heads? 

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H.H Holmes is one of America's oldest serial killers who met his fate with an excruciating hanging. While he confessed to 27 murders, historians believe there could have been as many as 200 victims. Evidence suggests the majority of his crimes took place in his own Chicago based building conveniently blocks away from the World's Fair. The building was primarily retail space and apartment living, but later became known as the Murder Castle due to its vast size and and terrifying presence. The building was a series of maze-like hallways, mysterious hidden rooms, chutes that lead to the basement, and, not to mention, an entire torture chamber. Despite Holmes' wit and charming allure, he was a villain loose on a killing spree and eventually received his well deserved ending.                                   

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Giordano Bruno was an Italian philosopher born too early for his time.  Despite starting his early career as a monk, he quickly traded out his priesthood attire for some travel breeches and started teaching his progressive beliefs about the infinite universe across Europe. His views about religion and philosophy were groundbreaking, yet controversial. In the 16th century, this was the perfect recipe to get the Roman Inquisition coming after you. Elizabeth and Megan pull out their terrible Italian accents again in this episode of Beheaded. 

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Charles I was the first and only king of England to be found guilty of high treason and executed for his crimes. This outcome was especially a shock to poor old Chuck, as he was convinced that there was no higher power than him besides God himself. However, England wasn't so happy about his constant desire to "dissolve" Parliament and use his own subjects to financially invest in his love for war. Elizabeth and Megan rejoin in the kickoff to season 3 of Beheaded with one of our favorite kings of England who proved having nice hair and shoes just may not be enough. 

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