The Palermo Rising (January 12, 1848)

On January 12, 1848, the people of Palermo chose violence—as a birthday present.

In this episode of Baked Battlefields, we break down how a popular uprising in Palermo, Sicily exploded into full-scale urban warfare against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, ruled by Ferdinand II—a man so fond of shelling his own cities that history nicknamed him King Bomb. What began as barricades and street fighting quickly became one of the opening shots of the Revolutions of 1848, a wave of revolutions that set all of Europe on fire.

We cover why Sicily was ready to revolt, how civilians held off professional troops in brutal city combat, the casualties and destruction that followed, and why even a “failed” revolution can permanently change history. Along the way, we get a little high, tell some jokes, and talk about what happens when authoritarian power meets long-simmering resentment.

Precise history. Imprecise sobriety. Revolutions don’t ask permission.