SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

EPISODE 126: Meanwhile...In the Mezzogiorno

While Gregory VII was busy fanning the flames of war up north, the Southern Normans were causing their own brand of chaos in Italy and Sicily. This episode takes a breather from the pope-vs-king drama to check in on the ever-scheming Hautevilles—because you just know they couldn’t sit still while Europe burned. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to the papal throwdown soon enough.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

Miniseries: Pope Gregory VII & Matilda of Canossa

EPISODE 125: False Monk

They called him a false monk—and that was putting it mildly. In the wake of Gregory VII’s Dictatus Papae, the gloves come off: excommunications fly, thrones wobble, and tempers turn deadly. King Henry IV’s furious letter labels the pope a fraud, and the showdown between crown and crosier officially kicks off. Assassinations, depositions, holy drama? Oh my.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

Miniseries: Pope Gregory VII & Matilda of Canossa

EPISODE 124: Dictatus Papae

This podcast loves historical documents—and when one comes along that reshapes Europe, you bet we’re diving in. Pope Gregory VII’s pen is mightier than most armies, and the document at the center of this episode is about to ignite a firestorm in both Church and state. Buckle up—Europe’s balance of power is about to get flipped on its sanctified head.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

Miniseries: Pope Gregory VII & Matilda of Canossa

EPISODE 123: The Holy Satan's First Year, Pt. 2

We wrap up the first chaotic year of Pope Gregory VII—a man Peter Damian famously dubbed “the Holy Satan” for clawing his way to the top with a monk’s robes and a Machiavellian mind. This episode is a front-row seat to the holy manipulation, ruthless strategy, and divine ambition that launched a papacy unlike any other. The reformer has arrived—and he didn’t come to play nice.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

Miniseries: Pope Gregory VII & Matilda of Canossa

EPISODE 122: The Holy Satan's First Year, Pt. 1

From Hildebrand to Gregory VII—what Peter Damian lovingly (or not-so-lovingly) dubbed “The Holy Satan”—our firebrand pope is about to dive headfirst into the chaos of reform, rebellion, and royal resistance. Matilda of Canossa, for better or worse, has picked her champion... and his first year won’t be a quiet one. This episode kicks off the storm.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

Miniseries: Pope Gregory VII & Matilda of Canossa

EPISODE 121: The Firebrand & the Reluctant Wife

A man who couldn’t be stopped. A woman who refused to bend. The Firebrand & the Reluctant Wife tells the origin story of two titans of 11th-century Italy: Hildebrand—soon to be Gregory VII—and young Matilda of Canossa, whose forced marriage lit a fuse that would burn across Europe. They didn’t just play the papal-imperial game—they rewrote the damn rules. Oh, and yes... Roger Borsa is now a duke, sooooo...

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

EPISODE 120: Two Brothers, Two Paths

After the dust settles in Palermo, the Hauteville brothers begin to drift apart—quietly, without ceremony. History is rarely tidy. Just as most of Christendom barely blinked at the East-West Schism of 1054, the Hautevilles likely had no idea they were living through a turning point. No grand declarations, no dramatic exits—just the slow, inevitable pull of different destinies.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

EPISODE 119: Palermo: Take Two

Palermo once again finds itself in Duke Robert Guiscard’s crosshairs, and this time he’s not playing nice. From burning ships to whispered betrayals, Sicily becomes the latest chessboard in Robert’s ruthless Mediterranean campaign. This episode dives into the high-stakes drama of conquest, ambition, and the grim resolve of a duke who refuses to be ignored. Palermo’s fate hangs in the balance—again.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

EPISODE 118: Siege of Bari

The Siege of Bari begins...and ends. But don’t be fooled—this isn’t some tidy wrap-up. It’s got imperial schemes, naval brawls, double-crosses, and enough medieval trash-talk to fill a saga. In the end, Robert Guiscard does what Robert Guiscard does: win, outmaneuver, and finally tame the thorn in his southern Italian side once and for all.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ

NOTE: This is a continuation of Episode 116.

SEASON 6: The Other Norman Conquest

EPISODE 117: A Ship Becalmed

The Hauteville brothers are back in action—well, sort of. Robert Guiscard wrestles with the Varangian Guard (yeah, those guys), while Roger watches the Muslim emirs of Sicily tear into each other. It’s a four-year sprint of shifting alliances, bloody reckonings, and one massive finale you won’t see coming.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee! 

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Cutting Edge” from the talented artist Hemlock!Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/cutting-edge

License code: Y0ZLEPLIZYV2RTMJ