The Real Musketeers: Who Were the King's Guard?

From Dumas fiction to historical fact at Louis XIII's court

1625: Real musketeer Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan arrived at Versailles, joining the elite guard that inspired literature's most famous heroes. Discover the truth behind the legendary Musketeers and their dangerous world of court intrigue.

Discover the True Musketeers:• How d'Artagnan became the King's most trusted guard• Why the Musketeers were France's elite fighting force• What political conspiracies they really faced• How Athos, Porthos, and Aramis lived and fought• When royal protection meant life-or-death loyalty• What Alexandre Dumas borrowed from real history

Through the eyes of courtiers and soldiers, witness 17th-century France. The real Musketeers faced genuine dangers defending absolute monarchy in an age of political revolution and religious war.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

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Episode Duration: 51:36 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Battle of Agincourt: England's Greatest Triumph

From muddy field to legendary victory in medieval warfare

October 25, 1415: Henry V's outnumbered English army faced French knights in muddy fields near Agincourt. Against impossible odds, English longbowmen achieved the most famous victory in medieval military history.

Discover Agincourt's Legacy:• How Henry V's strategy overcame impossible odds• Why English longbowmen dominated French knights• What muddy battlefield conditions changed everything• How this victory shaped the Hundred Years' War• When medieval warfare tactics revolutionized forever• What national identity this triumph created

Through the eyes of archers and knights, witness medieval combat evolution. One October day transformed military strategy, national pride, and the course of European history for centuries.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 45:15 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask | Ep.69

From anonymous prisoner to history's greatest unsolved mystery

1703: A masked prisoner died in the Bastille after 34 years of secret imprisonment by Louis XIV. His identity remains unknown, sparking centuries of theories involving royal twins, generals, and diplomatic scandals.

Discover the Iron Mask Mystery:• Who the anonymous prisoner really was• Why Louis XIV kept his identity secret• What eyewitness accounts reveal about him• How he lived in luxury while imprisoned• When modern investigations uncovered new clues• What theories still captivate historians today

Through the eyes of guards and governors, witness absolute monarchy's darkest secrets. One prisoner's concealed identity created France's most enduring historical mystery, inspiring literature and legend for three centuries.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 43:02 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Deadly Game of Power | Ep. 67

From royal favorite to executed conspirator at Louis XIII's court

1642: Twenty-two-year-old Marquis de Cinq-Mars faced the executioner's block for plotting against Cardinal Richelieu. Discover how France's most powerful minister crushed noble conspiracies with ruthless precision in the shadows of absolute monarchy.

Discover Court Conspiracy:• How Richelieu became France's shadow ruler• Why young Cinq-Mars captured the King's heart• What secret alliances threatened royal power• How noble discontent sparked deadly plots• When court favorites became political pawns• What price ambition demanded in royal France

Through the eyes of courtiers and conspirators, witness absolute power's ruthlessness. Cardinal Richelieu's political genius transformed France while destroying those who dared challenge his authority.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 36:08 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Philip IV of France a Monarch or Monster?

From Knights Templar destroyer to medieval state builder

October 1307: Philip IV ordered the arrest of every Knight Templar in France, seizing their vast wealth and destroying Christianity's most powerful military order. Was he a visionary monarch modernizing France or a ruthless tyrant eliminating enemies?

Discover Philip's Complex Legacy:• How he destroyed the mighty Knights Templar• Why he challenged papal authority so boldly• What his Jewish community policies revealed• How feudal law transformed under his rule• When medieval France became a modern state• What price his subjects paid for progress

Through the eyes of victims and supporters, witness medieval transformation. Philip IV's controversial reign created modern France while destroying ancient institutions and communities that opposed his vision.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 35:27 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Beginners Guide To Understanding The Crusades

From Urban II's call to arms to Saladin's triumph

November 1095: Pope Urban II's speech at Clermont launched two centuries of religious warfare between Christianity and Islam. Discover how the Crusades reshaped medieval Europe and the Middle East through conquest, culture, and catastrophe.

Discover the Crusades:• How Urban II sparked Europe's holy war• Why thousands abandoned everything for Jerusalem• What Saladin's leadership meant for Muslim resistance• How Crusader States rose and fell dramatically• When religious warfare changed both civilizations• What lasting legacies still influence today

Through the eyes of crusaders and defenders, witness medieval transformation. Religious fervor created cultural exchange, technological advancement, and political upheaval that defined European and Middle Eastern history for centuries.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 47:24 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Godfrey de Bouillon's Crusades Diary

From noble duke to Defender of the Holy Sepulchre

July 1099: Godfrey de Bouillon refused the crown of Jerusalem, choosing instead the humble title "Defender of the Holy Sepulchre." Explore his personal reflections and moral struggles through intimate diary entries from the First Crusade.

Discover Godfrey's Inner World:• How he wrestled with leadership and morality• Why he refused to wear a crown of gold• What strategic decisions shaped the crusade's success• How personal faith guided military choices• When doubt and conviction battled in his mind• What legacy he chose over earthly power

Through the eyes of medieval Europe's most reluctant ruler, witness the First Crusade's human cost. Godfrey's diary reveals the personal struggles behind one of history's most transformative religious campaigns.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 43:14 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

The Story of Robert the Bruce

From outlaw king to Scotland's greatest hero

June 24, 1314: Robert the Bruce's outnumbered Scottish army faced Edward II's massive English force at Bannockburn. Against impossible odds, strategic genius and fierce determination secured Scotland's independence and created a national legend.

Discover Bruce's Legacy:• How he transformed from rebel to rightful king• Why his guerrilla warfare tactics defeated England• What the Declaration of Arbroath meant for freedom• How Bannockburn became Scotland's defining moment• When diplomatic prowess secured European recognition• What legacy still inspires Scottish national pride

Through the eyes of warriors and chroniclers, witness Scotland's birth. Robert the Bruce's transformative leadership turned a divided kingdom into an independent nation that defied medieval Europe's greatest power.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 42:03 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Life and Death of Pope Alexander VI

From Spanish cardinal to history's most scandalous pope

August 18, 1503: Pope Alexander VI died mysteriously after dinner, sparking rumors of poisoning that persist today. Discover how Rodrigo Borgia transformed the papacy into a Renaissance dynasty through corruption, nepotism, and ruthless political maneuvering.

Discover the Borgia Legacy:• How Rodrigo Borgia bought his way to the papacy• Why the Borgia family scandalized medieval Europe• What political intrigues defined Renaissance Rome• How corruption reached unprecedented papal heights• When mysterious death sparked poisoning rumors• What legacy still haunts the Catholic Church

Through the eyes of diplomats and enemies, witness papal power's darkest hour. Alexander VI's reign revealed how spiritual authority became worldly ambition in Renaissance Italy's most corrupt era.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 41:23 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert

Siege of Constantinople

From the last Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance

May 29, 1453: Sultan Mehmed II's massive cannons finally breached Constantinople's legendary walls, ending 1,000 years of Byzantine rule. Witness the epic siege that transformed medieval Europe and launched the Renaissance through one city's dramatic fall.

Discover Constantinople's Fall:• How revolutionary cannons defeated ancient walls• Why the last Byzantine emperor died sword in hand• What ingenious strategies defined the 53-day siege• How Orthodox Christianity's center fell to Islam• When the medieval world ended forever• What Renaissance began from empire's ashes

Through the eyes of defenders and conquerors, witness history's turning point. Constantinople's fall marked the end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the modern world that emerged from medieval ruins.

About Saving History: Epic tales from Europe's past revealing hidden stories. 50,000+ monthly listeners. New episodes monthly.

More Medieval Content:• SavingCastles.com• YouTube: @SavingCastles

Episode Duration: 41:58 minutesHost: Monte Schumacher - Medieval historian & castle restoration expert