It's Double Trouble for Venice this week. Business has been going well, but as the city navigates the dangerous 9th century, Pirates and Saracens both want a piece of the action. Find out how our protagonists cope as we follow them through the perils of the 800s. 

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All music used under Creative Commons licence from Musopen.org

We return to the historical narrative of the early 800s this week, with the Venetian economy on the verge of taking off. The growing city is showing the first signs of its future as a commercial powerhouse. But how did it get to that position? And how dubious were the ethics of its trading practices? We look at the origins of the city's later mercantile pre-eminence and try to understand the moral and cultural context in which its merchants were operating.

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All music used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

The four bronze horses on the balcony of St Mark's Basilica have silently witnessed the highs and lows of both Constantinople and Venice. Ancient and exquisite, they stand guard serenely over the Piazza, almost as iconic a symbol of the city as the winged lion itself. Today, we delve into their history.

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Music from Vivaldi's "Gloria" used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

This week we take a break from the chronological narrative and delve into the story of the city's iconic and enduring symbol, the Winged Lion of St Mark. 

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Intro and outro music from Vivaldi's "Gloria", used under Creative Commons licence from musopen.org

With the threat from the neighbouring Frankish kingdom still looming, the Venetians need a powerful protector. So they head off to Egypt to carry out a daring heist that will see them bring back a dead body camouflaged with pork. We look at the story behind the abduction of the body of St Mark and how he becomes the city's spiritual protector.

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Stuck between two rival empires, the Venetians are divided on which way to turn. As the Frankish and Byzantine forces clash in the northern Adriatic, Venice is caught in the crossfire, setting the stage for an event that resonates down the centuries as a foundational moment for the city. Get ready for a crazy food fight and some heroic female super-spies as our friends in the lagoon fight for their survival against their all-conquering neighbours. At least, that's what the Venetian accounts say. But are they telling the truth?

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Venice is slowly starting to take shape. Already semi-autonomous from the Byzantine Empire, and with Doges now in place, the Venetians begin to assert themselves in international politics and trade. But when the Carolingian Empire sweeps into Italy, they have to tread a delicate diplomatic tightrope, while still working out what sort of nation they want to be. Blindings, defenestrations and beheadings await the unwary as Venice strives to find its place among some powerful and acquisitive neighbours.

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The Doge's Palace is one of the most iconic buildings in Venice today. But what is a Doge, and how did the position come into being? Today we look at the stories of the first three Doges in the early 8th century, as the Venetians begin their slow journey of emerging from the shadow of their Byzantine masters to become a political and commercial force to be reckoned with in their own right.

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As the Lombards sweep through the north-east of Italy, some of the inhabitants of the Byzantine province of Venetia retreat to form new permanent settlements on the islands of the long, narrow coastal lagoon. The foundation stone of the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello dates from 639AD, giving us the first evidence of permanent buildings in the scattered settlements that will eventually coalesce to form the city of Venice. 

All music in this podcast is used under Creative Commons licence from Musopen.org

After travelling through the foundation myths of the city in the last episode, this week we are peering into the dense fog of history to find the earliest real traces of life in the lagoon. Join us as we navigate our way through Goths and Huns, look for omens in the flight of birds, and encounter the worst decade in human history.

Music used under Creative Commons licence from Musopen.org