Podcasts about Mantua

In dieser Podcast-Folge nehmen wir dich mit auf eine Reise in die Nähe von Mantua, wo du eine Übernachtungsmöglichkeit mit hausgemachter italienischer Bauernküche kennenlernst und echte Geheimtipps für Shopping und Genuss entdeckst. Vom entspannten Flanieren im Mantua Village bis hin zur Käsemanufaktur, wo der Käse direkt vom Hof auf deinem Teller landet – das ist Italien, wie es leibt und lebt! Du wirst das Leben auf einem idyllischen Bauernhof erleben, wo Gastfreundschaft großgeschrieben wird und von einem frisch geborenen Fohlen hören. Sogar eine weltbekannte Skirennläuferin ist von dieser Oase begeistert. Und dann ist da noch das Essen – hausgemachte Pasta, zarte Fleischgerichte und regionale Weine, die perfekt dazu harmonieren. Jeder Bissen und jedes Glas erzählen eine Geschichte von Tradition und Leidenschaft. Wir teilen mit dir, was Mantua so besonders macht – von Romeo's Exil bis zur bezaubernden lombardischen Küche. Lass dich inspirieren, träume dich nach Italien, und vielleicht packst du bald schon deinen Koffer. Abonniere den Podcast, komm mit auf die Reise und entdecke die Schönheit des einfachen, genussvollen Lebens. Jetzt reinhören – du wirst es lieben! Agriturismo Corte Casella Mantova Village Caseificio Europeo ************************************************ Abonniere jetzt den Podcast bei Spotifyund verpasse keine Folge mehr! Mehr findest du auch auf den Social-Media-Kanälen Facebook Youtube Instagram Feinschmeckertouren ************************************************

In dieser Folge entführen wir dich in die bezaubernde Stadt Mantova, einen wahren Geheimtipp im Norden Italiens, der mit seiner reichen Geschichte und kulinarischen Vielfalt begeistert. Stell dir vor, wie du über eine malerische Brücke fährst, das beeindruckende Castello di San Giorgio in der Ferne erblickst und schließlich unter den majestätischen Arkaden des Palazzo Ducale stehst – ein Ort, an dem Gotik, Romanik und Barock aufeinandertreffen und die Geschichten von Adelsfamilien und Künstlern lebendig werden. Gemeinsam schlendern wir durch die lebhaften Gassen, vorbei an prächtigen Kuppeln und kunstvollen Fresken des Doms, während wir in die spannende Geschichte der Familie Gonzaga eintauchen, die Mantova zu einer Perle der Renaissance gemacht hat. Du wirst den Charme des Piazza Sordello spüren, wo sich geschäftige Cafés und Boutiquen mit historischem Flair vermischen, und vielleicht kannst du schon die Eleganz des Teatro Bibiena erahnen, in dem einst Mozart musizierte. Doch Mantova ist nicht nur eine Stadt für Geschichts- und Kulturbegeisterte – sie ist ein Paradies für Genießer. Lass dich von uns inspirieren, die regionalen Köstlichkeiten zu probieren, einen Aperitivo in der goldenen Abendsonne zu genießen und die berühmten Weine dieser Region zu entdecken. Mantova ist eine Stadt, die dich mit ihrer Atmosphäre und ihrem unaufdringlichen Zauber umhüllt und immer wieder zurückrufen wird. Hör rein und lass dich verführen, deine nächste Reise zu planen – vielleicht wird Mantova auch dein neues Lieblingsziel. Und vergiss nicht, den Podcast zu abonnieren, damit du kein weiteres Abenteuer verpasst! ************************************************ Abonniere jetzt den Podcast bei Spotifyund verpasse keine Folge mehr! Mehr findest du auch auf den Social-Media-Kanälen Facebook Youtube Instagram Feinschmeckertouren ************************************************

Opera, music, movies, and poetry dealing with Italian culture across continents and generations.

Traveling between Venice and Mantua, a slow-moving barge cruise on the Po River and its tributaries offers rural scenery, Renaissance history, wine, and other Italian delights.  

In this first episode of Series Eight of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets author, family historian, and the host of the Italian Roots and Genealogy YouTube series and podcast - Bob Sorrentino, and finds out about his Italian-American roots, and his connections to Italian and the wider European nobility.THE LIFE STORY - ISABELLA D'ESTE We're off to the 15th Century to hear about one of Bob's ancestors - Isabella d'Este (born 1474 in Ferrara, Italy) was the wife of Francesco II Gonzaga - the Marquis of Mantua, Italy, and whilst her husband appeared to prefer going off to fight as a mercenary, Isabella found herself left in charge. Under her influence, she encouraged culture and art, and became one of the leading women in the Italian Renaissance. She also ensured that women could access education, and she herself is known to have amassed a collection of around 20,000 letters.She died in her 60's in 1539, and no doubt left an important legacy for both Italy and women.THE BRICK WALL - MARIA ANGELA DE RISO We're only stepping back to the 18th Century this time for Bob's brick wall, and this is his 4x Great Grandmother - Maria Angela De Riso. He knows that she was born circa 1750, likely in Carpinone, in western Molise, Italy, but her origins, and the identity of her parents remains unknown.Maria was an Italian Baroness by birth, but Bob cannot find information on the generation further back - did her parents buy their land and titles?Who were Maria's parents?Where did they come from before Maria's birth?If you think you can help Bob crack this brick wall with a clue or research idea, then you can contact him at his Facebook Group - Italian Roots and Genealogy, his YouTube channel, or alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact form, and we'll pass it along to him.In the meantime, while Bob is curious of Andrew's offer of help, will he get to his answer safely...- - - Episode CreditsAndrew Martin - Host and ProducerBob Sorrentino - GuestJohn Spike - Sándor PetőfiThank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review.

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews. This week Vidar was reviewing Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff with description by Professional Audio Describers Julia Grundy and Jonathan Nash. About Welsh National Opera's production of Verdi's Rigoletto Depravity and deceit: a life disintegrating... Step into the raucous court of the Duke of Mantua where Rigoletto, the court jester, uses vicious wit to conceal his tormented heart. In a world teetering on the edge of debauchery and deceit, his only joy is his daughter, Gilda. When the charming but womanising Duke sets his sights on Gilda, his actions set in motion a tragic chain of events where a father's love and treachery collide in a crescendo of passion and heartbreak. Set against the backdrop of a decadent and ruthless court, this heart-wrenching tale explores the intricate web of love, betrayal, and the consequences of power. Verdi wrote that Rigoletto was his best opera, and with its rich tapestry of emotions and unforgettable melodies – including opera's most famous quartet and the instantly recognisable La donna è mobile – it's easy to see why it transcends time and continues to resonate long after the curtain falls. Welsh National Opera's tour of Verdi's Rigoletto continues until 16 November 2024 and for more about the tour including details of audio described performances do visit the following pages of the WNO's website - https://wno.org.uk/whats-on/rigoletto#venues-and-tickets https://wno.org.uk/access (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

Conocida como la primera y única emperatriz del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico que gobernó sobre los dominios de los Habsburgo. Fue archiduquesa y soberana de Austria, Hungría, Bohemia y Croacia, fue duquesa de Mantua, Milán, Galitzia y Lodomeria, Parma y los Países Bajos Austriacos, duquesa de Lorena y gran duquesa de Toscana. Esta es la historia de María Teresa I de Austria Parte 2Sígueme en las diferentes redes sociales:X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/lasreinaspod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasreinaspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lasreinaspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lasreinaspodcast Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lasreinaspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! In tempore belli... Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Mantua, Italy between September 10-14, 2024: 1) A walk through the historical center of Mantua 2) A gelataria with the best ice cream in town 3) Inside the Basilica di Sant'Andrea 4) A rehearsal of the ensemble "nova ars cantandi" in the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara, singing "Dona Nobis Pacem" from an unknown mass by Antonio Nola (1642-1715). Released: Sep 23rd, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Conocida como la primera y única emperatriz del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico que gobernó sobre los dominios de los Habsburgo. Fue archiduquesa y soberana de Austria, Hungría, Bohemia y Croacia, fue duquesa de Mantua, Milán, Galitzia y Lodomeria, Parma y los Países Bajos Austriacos, duquesa de Lorena y gran duquesa de Toscana. Esta es la historia de María Teresa I de Austria Parte 1Sígueme en las diferentes redes sociales:X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/lasreinaspod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasreinaspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lasreinaspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lasreinaspodcast Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lasreinaspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 ⁠When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.Cum ergo prandissent, dicit Simoni Petro Jesus : Simon Joannis, diligis me plus his? Dicit ei : Etiam Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Dicit ei : Pasce agnos meos.⁠ 16 ⁠He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.Dicit ei iterum : Simon Joannis, diligis me? Ait illi : Etiam Domine, tu scis quia amo te. Dicit ei : Pasce agnos meos.⁠ 17 ⁠He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.Dicit ei tertio : Simon Joannis, amas me? Contristatus est Petrus, quia dixit ei tertio : Amas me? et dixit ei : Domine, tu omnia nosti, tu scis quia amo te. Dixit ei : Pasce oves meas.Joseph Sarto was born in Riese in Venetia on June 2, 1835. He was successively curate, parish priest, bishop of Mantua, patriarch of Venice. He was elected pope on August 4, 1903. As chief pastor of the Church he realized to the full the value of the liturgy of the prayer of the Church and spared no effort to propagate the practice of frequent and daily Communion. He died on August 20, 1914 and was canonised on May 29, 1954.

Dr. Richard Grossberg, MD, is a renowned physician based in Ohio with a focus on pediatric medicine. He is a key member of the Rainbow Babies Complex Care Program, where he excels in managing the intricate medical needs of children with complex conditions. Additionally, Dr. Grossberg serves as the Medical Director of the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities in Mantua, Ohio. In these roles, he is recognized for his dedication to enhancing pediatric care through both innovative treatments and compassionate, patient-centered approaches. His extensive experience and leadership in these prominent programs underscore his commitment to improving the lives of children with special medical needs.

07 Banderas falsas y militares masones Como hemos venido desarrollando en esta serie de videos, el poder-religión, base fundamental que pasa desapercibida para la inmensa mayoría de la gente, opera en la sombra y trasciende fronteras, épocas y tipos de gobierno. Los grises funcionarios son uno de los gremios que forman parte de ese engranaje del poder-religión en la sombra. (poner video del globo Blasco Berlanga globo.mp4)) La figura de Blasco Ibáñez se ha utilizado para ejercer presión entre las masas populares para crear la ilusión que el pueblo también puede ejercer poder, desde la prensa o desde la tribuna del Congreso de los Diputados. Pero las cosas en realidad son bastante más grises y normalmente se planifican a muchos años vista ya que estas viejas castas que detentan el poder real se transmiten el conocimiento de padres a hijos “ad infinitum”. Leyendo el ensayo escrito por José Mas y Maria Teresa Mateu titulado “Vicente Blasco Ibáñez : ese diedro de luces y de sombras” financiado por todos nosotros y patrocinado por la Generalitat Valenciana me di cuenta de que tal y como cuentan los propios autores, todo eran luces. “Creemos haber abordado el estudio de Blasco Ibáñez con cierta novedad y, aunque en el título se alude a las luces y a las sombras, hemos procurado recoger sobre todo las luces: que otros recojan, si lo quieren, las sombras.” En el capítulo 5 vimos como se referían al editor Cabrerizo como si hubiera conocido a un joven Blasco aficionandolo a la lectura, pero una simple búsqueda nos arroja que Cabrerizo murió cuando Blasco tenia 1 año y 10 meses, esa es la credibilidad que debemos otorgar a “las luces”. La verdadera relación entre Blasco y el editor provenía de la tía de Blasco y muy posiblemente su entrada en la masonería sobrevendria por ello. El editor reconocía ser “uno de los fundadores de la Asociación de la Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza, establecida en la Iglesia parroquial de los Santos Juanes” y los padres de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez decidieron bautizarlo y registrarlo en la Iglesia de los santos Juanes de Valencia. La hermana de su madre y el editor Cabrerizo compartían casa en el padrón municipal de Calatayud como podemos leer en el libro “Los amores de Blasco Ibáñez”: “Doña Ramona Ibáñez había llegado a Valencia llamada por una tía suya, doña Vicenta Martínez Torralva, natural de Calatayud, que contaba sesenta y dos años en la fecha del casamiento de doña Ramona. Doña Vicenta Martínez aparece en el padrón municipal de 1868 como domiciliada en la casa número 11 de la calle de Embajador Vich, en el mismo lugar y casa que habitaba el famoso editor don Mariano de Cabrerizo.” Roca nos cuenta un poco mas en la biografía sobre Blasco Ibáñez: “En medio de las conmociones de la época, el hogar de los Blasco vive en la paz y la prosperidad de un negocio convertido en floreciente gracias a la actividad de Gaspar y a la energía de su mujer. Con ellos vive también la tía Angela, hermana de doña Ramona. Con frecuencia visitan a la madrina en la calle de Embajador Vich, o en la casa que Cabrerizo tiene en la Alameda. Una casa amplia, con extenso jardín. Don Mariano de Cabrerizo tuvo muchísimas veces sobre sus rodillas al niño. Ya viejo, octogenario, Cabrerizo jugaba con él. ¿Qué quieres ser tú?, le preguntaba. Y como el pequeño le mirase con asombro, él mismo se respondía: «Librero. Eso es. Serás librero, como yo. Es un oficio digno de ser estimado. Cabrerizo falleció en Valencia a la edad de ochenta y cuatro años, el día 10 de diciembre de 1868. Pocos meses después todos los bienes del famoso editor eran sacados a pública subasta.” Vemos una relación de la hermana de la madre de Blasco con la masonería a través del editor Cabrerizo. Pero es que podemos relacionar a Pilar Blasco Ibáñez, hermana de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez con la masonería también. Su marido fue Alberto Carsí Lacasa, geólogo de profesión, ocupo cargos importantes durante la República. Teniendo como nombre simbólico CANOPUS al acceder por primera vez a la masonería a través de la logia Cosmos, estuvo también en la Logia Salud, Estabilidad y Poder. Llegó a poseer el grado 33 siendo Soberano Gran Inspector General. Tuvo que huir a Francia al igual que muchos otros masones conocidos tras la llegada al poder de Franco. Esta serie de videos no pretende eclipsar ni desacreditar a nadie; al contrario, nuestro objetivo es poner el foco en las cosas que no suelen contarse. En este caso, y brevemente, nos referiremos a los autores de este ensayo, quienes, tras una breve investigación, descubrimos que llevan muchos años colaborando juntos. Concretamente, los vemos trabajando juntos en la creación de 'Guiones didácticos' y en el libro de texto de Primero de B.U.P. de Lengua Española del año 1975, así como en el libro 'Literatura II: Literaturas Hispánicas' para el segundo año de B.U.P. Ellos dos solitos iniciaron la andadura a la lectura de los jóvenes que desperezándose de la dictadura de Franco tenían que entrar en el reinado de Juan Carlos I y su “democracia”. A la profesora de literatura Maria Teresa Mateu Mateu, doblemente Mateu, la vemos en el BOE de 31 de agosto de 1970, con Franco presente, pidiendo renunciar a su cargo de vocal titular del Tribunal de oposiciones a plazas de Profesores agregados de “Lengua y Literatura Españolas” de Institutos Nacionales y Secciones Delegadas de Enseñanza Media. Es decir, las mismas personas que tenían influencia en lo que se leía durante el régimen de Franco volvieron a tener influencia en lo que se leería durante la democracia. Apaguemos el foco sobre el dedo y miremos La Luna, esa enorme luminaria que nos indica que las idas y venidas de cárceles y entradas y salidas del pais del escritor valenciano no fueron tan duras como parece. El propio Blasco en “Los muertos mandan”, escrito en 1909, nos deja algunas perlas. Curiosamente es el texto de presentación que eligen José Mas y Maria Teresa Mateu para su ensayo: “Venía de Valencia, del penal de San Miguel de los Reyes, llamado Niza, a causa de la dulzura de su clima, por los habituales pensionistas de dichos establecimientos. Hablaba con orgullo de esta casa, lo mismo que un rico estudiante recuerda los años pasados en una universidad inglesa o alemana. Altas palmeras sombreaban los patios, ondeando su capitel de plumas por encima de los tejados. Desde las rejas llegaba a verse toda la extensión de la huerta valenciana, con los frontones triangulares y blancos de sus barracas, y más allá el Mediterráneo, una faja azul inmensa, tras cuyo lomo se ocultaba el peñón natural, la isla amada. Tal vez había pasado por ella el viento cargado de emanaciones salinas y ardores vegetales que se colaba como una bendición en las hediondas cuadras del presidio, ¡qué más podía desear un preso!... La vida era dulce, se comía a sus horas, siempre de caliente; había orden, y el hombre no tenía más que obedecer, dejarse llevar”. Nos narran también alguna de sus primeras escaramuzas con el poder: “A los dieciséis años tuvieron lugar dos hechos importantes en la vida de Blasco: la composición de un soneto en el que se invitaba a degollar a todos los monarcas de Europa y la fuga del domicilio paterno para instalarse en Madrid, ciudad en la que era más fácil seguir su vocación de novelista. El poema contra la realeza le acarreó un proceso que al final fue sobreseído teniendo en cuenta la juventud del poeta.” En el ensayo del profesor Pablo Ramos González del Rivero titulado “Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, alter ego del joven que escribía basura romántica” apunta que: “lo que Blasco Ibáñez escribió entre 1883 y 1894, esto es, en un periodo aproximado de once años, “es aproximadamente el 75% del volumen de lo que escribirá luego en treinta y seis”. El ciclo correspondiente al de su obra repudiada es, de hecho, el más prolífico con diferencia de toda su carrera como novelista.” En julio de 1890 dirigirá una manifestación contra Cánovas del Castillo que provocaría su huida a París. Desde allí colaborará con El Correo de Valencia, con sus «Crónicas de un emigrado». Un año más tarde regresará a Valencia al concedérsele la amnistía. En el capítulo nueve hablaremos de “sus andanzas” en París, pero creanme que no lo paso mal. Durante esa época, escribió voluminosos libros propagandísticos como 'Historia de la Revolución Española' (1890-91), 'La araña negra' (1892), 'Viva la República' (1893) y 'Los fanáticos' (1894). A estos se suman 'París e impresiones de un emigrado' (1891) y el 'Catecismo Federal Republicano' (1892). En estos folletines, los realistas, los carlistas, los curas y los jesuitas son retratados como los villanos, mientras que los alter egos de Blasco, como el anarquista Gabriel Luna en 'La Catedral', Guzmán en 'Viva la República' —un español exiliado por la persecución inquisitorial que comparte los anhelos revolucionarios del pueblo francés— y Agramunt en 'La araña negra', son presentados como los héroes. La dualidad promulgada por la Revolución Francesa está servida. El tema de la Luna es muy recurrente en él con textos como “Piedra de Luna”, “El papa del mar”refiriéndose al papa Luna o “Luna Benamor”. Hay un libro escrito en 1917 y publicado en 1929 por Aleister Crowley titulado “La hija de la Luna. Intrigas magicas del Bien y del Mal” que nos recuerda al libro publicado en 1926 por Blasco “Piedra de Luna”. En el fondo ambos libros hablan sobre los hijos de la Luna. Fritz Springmeier y Cisco Wheeler nos contaron lo que es un hijo de la Luna en su libro “Como los illuminati lograron crear un indetectable y esclavo de control mental total”. “Los rituales actuales llevados a cabo para crear a un niño de la luna son descritos en detalle en 3 de los escritos de Crowley. Una vaga descripción de los rituales puede ser vista al leer el libro de "Niño de la Luna". El ritual se realiza en la villa apodada "El Nido de las Mariposas". La villa era en realidad un templo ocultista tapizado con geometría sagrada. Tenía figuras de sátiros, faunos y ninfas. Tenía estatuas de Artemis. Muchos artículos de plata y estrellas de 9 puntas estaban en la villa, debido a que todos estos objetos son relativos a la Luna en la magia. La mujer que estaba embarazada estaba rodeada de objetos relativos a la luna. La influencia de la luna es repetidamente invocada. Un altar pequeño y triangular de plata de Artemis es usado. Hay una fuente sagrada donde la mujer es lavada. El número 9, el cual es sagrado para la luna va acompañado con su respectiva escuadra. Las plegarias son hechas a Artemis, y hay una recreación de la captura de Diana por Pan. La mujer es entrenada para identificarse a si misma en lo que se conoce como Abuela Luna (en el libro es simplemente llamada Diana o Luna) por medio de identificar sus pensamientos y acciones con las deidades que uno está queriendo invocar.” El nuevo Arzobispo de Valencia, Beato Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás, tomó posesión en 1892 y como consecuencia de los alborotos promovidos por tal hecho, fueron detenidos todos los redactores de La Bandera Federal entre ellos Blasco. Para nosotros se trató de lo que hoy día llamaríamos un acto creado por la disidencia controlada. Sancha fue arzobispo de Valencia entre 1892 y 1898, nombrado por el papa León XIII en plena guerra entre masonería e iglesia católica. Poco después, en 1902, escribió “Cuento de Sancha la serpiente” donde una pequeña serpiente crece hasta llegar a matar al niño que la había alimentado de pequeña. Poca broma con el blasquismo como leemos en un artículo publicado en marzo de 1911, en el número 194 de la revista Por esos mundos, con la entrevista de Enrique González Fiol a Blasco Ibáñez donde cuenta como estaba reclutando a un ejército al estilo de los masones italianos, los carbonarios alrededor de 1889. Resulta curioso como vemos entre los emblemas de los carbonarios, una rama de la masonería, el típico gorro frigio y el haz de lictores o fasces, manojo de flechas unido por una cinta roja, que luce por ejemplo la Guardia Civil aqui en España. “Luego fundó una juventud revolucionaria... Como no podía conquistar hombres para sus ideas, se dedicó á reclutar muchachos... Aquellos muchachos de entonces, constituyen la generación actual, y muchos son ó han sido concejales y diputados. Creó una organización revolucionaria al estilo de los carbonarios, pero sin ceremonias, organización militar secreta. Los afiliados sólo le conocían á él y á sus dos ayudantes, que formaban el tribunal, pero entre sí no se conocían. Llegó á reclutar cinco mil hombres armados, mejor dicho que se creían armados, porque... En la calle de Malaenes, en las afueras de Valencia, en el último piso, domicilio de un pintor de paredes, se reunía el tribunal para la admisión de neófitos. Todos llegaban diciendo lo mismo: Bueno. Yo en esta societat no entre, si no hiá serietat... Y sobre tot, armes. («Yo no entro en esta sociedad si no hay seriedad. Y sobre todo, armas.» Traducción del autor.). ¿Seriedad? Allí estaba el tribunal más serio que se ha visto jamás. ¿Armas? «Ché, fulano—decía Blasco á uno de sus ayudantes—, baixa un fusil.» Y se le enseñaba un fusil traído de una bohardilla. Bueno, sí, un fusil es ben poc, decía el entusiasta neófito. ¡Che, baixa un atre!, replicaba Blasco. Y se le bajaba otro. El neófito empezaba a creer en el armamento, pero Blasco, para acabar de convencerle, repetía: Che, baixa un atre. Y se le bajaba otro. Y volvía á repetirse la orden. Pero cuando iban á cumplirla, él decía: Bueno. Ya hay bastantes para convencerse de que no estamos desarmados. No bajes otro, que vamos á acabar por no poder movernos aquí... Y no se bajaba el cuarto fusil, porque no tenían más que tres. Eran tres chassepots, procedentes de los zuavos de Argelia, con la bayoneta ondulada como la espada flamígera de San Elías. A la par que ejecutaba este reclutamiento, echó a la calle un semanario que causó gran sensación: La bandera federal, cuyos lectores eran sus cinco mil reclutas.” Este episodio de Blasco es digno de una película de Berlanga. En 1893 Blasco es vuelto a encerrar por otra denuncia a La Bandera Federal junto con Herrero y Llopis. El 11 de abril de 1894 se producen disturbios callejeros por la peregrinación a Roma desde Valencia, lo que provoca la huida de Blasco. El 21 de abril le escribe una carta a su padre hablándole de como le trataba la autoridad: “Anoche a las tres de la madrugada la guardia civil y dos delegados del gobierno civil de Barcelona me detuvieron en la fonda, conduciéndome a la cárcel con todas las consideraciones y respetos, y estoy aquí en esta cárcel mejor que en un hotel. Todo Sabadell está indignadísimo. Le acompañó la hoja que ha circulado a miles inmediatamente por la ciudad”. Al regresar el 29 de abril es encarcelado, cinco días más tarde será puesto en libertad bajo fianza. En un artículo titulado “Blasco Ibáñez, como nunca” donde entrevistan a su hija libertad nos cuenta: “Libertad Blasco (Hija), también recuerda en 'Blasco Ibáñez, su vida y su tiempo' el «No puede ser... No puede ser...» que su progenitor exclamó la noche que doña Ramona sufrió un derrame cerebral. Fue el 12 de mayo de 1894. Una fecha marcada en la historia personal y profesional del autor ya que ese día se estrenaba en Valencia la única obra escrita por él para teatro. En el teatro Apolo de la ciudad, los intérpretes Ramona Valdivia y Fernando Díaz de Mendoza iban a poner sobre las tablas el montaje de 'El juez'. Pero Blasco, que había comido con el director de la obra, sólo pudo acudir a su casa de noche. Allí, don Gaspar, su padre, tenía preparado el ataúd para su esposa. Ese día, en el que el literato tuvo «sentimientos antagónicos», según su hija, no pudo salir a recibir el tributo del público por el éxito del espectáculo.” Por cierto, la obra no tuvo ningún éxito y no volvió a incursionar en ese género literario y como vemos curiosamente el nombre de la protagonista nos recuerda a su madre y obviamente el juez a su suegro. Justo 6 meses más tarde, el 12 de noviembre de ese año se publica el primer número de “El Pueblo”, fundado y dirigido por Blasco aunque como vimos en el capítulo 5 de esta serie titulado Teosofía y manos escondidas, la masonería estaría detrás de la creación de una red de prensa, casinos y centros de educación para combatir el poder de la Iglesia. Según nos cuenta una científica del CESIC en “Vicente Blasco Ibáñez y la literatura de propaganda filomasónica”, dos años antes, en 1892 se puso en marcha aquel proyecto del que un Blasco masón fue participe. El 30 de diciembre El Pueblo será denunciado por vez primera por la publicación de un artículo, denuncia a la que seguirían otras muchas en muy breves intervalos de tiempo. El 24 de febrero de 1895 estalla en Cuba la guerra y las editoriales de El Pueblo tronaban contra dicha guerra. Como consecuencia de un artículo es procesado e ingresa en la cárcel el 6 de septiembre. De allí saldrá bajo fianza 35 días más tarde. De momento ha estado preso unos 40 días más algunas detenciones de horas. El 17 de marzo de 1895 cae el gobierno de Sagasta como consecuencia del asalto a las oficinas de los periódicos El Resumen y El Globo que criticaron los destinos militares de Cuba. El año 1896 comienza con un juicio por su artículo «En pleno absolutismo» que concluye con un fallo absolutorio. El estado de sitio se declara ese año en varios momentos y contextos en España, principalmente como respuesta a las tensiones y disturbios tanto internos como en sus posesiones ultramarinas. Uno de los eventos más significativos de ese año fue el estallido de la Revolución Filipina que comenzó en agosto de 1896. Al proclamarse el estado de sitio huye a Italia disfrazado de marinero, regresando en junio y quedando en libertad provisional. En “Vicente Blasco Ibáñez : ese diedro de luces y de sombras” podemos leer: “El 4 de junio de 1896 se presentó Blasco Ibáñez ante las autoridades militares, quienes le otorgaron la libertad provisional; tal situación de precariedad no arredró al periodista, quien siguió publicando en El Pueblo vibrantes artículos contra la guerra colonial y contra una ley injusta que permitía comprar por mil quinientas pesetas la exención del servicio militar. Transcribamos el comienzo del artículo “Carne de pobres” aparecido el día 19 de agosto: “¿Tienes mil quinientas pesetas? ¿No? Pues dame a tu hijo. Sois pobres y esto basta. Lleváis sobre vuestra frente ese sello de maldición social que os hace eternos esclavos del dolor. En la paz, debéis sufrir resignados y agotar vuestro cuerpo poco a poco para que una minoría viva tranquila y placenteramente sin hacer nada; en la guerra, debéis morir para que los demás, que por el dinero están libres de tal peligro, puedan ser belicosos desde su casa. Resignaos: siempre ha habido un rebaño explotado para bien y tranquilidad de los de arriba.” El propio Blasco escribe sobre su consejo de guerra donde al final es condenado a dos años de prisión correccional: “La escena pasó en un dormitorio, en 1896, pidiendo para mí el fiscal —un coronel— una condena de catorce años de presidio. Dicha escena tuvo una teatralidad que no olvidaré nunca. Después de larguísimo debate, me fue leída la sentencia, por la noche, en medio del patio, entre bayonetas y a la luz de un candil. Se había rebajado la pena a cuatro años de presidio, de los que pasé catorce meses encerrado en uno de los dos penales que tenía entonces Valencia, un convento viejo, situado en el centro de la ciudad y con capacidad para trescientos penados, si bien estaban más de mil. Allí perdí hasta el nombre, sustituido por un número (...) Una parte de mi reclusión la pude pasar, por especial y secreto favor de los empleados, en la enfermería del establecimiento, entre tísicos y cadáveres. Allí compuse un cuento: “El despertar del Buda”…” De esos dos años Blasco pasaría en la cárcel 14 meses que contando los 40 días anteriores, arrojan unos 465 días. El propio Blasco en marzo de 1911 le contó en una entrevista a Enrique González Fiol como fue tratado allí: “Como benevolencia especial, se me consintió dormir en la enfermería del hospital.” En aquella época morían los presos por la tisis y supuestamente Blasco los tenía por allí muriendo pero prefería estar en la enfermería. “…Porque al menos tenía un camastro. Los presidiarios dormían en el suelo, sobre un montón de paja unos; otros encima del petate…” El 28 de marzo de 1897 se le conmutó la pena de prisión por la de destierro. El 31 marchará a Madrid, regresando amnistiado a Valencia, el 18 de septiembre. Le sorprende allí la gran riada del 13 de noviembre, que causa graves inundaciones en la ciudad de Valencia. Sin embargo, las peores inundaciones ocurren el 18 de noviembre, cuando el río Júcar inunda Alcira, la pequeña ciudad valenciana que Blasco eligió luego como escenario de su novela 'Entre naranjos’. “¡Al mar los campos y plantaciones de los que, abusando de la sequedad de su cauce, fueron extendiendo lentamente los límites de sus fincas, haciendo producir cosechas al lecho de las aguas que estas acaban de reconquistar! ¡Abajo los paredones, las vallas, las obras de que los ingenieros se mostraban orgullosos, como si la ciencia pudiera a la larga vencer la fuerza de los elementos! …Sigue el río su obra de destrucción, arrastrando hacía el mar todo cuanto encuentra; muebles y víveres, bestias y viviendas; y ¡oh contraste de la vida!: lo que allá arriba, en los campos, es destrucción y muerto, abajo, en la playa, es remedio de la miseria… …Son los pescadores del rio revuelto, los hijos de la miseria que, exponiendo su vida, encuentran medios de subsistencia en la misma desgracia, registrando las entrañas a la avenida para apoderarse de lo que ha robado. El saco de harina que arrebataron las aguas de algún molino de lo más alto de la provincia será mañana pan tierno y caliente en muchas barracas; el cerdo ahogado estará pronto convertido en embutidos: el vino de tos llanos de Liria calienta gratuitamente los estómagos de esos extraños pescadores del cataclismo; los maderos que cabeceaban sobre la avenida se transformarán en nuevas viviendas; y las sillas, las cómodas, los espejos, vueltos en si después de una loca carrera de tumbos y choques, no podrán explicarse cómo han pasado del estudi del labriego, perfumado por el olor acre del trigo y las frutas, al cuartucho adornado con redes, por cuyas ventanas entra el soplo salitroso y vivificante del mar. …” En 1898 Blasco consigue el apoyo de miles de lectores para defender a su maestro Emilio Zola, con motivo de su carta “J ́accuse” que tanta importancia revistió en el “affair Dreyfus”. ”Es el Caso Dreyfus, la injusta condena de un militar, de origen judío, envuelto en el deshonor de una acusación de traición fraguada a base de pruebas falsas y silencios “. No voy a entrar en quién fue el capitán Dreyfus, tratado como si fuera una víctima de la peste, recluido en la inhóspita Isla del Diablo. El tuvo dos juicios en 1898 y 1899, en ambos fue declarado culpable pero en 1906 su inocencia fue reconocida oficialmente por la Corte de Casación a través de una sentencia que anuló el juicio de 1899. Rehabilitado, el capitán Dreyfus fue reintegrado al Ejército con el rango de comandante; luego participará en la Primera Guerra Mundial. De lo que sí hablaré es de la pertenencia a la masonería de Emilio Zola como reconocen innumerables paginas masónicas en todo el mundo ademas de haber sido nombrado Oficial de la Orden Nacional de la Legión de Honor como nuestro escritor protagonista. Una de las principales logias de España, instalada en Madrid, fue La Logia Ibérica. Logia que tenía tantos hermanos masones que se pusieron el nombre simbólico de Zola que se conoció como Emile Zola, logia Ibérica no 7 aunque oficialmente no se reconoce este nombre como podemos leer en el articulo “La Logia Ibérica. La logia durante el siglo XIX”: “Fue fundada con el nombre de Luz de Mantua el 10 de febrero de 1870 (era vulgar). Ingresó en el Gran Oriente de España, el 12 de enero de 1881, bajo cuya obediencia trabajo hasta que en el año 1889 fue extinguido dicho Gran Oriente como Potencia regular para la constitución del Grande Oriente Español. El 7 de julio de 1889 se afilió e instaló en la Federación del Grande Oriente Español, con el número 7 entre los Talleres activos de la Columna Federal. El 14 de diciembre de 1889 se fusionó con la Respetable Logia Hijos del Progreso, número 53, y adoptó el nombre de “Ibérica”. El 1 de enero de 1909 se incorporó a ella la logia El Progreso número 88.” En otros países como Argentina se fundaron logias con el nombre conjunto de defensor y defendido como podemos leer en este trabajo histórico sobre La logia Zola Dreyfuss de Punta Alta: “…respecto al porqué de la elección del nombre de la nueva logia no hallamos hasta el momento documentación que nos brinde la respuesta, pero si analizamos el contexto histórico, podemos esbozar alguna. En este sentido desde fines del siglo XIX y las primeras décadas del XX, surgió en Europa una creencia a la que se denominó el mito de la conspiración judía mundial" Sus partidarios aseguraban que existía un gobierno secreto israelita que mediante organizaciones encubiertas, controlaba los partidos políticos y gobiernos, la prensa y la opinión pública, los bancos y la economía, cuyo único objetivo era lograr dominar el mundo entero.” Resulta cuando menos curioso que desde una organización discreta se nos hable de conspiraciones en la sombra. Tampoco vamos a hablar en profundidad sobre una “conspiración judía mundial” pero solo hay que ver quienes son los principales propietarios de la banca, los medios de comunicación, Hollywood, la industria del porno, etc. Se comenta por ejemplo que la logia B’nai B’rith (Hijos del Pacto) es la que coordina a nivel mundial el resto de logias y organizaciones masónicas y paramasónicas como los rotarios, recomendaría que revisaran las personas que han sido premiadas por esta logia. El investigador Jüri Lina en “Arquitectos del engaño” pág 162, nos dice: “Los Archivos Especiales de Moscú contienen documentos que muestran a B’nai B’rith (Hijos del Pacto) como superior a todas las demás ramas de la masonería, de hecho constituye una especie de masonería dentro de la masonería. Las 1.090 logias de B’nai B’rith no tienen nombres, sólo números. El Presidente de B’nai B’rith Internacional es Richard D. Heideman. B’nai B’rith la fundaron con el nombre de Bundesbriider doce masones judíos alemanes el 13 de octubre de 1.843 en el Café Saint Germain de Nueva York. En la orden sólo se admiten judíos y medio judíos. La logia estadounidense B’nai B’rith trabaja muy estrechamente con los Illuminati. B’nai B’rith está representada en la ONU por su Fundación («Lexikon des Judentums»). El 12 de septiembre de 1.874 se firmó un convenio en Charleston entre B’nai B’rith y el Consejo Supremo del Rito Escocés, sobre su extensa cooperación y la formación de una confederación general de logias israelíes. Firmaron este documento Armand Levi y Albert Pike, alias Limud Enhoff, su nombre masónico, gran maestro del Palladium.” ¿Se acuerdan de Leo Taxil y como se había inventado una orden masónica satánica llamada Palladium? Sobre estas y otras cuestiones pueden leer en mi artículo titulado “EL OCTÁGONO SATÁNICO Y LAS MASÓNICAS ELECCIONES FRANCESAS” donde queda negro sobre blanco la relación del presidente Macron con la banca judía Rothschild y la masonería. Por cierto, todo un caballero de Colón, el señor Domenico Margiotta escribió en 1895 un libro titulado “El Paladismo. Culto de Satán-Lucifer dentro de las logias masónicas”. Libro que por desgracia no está traducido al castellano pero que nos habla claramente del ocultismo que se respira dentro de las logias. En la madrugada del 15 al 16 de febrero de 1898 se produce la voladura del Maine en La Habana. El 25 de abril Estados Unidos declara la guerra a España. El hundimiento de aquel barco es reconocido hoy día como uno de los primeros casos de bandera falsa creados por los Estados Unidos. En junio El Pueblo es denunciado. Primer suplicatorio al Congreso para procesar a Blasco. El 27 de octubre es detenido e ingresa en la cárcel por escribir un manifiesto para exigir que la fábrica de gas suministre gas gratis a la ciudad de Valencia, siendo puesto en libertad el 31 de octubre. Ha pasado 5 días en la cárcel. Francisco Pérez Puche nos cuenta porque entro en la cárcel en su articulo “El año más intenso. El 98 de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez”: “La visita de Blasco a la prisión se debía a un artículo sobre el conflicto del gas, contra los excesos del tristemente famoso monsieur Touchet, el administrador de la fábrica de los herederos del marqués de Campo. El hombre había subido las tarifas del combustible y además no quería cumplir el compromiso de suministrar gratuitamente el fluido para el alumbrado público suscrito años atrás por el patricio valenciano con su ciudad. “ Es lo que tienen las empresas privadas que quieren recoger beneficios. Concretamente la ciudad de Valencia es conocida entre las empresas suministradoras de electricidad como una mal pagadora y por ello van cambiando de compañía cada pocos años. Esto produce denuncias de estas compañías que terminan ante el Tribunal Superior de Justicia (TSJ) de la Comunitat Valenciana y normalmente no se pagan o terminan en un acuerdo ya que dichas compañías también le deben dinero a la Hacienda pública y ya saben aquello de “perro no come perro”. 1898 fue un año intenso para España: “…el estado de guerra y otras restricciones a los derechos constitucionales, el mismo día de julio de 1898 en que se supo que la flota del almirante Cervera había sido destruida en la embocadura de la bahía de Santiago de Cuba…” El Gobierno del masón Sagasta decidió enviar una escuadra al Caribe y como almirante jefe escogió a Pascual Cervera, otro hermano masón, el cual lo único que hizo fui hundir nuestra flota sacando los barcos de día y en fila de a uno para deleite de la escuadra americana que solo tuvo que practicar “tiro al pato”. Con su negligente actuación causó el hundimiento de 4 cruceros y 2 contratorpederos y la muerte de casi 350 marineros. El bando yanki solo tuvo un muerto. No confundirlo con el comandante también destinado en Cuba Julio Cervera Baviera, también masón. El propio ministro de la guerra Segismundo Bermejo y Merelo o el ministro de estado Segismundo Moret y Prendergast eran asimismo masones. Ni que decir del submarino inventado por Isaac Peral y que la armada se negó a desarrollar, es más, el propio gobierno de España filtró los planos del submarino en el BOE de la época facilitando así a todas las otras naciones el desarrollo de sus propios submarinos. Lo de Cuba acabó en una venta encubierta de los restos de nuestro imperio a Estados Unidos. Tanto es así que Estados Unidos indemnizó a España; léase el Tratado de París de 1898. Volviendo a nuestro hilo conductor Pérez Puche nos habla del Vicente Blasco Ibáñez preso: “A las diez en punto de la noche del lunes, 31 de octubre de 1898, se abrió el portón de la cárcel de San Gregorio, en la calle de San Vicente, y sonaron los primeros aplausos. Un grupo de periodistas y no pocos militantes, junto con el abogado republicano Vicente Dualde esperaba la salida de la prisión del diputado Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. Abrazos, palmadas en la espalda, sonoros saludos. El director de la penitenciaria, José Manuel Maldonado. despidió con mucho afecto al más famoso de sus presos, a quien había tenido el honor de custodiar durante cinco días, desde que el juzgado militar se lo encomendara el jueves anterior. La cárcel de San Gregorio no era precisamente el Hotel de Roma, pero algunos presos notables, como el diputado, escritor y periodista Vicente Blasco Ibáñez lograban ver bastante atenuados sus rigores.” “…el diputado Blasco pudo gozar de una inmunidad parlamentaria que su abogado, el incansable Dualde, no iba a tardar en refrendar. Leer la prensa, tener libros y recado de escribir, recibir cada mañana un buen desayuno y disponer de despacho eran algunos de los gajes del prisionero, gracias a sus correligionarios y al generoso trato del director del correccional.” En el artículo “Blasco Ibáñez, como nunca”, leemos: “El director de la prisión tuvo la deferencia de tenerlo en la enfermería. Y es más, Blasco Ibáñez. Un gran aficionado a la música, era un «admirador apasionado de Wagner». En aquel momento, el tenor Francisco Viñas interpretaba su ópera favorita 'Lohengrin'. El escritor valenciano, desde su celda, pudo escuchar por teléfono la interpretación del cantante al que apodaba el Caballero del Cisne. «El director de la Compañía de Teléfonos, el señor Perucho, había instalado un aparato telefónico que conectaba la celda que ocupaba Blasco Ibáñez con un escenario donde los tramoyistas sostenían varios auriculares y un empleado de la telefónica se encargaba de nadie pudiera cortar la comunicación», escribe la autora.” Blasco sumaba ya la friolera de 470 días en “la cárcel” entrecomillas. Nada más salir de la cárcel podemos leer: “Le habían aclamado en la calle, incluso con bandas de música; cuándo salió de la prisión y al ser elegido diputado por la ciudad de Valencia y su distrito, con más de seis mil votos, en marzo de 1898. Tenía entonces 31 años; “ Junto a su gran rival en la prensa, Teodoro Llorente Olivares, el director de «Las Provincias», fue invitado el 21 de enero de 1899 por el alcalde en funciones de Valencia Miguel Sales a tomar una decisión histórica, determinar donde se construiría la estación del Norte. Aquel año loco, Valencia tuvo otros dos alcaldes, Pascual Guzmán Pajarón y Juan Lorda Morera. Curiosamente la compañía de trenes que operaría dicha estación, la Compañía del Norte, había heredado las líneas de la antigua AVT del fallecido marqués de Campo cuyos herederos habían logrado meter en la cárcel a Blasco por el caso Touchet unos años antes. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez cedió el periódico El Pueblo a sus trabajadores en el año 1905. Esta decisión fue una de las muchas que supuestamente reflejaban sus ideas progresistas y su compromiso con el movimiento obrero y republicano en España. Pero “el caballero audaz” nos lo muestra de otra manera: “Los infelices obreros soportaron la pesada carga, sin documento alguno que justificara su propiedad; trabajaron gratis y a medio sueldo varios meses, y cuando El Pueblo tuvo la vida asegurada y rendía ganancias, se apoderó Blasco de nuevo del periódico y arrojó de su casa a los cajistas, motivando su proceder una huelga de tipógrafos, que fracasó porque el director se trajo personal de Barcelona y Madrid. Consiguió en unas elecciones, apoyado por los conservadores silvelistas de Llorente, ser diputado a Cortes, y en las municipales obtuvo mayoría de concejales, cada uno de los cuales, al ser proclamado candidato, entregaba a Blasco una cuota de dos mil a cinco mil pesetas, según la importancia del puesto que después quería desempeñar en el Ayuntamiento, exigiéndoles como condición a los elegidos que le entregasen la dimisión en blanco.” Tres años antes había inaugurado el espectacular chalet de la Malvarrosa, del cual nos sigue contando Carretero Novillo: “En cuanto tuvo mayoría en el Ayuntamiento, comenzó a construirse un magnífico chalet en la Malvarrosa, con materiales y obreros que pagaba Valencia; pues todo era de la Corporación municipal, con cargo a las obras del Nuevo Matadero, que entonces comenzó a construirse. Para pagar los jornales de estos obreros, el Ayuntamiento le entregaba, diariamente, diez volantes, de los llamados «de carro, equivalente, cada uno de ellos, a diez pesetas, más un número bastante crecido de los llamados de peón». Persuadido de su influencia sobre la masa popular, promovió numerosos mitines y algaradas, tomando como pretexto la cuestión religiosa en sus diferentes manifestaciones, pues que esto era lo que halagaba las masas en aquel tiempo, que costaron muchas vidas, que el Blasco capitaneaba hasta el momento en que aparecía la Guardia civil, pues hombre teórico, y no de acción, abandonaba a los suyos en aquel instante. El negocio más fabuloso que realizó en Valencia Blasco Ibáñez, fué el obligar a sus concejales que arrendasen los Consumos a determinada entidad, lo cual le valió, en cuanto se adjudicó, un millón de pesetas, y después, cada año, la Compañía Arrendataria-Salmón y Compañía le entregaba quinientas mil pesetas. Tengo ante mí una carta de Blasco que pone de manifiesto el negocio. Hay un membrete que dice: El Diputado a Cortes por Valencia». Querido amigo: Lo del arriendo de los Consumos está ya arreglado. He escrito a Manolo y Pepe Trocher sobre esto. La Arrendataria me ha prometido, además de lo que tú sabes, que designaremos nosotros el personal, y tengo la seguridad de dos grandes empleos para Gastaldo y Cañizares y para otros más. En fin, que esto... nos dará inmensa fuerza. Manolo, a quien escribo, se avistará contigo para que el periódico, y la mayoría de concejales, marchéis de acuerdo. Que el periódico no cometa ninguna imprudencia; que no ataque con saña lo del arriendo. Vigilad a Manent para que no cometa ninguna imbecilidad. Encárgale a Ávalos que no meta la pata en este asunto. Seremos los amos de Valencia; pienso (fijate bien) dejar arreglado nuestro asunto, antes de partir con Luis Canalejas. Procuraré aprovechar la ocasión ya que esta gente está contenta (el Gobierno) y esto más nos encontramos. En tu discreción confío. Rompe esta carta, que tú eres descuidado. Un abrazo de tu fraternal amigo. Vicente.» No es posible negar que el destinatario de esta carta-y lo prueba el que la epístola haya llegado hasta mí-; era, efectivamente, un hombre «descuidado». Como prueba, también, que ya, entonces, nuestro héroe era «de cuidado»... Fué, en aquella época, cuando Blasco, por el precio de una máquina rotativa vieja, vendió a Rodrigo Soriano un acta de diputado a Cortes por Valencia. El impetuoso Soriano no pudo aguantar mucho tiempo las rapiñas de Blasco. Riñeron y vino aquella campaña furiosa, a la que ya me he referido, y en la que ambos se dirigieron crueles insultos.” Nótese lo de fraternal en la despedida de la carta, ya saben, entre masones anda el juego. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Enlaces citados en el podcast: Bibliografia completa https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/vicente_blasco_ibanez/su_obra_bibliografia/ Cronología de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/vicente_blasco_ibanez/autor_cronologia/#anyo_1900 Cronologia literaria Blasco Ibáñez https://anyblascoibanez.gva.es/va/cronologia-literaria Time line de su vida https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/vicente-blasco-ibanez-5ac50faf-ff35-40dd-be42-708435362932 Galeria de imágenes https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cervantesvirtual.com%2Fimages%2Fportales%2Fvicente_blasco_ibanez%2Fgraf%2Fcronologia%2F03_cro_blasco_ibanez_retrato_1018_s.jpg&tbnid=s0ix0VfxLAJ4aM&vet=12ahUKEwi45LKn8vr-AhVYmycCHf1fDVMQMygkegUIARDGAQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cervantesvirtual.com%2Fportales%2Fvicente_blasco_ibanez%2Fautor_cronologia%2F&docid=rpcl3y5OiYotjM&w=301&h=450&q=Mar%C3%ADa%20Blasco%20blasco%20iba%C3%B1ez&hl=es&client=firefox-b-d&ved=2ahUKEwi45LKn8vr-AhVYmycCHf1fDVMQMygkegUIARDGAQ Capítulo 7 Vicente Blasco Ibáñez : ese diedro de luces y de sombras https://bivaldi.gva.es/es/consulta/registro.cmd?id=318 https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/vicente-blasco-ibanez--ese-diedro-de-luces-y-de-sombras/ BOE 1 Octubre 1970 https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1970/10/01/pdfs/A16218-16218.pdf Libros de BUP 1era etapa democrática https://datos.bne.es/persona/XX1150186.html https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=222347 https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=159914 Las novelas históricas olvidadas de Blasco Ibáñez https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/descargaPdf/las-novelas-historicas-olvidadas-de-blasco-ibanez/ La hija de la Luna - Aleister Crowley https://www.abretelibro.com/foro/viewtopic.php?t=124204 COMO LOS ILLUMINATI LOGRARON CREAR UN INDETECTABLE Y ESCLAVO CONTROL MENTAL TOTAL https://www.academia.edu/44186118/COMO_LOS_ILLUMINATI_LOGRARON_CREAR_UN_INDETECTABLE_Y_ESCLAVO_CONTROL_MENTAL_TOTAL El año más intenso. El 98 de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez / Francisco Pérez Puche https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/el-ano-mas-intenso-el-98-de-vicente-blasco-ibanez-/ Cuento de Sancha la serpiente https://ciudadseva.com/texto/sancha/ ¿Qué simbolizan las fasces romanas y la espada del actual escudo de la Guardia Civil? https://confilegal.com/20180828-que-simbolizan-las-fasces-romana-y-la-espada-del-actual-escudo-de-la-guardia-civil/ Blasco Ibáñez, como nunca https://www.lasprovincias.es/culturas/201701/28/blasco-ibanez-como-nunca-20170128184131.html NORTE (6). EL LARGO PARTO DE UNA ESTACIÓN https://fppuche.wordpress.com/2017/07/01/norte-6-el-largo-parto-de-una-estacion/ Confesiones, 1911- Parte II http://elargonautavalenciano.blogspot.com/search/label/A%C3%B1o%201911 Carta de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez a Gaspar Blasco (su padre). Sabadell, 21 de abril de 1894 [Transcripción] https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/carta-de-vicente-blasco-ibanez-a-gaspar-blasco-su-padre-sabadell-21-de-abril-de-1894-785513/ https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/carta-de-vicente-blasco-ibanez-a-gaspar-blasco-su-padre-sabadell-21-de-abril-de-1894-785513/html/833941e6-0d48-4978-9d06-22867260119e_2.html#I_0_ La carta en imagen https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/carta-de-vicente-blasco-ibanez-a-d-ramon-su-padre-sabadell-21-de-abril-de-1894-785511/html/42bf125d-3fd1-4814-bce5-7370c83b723b_6.html La riada del 1897 http://elargonautavalenciano.blogspot.com/search/label/A%C3%B1o%201897 Caso Dreyfus https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caso_Dreyfus Émile Zola https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola Pertenencia a la masonería de Emilio Zola https://www.logiaariadna.org/copia-de-historia-de-la-glse La Logia Ibérica. La logia durante el siglo XIX https://elobrero.es/historalia/69134-la-logia-iberica-la-logia-durante-el-siglo-xix.html EL GAS LEBÓN https://valenciablancoynegro.blogspot.com/2014/03/el-gas-lebon.html Trencadís 03/pág 26 Touchet y la fabrica de gas https://revistatrencadis.org/trencadis-03/ La logia Zola Dreyfuss de Punta Alta https://issuu.com/archivohistorico/docs/revista_el_archivo_32 La logia Jovellanos (1912-1939) Memoria e historia borradas por el franquismo/Yván Pozuelo Andrés https://www.palabradeclio.com.mx/src_pdf/La_1563335040.pdf Hijos del pacto y la masonería https://twitter.com/tecn_preocupado/status/1071032054500986880 https://twitter.com/tecn_preocupado/status/1059749998835970049 Hilo la historia se repite masonería y judaísmo independencia cataluña https://twitter.com/disfrazad0/status/913515494468210688 El papel de la masonería en las revoluciones rusas de 1917 https://twitter.com/Jadouken10/status/927674418926637056 Configuración de la Matrix . El Triángulo de Poder I https://twitter.com/anti_jesuita/status/937121964862398469 Configuración de la Matrix . El Triángulo de Poder II https://twitter.com/anti_jesuita/status/937241922535657472 Configuración de la Matrix . El Triángulo de Poder III Ejercicio práctico. – Lluís Companys. https://twitter.com/anti_jesuita/status/937317728058335233 Revolución masónica Francesa https://twitter.com/jfrsanchez/status/1066307092129169408 EL OCTÁGONO SATÁNICO Y LAS MASÓNICAS ELECCIONES FRANCESAS https://tecnicopreocupado.com/2017/05/11/el-octagono-satanico-y-las-masonicas-elecciones-francesas/ EL HUNDIMIENTO DEL MAINE, UN CASO DE BANDERA FALSA https://navegandoenelrecuerdo.blogspot.com/2014/06/el-hundimiento-del-maine-un-caso-de.html ¿Falsa bandera en el 'Maine'? La explosión que precipitó el fin del imperio español https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2020-10-11/dia-de-la-hispanidad-imperio-espanol-cuba_2783115/ El submarino de Isaac Peral: la historia de una infamia que dejó a España sin colonias https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20180504/submarino-isaac-peral-historia-espana-sin-colonias/304720506_0.html Almirante Cervera, historia de una traición https://www.burbuja.info/inmobiliaria/threads/almirante-cervera-historia-de-una-traicion.1732598/ IMPRESCINDIBLE: LA GRAN MENTIRA del 98. 30 DATOS que EVIDENCIAN que fue UNA TRAICIÓN ORQUESTADA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cqU-UFkGLI 1898, el submarino Peral y la alta traición a España por Cesáreo Jarabo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYjYnnOoxcs Historia de la masoneria. SEGISMUNDO MORET Y PRENDERGAST https://www.uned.es/universidad/inicio/unidad/museo-virtual-historia-masoneria/sala-v-historia-de-la-masoneria-en-espana/segismundo-moet-y-prendergast.html Julio Cervera Baviera https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Cervera_Baviera Julio Cervera y Baviera, Masones filatelizados https://fesofi.es/noticias/julio-cervera-y-baviera-personajes-masones-filatelizados/ Un fallo favorable a Iberdrola obliga a cambiar la 'problemática' tasa de suministros de València https://valenciaplaza.com/un-fallo-favorable-a-iberdrola-obliga-a-a-cambiar-la-problematica-tasa-de-suministros-de-valencia NORTE (6). EL LARGO PARTO DE UNA ESTACIÓN CAPÍTULO 4. (1898-1905) Un tiempo malo para España https://fppuche.wordpress.com/2017/07/01/norte-6-el-largo-parto-de-una-estacion/ José María Carretero Novillo https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Carretero_Novillo EL NOVELISTA QUE VENDIO A SU PATRIA O TARTARIN, REVOLUCIONARIO. (TRISTE HISTORIA DE ACTUALIDAD) https://www.iberlibro.com/NOVELISTA-VENDIO-PATRIA-TARTARIN-REVOLUCIONARIO-TRISTE/972584489/bd Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica. Fotografia masónica https://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas20/catalogo/find?idAut=100189&archivo=1&tipoAsocAut=1&nomAut=Fotograf%C3%ADa+mas%C3%B3nica Obra “El Juez” de Blasco Ibáñez https://bdh-rd.bne.es/viewer.vm?id=0000112901&page=1

Es gibt Träume, die sich erst nach vielen, vielen Jahren realisieren lassen. Dieser zum Beispiel: eine Reise mit dem Hausboot auf dem Po, Italiens längstem Fluss. Zu mittelalterlichen Städten wie Ferrara und Mantua, zu Städten, die einmal groß und so bedeutend wie Staaten waren und heute Weltkulturerbe. Ins Delta des Po mit seine vielen Inseln und in die Lagune von Venedig. Eine Reise nicht allein, sondern mit der Familie, dolce vita inklusive. Was als Erfüllung eines lang gehegten Traums begann, wurde zum Abenteuer. Mit Slalomfahrten zwischen Sandbänken und einer sturmdurchtosten Nacht. Und gerade deswegen: unvergesslich.

We know that having pain makes it difficult to do anything? Sleep, social events, and just general enjoyment in life becomes harder. Today we talk to Dr. Caitlin Goggin, PT, DPT a physical therapist at Advanced Rehabilitation in Mantua, OH. She gives so much information, but be prepared because we took advantage of her expertise and asked her a lot of questions. You can find her at:Facebook https://www.facebook.com/advrehabhealthspec Instagram @advrehabhealthspec Tik Tok @advanced.rehab.he

Grumio reaches Petruchio's house ahead of the newlyweds and prepares the servants for their arrival. But nothing could brace them against Petruchio's abuse. He rejects the meals they've made and treats them so poorly that Kate implores him to be more patient. Petruchio insists they go straight to bed, where he lectures her on the virtues of abstinence. Meanwhile, as Tranio keeps up his Lucentio impersonation, Hortensio drops his “Litio '' persona and laments Bianca's affection for Cambio (the real Lucentio). Together, they renounce Bianca and Hortensio declares that he'll seek the affections of a wealthy widow. Free of Hortensio, Tranio celebrates with Bianca and Lucentio until Biondello arrives with the news that he's found a drunk Pedant who will be the perfect person to impersonate Luentio's father, Vincenzio. Tranio and Lucentio work up a plan to fool the Pedant into believing he's in danger in Padua because he's from Mantua but that he'll be safe if he pretends to be Lucentio's father. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “THE TAMING OF THE SHREW”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by AMY FREED. All episodes were directed by ART MANKE. Radio play by AMY FREED and LEANNA KEYES.   The cast is as follows:   SUSANNAH ROGERS       as    KATHERINA     ALLEN GILMORE          as    PETRUCHIO     ANNIE ABRAMS            as    BIANCA                MIKE McSHANE           as    BAPTISTA TOM PATTERSON          as    LUCENTIO KYLE T. HESTER           as    TRANIO                DANNY SCHEIE            as    GREMIO and CURTIS J. PAUL BOEHMER        as    HORTENSIO and PEDANT       ROB NAGLE                 as    GRUMIO and VINCENTIO KASEY MAHAFFY            as    BIONDELLO and TAILOR TESSA AUBERJONOIS      as    WIDOW and HABERDASHER   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA. Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH Original music composition, Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Sound engineering by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND.   The Play On Podcast Series “THE TAMING OF THE SHREW” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium on Apollo Plus for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to playonpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “A woman may be made a fool if she has not the spirit to resist”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boat and Bike from Venice to Mantua 8 Day Cycling Adventure What a fantastic way to explore Venice and the Italian countryside : by bike AND boat!   On today's show, we learn about a super fun and affordable way to explore one of Europe's most popular countries, but since we are traveling different that the other tourists, we are usually away from the crowds! Our guests went with my affiliate BoatBikeTours.com, a terrific company which offers exciting boat and bike tours across Europe.  Email me to get an exclusive BoatBikeTours.com promo code to save 50 euro on any of their fabulous tours! On a boat and bike trip, you only need to unpack once as you sail from port to port, staying in your cozy private room with bath.   At each stop, you get to cycle about to explore the people, landscapes, culture, history and daily life.  E-bikes are available at booking, but on this route, it is fairly flat and rated 2 out of 5. While you know about delightful Venice, you may not have heard of the Po river basin and Mantua, which is one of Europe's most important wetlands and an important stop on the migratory path to and from Africa.  So you'll get the chance to see lots of wildlife, including the year 'round flamingos. Another fun stop is at a parmesan cheese factory, and many more. Learm all about this fun Italian cycling vacation on today's show and at the website.  Get complete SHOW NOTES HERE.  See important links for planning your adventure, photos, videos and more cool info about today's show. Get FREE Travel Planners for ATA adventures (and each month you will get an email from Kit with links to all future Travel Planners (no spam promise!).  Get the monthly newsletter here. CONTACT KIT Resources  Promo Codes and Recommended Tour Companies Travel Insurance:  Quickly and easily compare rates and policies from different companies - no need to give any identifying information unless you decide to buy!  The best way to find the right policy for your adventures.  Train For Your Adventure  Ask Becki at Trailblazer Wellness to customize an at home, online personal training program for your upcoming adventure using whatever equipment you already have!  You'll get phone consultations, instruction videos and a plan to give you the best chance of success.  Becki offers a FREE initial phone consultation to see if you are a good fit.  AND she offers ATA listeners a 10% discount! Buy Me a Beer Want to support the program?  You can always buy me a coffee or beer - thanks! Amazon Kit's Picks   Please use my Amazon link to access your Amazon account.  Even if you don't purchase any of my recommendations, I get credit for anything you DO purchase - at no additional cost to you, you'll be helping to support the show and keeping it AD FREE:) SUBSCRIBE to the Adventure Travel Show (the “How to's of adventure travel) SUBSCRIBE to Active Travel Adventures (fantastic adventure destinations) Join the Active Travel Adventures Facebook Group Follow ATA on Twitter Follow ATA on Instagram Follow ATA on Pinterest (C) Active Travel Adventures, LLC - All Rights Reserved  

Having met Francesco II Gonzaga, at the battle of Fornovo, we take some time to go back and have a look at the beautiful city of Mantua from its legendary origins, surrounded by lakes created by the tears of a prophetess, through the period of our heroine, Matilda of Tuscany, countess of Canossa, to see the arrival and rise of the Corradi of Gonzaga. They would take over control of the city of Mantua and set up a county, and then a Marquisate that would put them in third place as the longest lasting dynasty in Italy On the way, they will have to battle with the greedy Visconti of Milan, and have arguments with famous painter Andrea Mantegna who refused to make the ugly Gonzaga good looking and had issues with apples.We will also answer the question of what happened to King Charles the eighth of Franc's porn collection.

Giulia is an orphan who has been cloistered since she was a baby. In 1584, the powerful Medici family demands a test of virility from the Grand Duke of Mantua before his marriage to Eleanora de Medici. Giulia, who knows nothing about the world of men, is offered a dowry and husband in exchange for one night with the prince. She doesn't know what that night entails, or that the lecherous minister who arranges it will never set her completely free. The Maiden of Florence (Fairlight Books, 2024) is based on a true story. Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish author currently living in Carrara, northern Tuscany. She holds a BA in History of Art from UEA, an MLitt in English Literature from Durham and a master's in creative writing from Canterbury Christ Church University. Her debut novel (writing as Katie Hutton), The Gypsy Bride, made the last fifteen in the Historical Novel Society's 2018 new novel competition. Her short fiction has been short- and longlisted in numerous competitions, and she has been awarded residencies at Cill Rialaig Artists village by the Irish Writers Centre in 2019 and at Hald Hovedgaard by the Danish Centre for Writers and Translators in 2022. When she is not writing, Katherine volunteers with a second-hand book charity of which she is a founding member. She also sews dresses and is learning Irish and German. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Giovanni Battista Rogeri has often been confused with other makers such as the Rugeri family, because of his name, and Giovanni Paolo Maggini, because of his working style. Trained in the famous workshop of Nicolo Amati in Cremona, Rogeri set out to make a name for himself in Brescia creating a Cremonese Brescian fusion. Learn all about this often mistaken maker in this first episode on the life of Giovanni Battista Rogeri.   This is the story of Giovanni Battista Rogeri the Cremonese trained violin maker who made it big in Brescia and has since been confused with other makers throughout history. Florian Leonhard talks about the influences Rogeri pulled on and exactly why his instruments have for so long been attributed to Giovanni Paolo Maggini.   Transcript    Far, far away in a place called Silene, in what is now modern day Libya, there was a town that was plagued by an evil venom spewing dragon, who skulked in the nearby lake, wreaking havoc on the local population. To prevent this dragon from inflicting its wrath upon the people of Silene, the leaders of the town offered the beast two sheep every day in an attempt to ward off its reptilian mood swings. But when this was not enough, they started feeding the scaly creature a sheep and a man. Finally, they would offer the children and the youths of the town to the insatiable beast, the unlucky victims being chosen by lottery.  As you can imagine, this was not a long term sustainable option. But then, one day, the dreaded lot fell to the king's daughter. The king was devastated and offered all his gold and silver, if only they would spare his beloved daughter.  The people refused, and so the next morning at dawn, the princess approached the dragon's lair by the lake, dressed as a bride to be sacrificed to the hungry animal.  It just so happened that a knight who went by the name of St George was passing by at that very moment and happened upon the lovely princess out for a morning stroll. Or so he thought. But when it was explained to him by the girl that she was in fact about to become someone else's breakfast and could he please move on and mind his own business he was outraged on her behalf and refused to leave her side.  Either she was slightly unhinged and shouldn't be swanning about lakes so early in the morning all by herself, or at least with only a sheep for protection, or she was in grave danger and definitely needed saving. No sooner had Saint George and the princess had this conversation than they were interrupted by a terrifying roar as the dragon burst forth from the water, heading straight towards the girl. Being the nimble little thing she was, the princess dodged the sharp claws.  As she was zigzagging away from danger, George stopped to make the sign of the cross and charged the gigantic lizard, thrusting Ascalon, that was the name of his sword, yep he named it, into the four legged menace and severely wounded the beast. George called to the princess to throw him her girdle, That's a belt type thing, and put it around the dragon's neck. From then on, wherever the young lady walked, the dragon followed like a meek beast.  Back to the city of Silene went George, the princess, and the dragon, where the animal proceeded to terrify the people. George offered to kill the dragon if they consented to becoming Christian. George is sounding a little bit pushy, I know. But the people readily agreed and 15, 000 men were baptized, including the king. St. George killed the dragon, slicing off its head with his trusty sword, Ascalon, and it was carried out of the city on four ox carts. The king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. George on the site where the dragon was slain and a spring flowed from its altar with water that it is said would cure all diseases.  This is the story of Saint George and the Princess. It is a classic story of good versus evil, and of disease healing miracles that would have spoken to the inhabitants of 17th century Brescia. The scene depicting Saint George and the Princess is painted in stunning artwork by Antonio Cicognata and was mounted on the wall of the Church of San Giorgio.  Giovanni Battista Rogeri gazed up at this painting as family and friends, mainly of his bride Laura Testini, crowded into the church of San Giorgio for his wedding. Giovanni was 22 and his soon to be wife, 21, as they spoke their vows in the new city he called home. He hoped to make his career in this town making instruments for the art loving Brescians, evidence of which could be seen in the wonderful artworks in such places as this small church. Rogeri would live for the next 20 years in the parish of San Giorgio. The very same George astride an impressive white stallion in shining armour, his head surrounded by a golden halo. He is spearing the dragon whilst the princess calmly watches on clad in jewels with long red flowing robes in the latest fashion. In the background is the city of Brescia itself, reminding the viewer to remember that here in their city they too must fight evil and pray for healing from disease ever present in the lives of the 17th century Brescians. Hello and welcome to the Violin Chronicles, a podcast in which I, Linda Lespets, will attempt to bring to life the story surrounding famous, infamous, or just not very well known, but interesting violin makers of history.  I'm a violin maker and restorer. I graduated from the French Violin Making School some years ago now, and I currently live and work in Sydney with my husband Antoine, who is also a violin maker and graduate of the French school, l'Ecole Nationale de Luthierie in Mircourt. As well as being a luthier, I've always been intrigued with the history of instruments I work with, and in particular, the lives of those who made them. So often when we look back at history, I know that I have a tendency to look at just one aspect, but here my aim is to join up the puzzle pieces and have a look at an altogether fascinating picture. So join me as I wade through tales not only of fame, famine, and war, but also of love. Artistic genius. Revolutionary craftsmanship, determination, cunning and bravery, that all have their part to play in the history of the violin.  Welcome to this first episode on the life of Giovanni Battista Rogeri. After having spent the last few episodes looking at the life of the Ruggeri family, we will now dive into the life of that guy who almost has the same name, but whose work and contribution to violin making, you will see, is very different. And we will also look at just why, for so many years, his work has been attributed erroneously to another Brescian maker. The year was 1642, and over the Atlantic, New York was called New Amsterdam. The Dutch and the English were having scuffles over who got what. Was it New England? New Netherlands? In England, things were definitely heating up, and in 1642, a civil war was in the process of breaking out. On one side there were the parliamentarians, including Oliver Cromwell, and on the other side were the Royalists, who were the supporters of King Charles I. This war would rage on for the next 20 years, and not that anyone in England at this time really cared, but the same year that this war broke out, a baby called Giovanni Battista Rogeri was born in Bologna, perhaps, and for the next 20 years he grew up in this city ruled by the Popes of Italy. He too would witness firsthand wars that swept through his hometown. He would avoid dying of the dreaded plague, sidestep any suspicion by the Catholic church in this enthusiastic time of counter reformation by being decidedly non Protestant. And from an early age, he would have been bathed in the works of the Renaissance and now entering churches being constructed in the Baroque style. Bologna was a city flourishing in the arts, music and culture, with one of the oldest universities in the country.  But for the young Giovanni Battista Rogeri, to learn the trade of lutai, or violin maker, the place he needed to be was, in fact, 155. 9 km northwest of where he was right now. And if he took the A1, well, today it's called the A1, and it's an ancient Roman road so I'm assuming it's the same one, he could walk it in a few days. Destination Cremona, and more precisely, the workshop of Niccolo Amati. An instrument maker of such renown, it is said that his grandfather, Andrea Amati, made some of the first violins and had royal orders from the French king himself.  To be the apprentice of such a man was a grand thing indeed. So we are in the mid 1600s  and people are embracing the Baroque aesthetic along with supercharged architecture and paintings full of movement, colour and expression. There is fashion, and how the wealthy clients who would buy instruments in Cremona dressed was also influenced by this movement. Emily Brayshaw. You've got these ideas of exaggeration of forms and you can exaggerate the human body with, you know, things like high heels and wigs and ribbons and laces. And you've got a little bit of gender bending happening, men wearing makeup and styles in the courts. You know, you've got dress and accessories challenging the concept of what's natural, how art can compete with that and even triumph over the natural perhaps. You've got gloves trimmed with lace as well. Again, we've got a lot of lace coming through so cravats beauty spot as well coming through. You've got the powder face, the, the wig. Yeah. The makeup, the high heels. Okay. That's now. I actually found a lovely source, an Italian tailor from Bergamo during the Baroque era. The Italians like really had incredibly little tailors and tailoring techniques. And during this sort of Baroque era. He grumbles that since the French came to Italy not to cut but to ruin cloth in order to make fashionable clothes, it's neither possible to do our work well nor are our good rules respected anymore. We have completely lost the right to practice our craft. Nowadays though who disgracefully ruin our art and practice it worse than us are considered the most valuable and fashionable tailors.  So we've got like this real sort of shift. You know, from Italian tailoring to sort of French and English tailoring as well. And they're not happy about it. No, they are not happy about it. And this idea that I was talking about before, we've got a lovely quote from an Italian fashion commentator sort of around the mid 17th century. His name's Lam Pugnani, and he mentions the two main fashions. meaning French and Spanish, the two powers that were ruling the Italian peninsula and gradually building their global colonial empires. And he says, “the two main fashions that we have just recorded when we mentioned Spanish and French fashion, enable me to notice strangeness, if not a madness residing in Italian brains, that without any reason to fall in love so greatly Or better, naturalize themselves with one of these two nations and forget that they are Italian. I often hear of ladies who come from France, where the beauty spot is in use not only for women, but also for men, especially young ones, so much so that their faces often appear with a strange fiction darkened and disturbed, not by beauty spots, but rather by big and ridiculous ones, or so it seems somebody who is not used to watching similar mode art”. So, you know, we've got people commentating and grumbling about these influences of Spain and France on Italian fashion and what it means to be Italian. When we sort of think about working people, like there's this trope in movie costuming of like peasant brown,  you know, and sort of ordinary, you know, people, perhaps ordinary workers, you know, they weren't necessarily dressed.  In brown, there are so many different shades of blue. You know, you get these really lovely palettes of like blues, and shades of blue, and yellows, and burgundies, and reds, as well as of course browns, and creams, and these sorts of palettes. So yeah, they're quite lovely. And I'm imagining even if you didn't have a lot of money, there's, I know there's a lot of flowers and roots and barks that you can, you can dye yourself. Yeah, definitely. And people did, people did. I can imagine if I was living back there and we, you know, we're like, Oh, I just, I want this blue skirt. And you'd go out and you'd get the blue skirt. The flowers you needed and yeah, definitely. And people would, or, you know, you can sort of, you know, like beetroot dyes and things like that. I mean, and it would fade, but then you can just like, you know, quickly dye it again. Yeah, or you do all sorts of things, you know, and really sort of inject colour and, people were also, you know, people were clean. To, you know, people did the best they could  keep themselves clean, keep their homes clean. You know, we were talking about boiling linens to keep things fresh and get rid of things like fleas and lice. And people also used fur a lot in fashion. And you'd often like, you know, of course you'd get the wealthy people using the high end furs, but sometimes people would, you know, use cat fur in Holland, for example, people would trim their fur. Their garments and lined their garments with cat fur.  Why not? Because, you know, that's sort of what they could afford.  It was there. Yeah, people also would wear numerous layers of clothing as well because the heating wasn't always so great. Yeah. You know, at certain times of the year as well. So the more layers you had, the better. The more, the more warm and snug you could be. As do we in Sydney. Indeed.  Indeed.  Canadians complain of the biting cold here. I know. And it's like, dude, you've got to lay about us. It's a humid cold. It's awful. It's horrible. It just goes through everything. Anyway. It's awful. Yeah. So at the age of 19, Giovanni Battista Rogeri finds himself living in the lively and somewhat crowded household of Niccolo Amati. The master is in his early 60s and Giovanni Battista Rogeri also finds himself in the workshop alongside Niccolo Amati's son Girolamo II Amati, who is about 13 or 14 at this time.  Cremona is a busy place, a city bursting with artisans and merchants. The Amati Workshop is definitely the place to be to learn the craft, but it soon becomes clear as Giovanni Battista Rogeri looks around himself in the streets that, thanks to Nicolo Amati, Cremona does indeed have many violin makers, and although he has had a good few years in the Amati Workshop, Learning and taking the young Girolamo II Amati the second under his wing more and more as his father is occupied with other matters. He feels that his best chances of making a go of it would be better if he moved on and left Cremona and her violin makers. There was Girolamo II Amati who would take over his father's business. There were the Guarneri's around the corner. There was that very ambitious Antonio Stradivari who was definitely going to make a name for himself. And then there were the Rugeri family, Francesco Rugeri and Vincenzo Rugeri whose name was so familiar to his, people were often asking if they were related.  No, it was time to move on, and he knew the place he was headed. Emily Brayshaw.  So, you've also got, like, a lot of artisans moving to Brescia as well, following the Venetian ban on foreign Fustian sold in the territory. So Fustian is, like, a blend of various things. Stiff cotton that's used in padding. So if you sort of think of, for example someone like Henry VIII, right? I can't guarantee that his shoulder pads back in the Renaissance were from Venetian Fustian, but they are sort of topped up and lined with this really stiff Fustian to give like these really big sort of, Broad shoulders. That's how stiff this is. So, Venice is banning foreign fustians, which means that Cremona can't be sold in these retail outlets. So, Ah, so, and was that sort of That's fabric, but did that mirror the economy that Brescia was doing better than Cremona at this point? Do you, do you think? Because of that? Well, people go where the work is. Yeah. Cause it's interesting because you've got Francesco Ruggeri, this family that lives in Cremona. Yeah. And then you have about 12 to 20 years later, you have another maker, Giovanni Battista Rogeri.  Yeah. He is apprenticed to Niccolo Amati. So he learns in Cremona. And then he's in this city full of violin makers, maybe, and there's this economic downturn, and so it was probably a very wise decision. He's like, look, I'm going to Brescia, and he goes to Brescia. He would have definitely been part of this movement of skilled workers and artisans to Brescia at that time, sort of what happening as well. So, you know, there's all sorts of heavy tolls on movements of goods and things like that. And essentially it collapses. And they were, and they were heavily taxed as well. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. It was the fabulous city of Brescia. He had heard stories of the city's wealth, art, music and culture, famous for its musicians and instrument makers. But the plague of 1630 had wiped out almost all the Luthiers and if ever there was a good time and place to set up his workshop, it was then and there. So bidding farewell to the young Girolamo Amati, the older Nicolò  Amati and his household, where he had been living for the past few years. The young artisan set out to make a mark in Brescia, a city waiting for a new maker, and this time with the Cremonese touch. Almost halfway between the old cathedral and the castle of Brescia, you will find the small yet lovely Romanesque church of San Giorgio. Amidst paintings and frescoes of Christ, the Virgin and the Saints, there stands a solemn yet nervous young couple, both in their early twenties. Beneath the domed ceiling of the church, the seven angels of the Apocalypse gaze down upon them, a constant reminder that life is fragile, and that plague, famine and war are ever present reminders of their mortality. But today is a happy one. The young Giovanni Battista Rogeri is marrying Laura Testini.  And so it was that Giovanni Battista Rogeri moved to Brescia into the artisanal district and finds himself with a young wife, Laura Testini. She is the daughter of a successful leather worker and the couple most probably lived with Laura's family. Her father owned a house with eight rooms and two workshops. This would have been the perfect setup for the young Giovanni to start his own workshop and get down to business making instruments for the people of Brescia. He could show off his skills acquired in Cremona, and that is just what he did. Since the death of Maggini, there had not been any major instrument making workshops in Brescia. Florian Leonhard  Here I talk to Florian Leonhard about Giovanni Battista Rogeri's move to Brescia and his style that would soon be influenced by not only his Cremonese training, but the Brescian makers such as Giovanni Paolo Maggini I mean, I would say in 1732. The Brescian violin making or violin making was dead for a bit,  so until the arrival of Giovanni Battista Rogeri, who came with a completely harmonised idea,  into town and then adopted  features of  Giovanni Paolo Maggini and Gasparo da Salo. I cannot say who, probably some Giovanni Paolo Maggini violins that would have been more in numbers available to him, have influenced his design of creating an arching. It's interesting that he instantly picked up on that arching  because Giovanni Battista Rogeri always much fuller arched. The arching rises much earlier from the purfling up. Right. So he came from the Cremonese tradition, but he adopted the, like, the Brescian arching idea. He, he came from Niccolo Amati and has learned all the finesse of construction, fine making, discipline, and also series production. He had an inside mould, and he had the linings, and he had the, all the blocks, including top and bottom block.  And he nailed in the neck, so he did a complete package of Cremonese violin making and brought that into Brescia, but blended it in certain stylistics and sometimes even in copies with the Brescian style. For a long time, we have had Before dendrochronology was established, the Giovanni Paolo Magginis were going around and they were actually Giovanni Battista Rogeris. Brescia at this time was still a centre flourishing in the arts and despite the devastation of the plague almost 30 years ago, it was an important city in Lombardy and was in the process of undergoing much urban development and expansion.  When Giovanni Rogeri arrived in the city, There were efforts to improve infrastructure, including the construction of public buildings, fortifications and roads. The rich religious life of the city was evident, and continued to be a centre of religious devotion at this time, with the construction and renovation of churches in the new Baroque style.  The elaborate and ornate designs were not only reserved for churches, but any new important building projects underway in the city at this time. If you had yourself the palace in the Mula, you were definitely renovating in the Baroque style. And part of this style would also be to have a collection of lovely instruments to lend to musicians who would come and play in your fancy new pad. Strolling down the colourful streets lined with buildings covered in painted motifs, people were also making a statement in their choice of clothing. Another thing that the very wealthy women were wearing are these shoes called Chopines, which are like two foot tall. And so you've got like this really exaggerated proportions as well. Very tall. I mean. Very tall, very wide. So taking up a lot of space. I'm trying to think of the door, the doorways that would have to accommodate you. Yes. How do you fit through the door? So a lot of the time women would have to stoop. You would need to be escorted by either servants.  And then you'd just stand around. I did find some discussions of fashion in the time as well.  Commentators saying, well, you know, what do we do in northern France? We either, in northern Italy, sorry, we either dress like the French, we dress like the Spanish, why aren't we dressing like Italians? And kind of these ideas of linking national identity through the expression of dress in fashion. So, we're having this But did you want to, was it fashionable to be to look like the French court or the, to look like the Spanish court. Well, yeah, it was, it was fashionable. And this is part of what people are commenting about as well. It's like, why are we bowing to France? Why are we bowing to Italy? Sorry. Why are we bowing to Spain? Why don't we have our own national Italian identity? And we do see like little variations in dress regionally as well. You know, people don't always. Dress exactly how the aristocracy are dressing. You'll have your own little twists, you'll have your own little trimmings, you'll have your own little ways and styles. And there are theories in dress about trickle down, you know, like people are trying to emulate the aristocracy, but they're not always. Trying to do that. Well, yeah, it's not practical if you're living, you know, if you're and you financially you can't either like some of these Outfits that we're talking about, you know with one of these hugh like the Garde in Fanta worn by Marie Theresa that outfit alone would have cost in today's money like more than a million dollars  You can't copy these styles of dress, right? So what you've got to do is, you know, make adjustments. And also like a lot of women, like you, these huge fashion spectacles worn at court. They're not practical for working women either. So we see adaptations of them. So women might have a pared down silhouette and wear like a bum roll underneath their skirts and petticoats and over the top of the stays. And that sort of gives you a little nod to these wider silhouettes, but you can still move, you can still get your work done, you can still, you know, do things like that. So that's sort of what's happening there. Okay, so now we find a young Giovanni Battista Rogeri. He has married a local girl and set up his workshop. Business will be good for this maker, and no doubt thanks to the latest musical craze to sweep the country. I'm talking about opera.  In the last episodes on Francesco Ruggeri, I spoke to Stephen Mould, the composer. at the Sydney Conservatorium about the beginnings of opera and the furore in which it swept across Europe. And if you will remember back to the episodes on Gasparo Da Salo at the beginning of the Violin Chronicles, we spoke about how Brescia was part of the Venetian state.  This is still the case now with Giovanni Battista Rogeri and this means that the close relationship with Venice is a good thing for his business.  Venice equals opera and opera means orchestras and where orchestras are you have musicians and musicians have to have an instrument really, don't they? Here is Stephen Mould explaining the thing that is opera and why it was so important to the music industry at the time and instrument makers such as our very own Giovanni Battista Rogeri. Venice as a place was a kind of Gesamtkunstwerk.  Everything was there, and it was a very, it was a very modern type of city, a trading city, and it had a huge emerging, or more than emerging, middle class. People from the middle class like entertainment of all sorts, and in Venice they were particularly interested in rather salacious entertainments, which opera absolutely became. So the great thing of this period was the rise of the castrato.  Which they, which, I mean, it was, the idea of it is perverse and it was, and they loved it. And it was to see this, this person that was neither man nor, you know, was in a way sexless on the stage singing  and, and often singing far more far more virtuosically than a lot of women, that there was this, there was this strange figure. And that was endlessly fascinating. They were the pop stars of their time. And so people would go to the opera just to hear Farinelli or whoever it was to sing really the way. So this is the rise of public opera. As opposed to the other version. Well, Orfeo, for example, took place in the court at Mantua, probably in the, in the room of a, of a palace or a castle, which wouldn't have been that big, but would have been sort of specially set up for those performances. If I can give you an idea of how. Opera might have risen as it were, or been birthed in Venice. Let's say you've got a feast day, you know, a celebratory weekend or few days. You're in the piazza outside San Marco. It's full of people and they're buying things, they're selling things, they're drinking, they're eating, they're having a good time. And all of a sudden this troupe of strolling players comes into the piazza and they start to put on a show, which is probably a kind of comedia dell'arte spoken drama. But the thing is that often those types of traveling players can also sing a bit and somebody can usually play a lute or some instrument. So they start improvising. Probably folk songs. Yeah. And including that you, so you've kind of already there got a little play happening outside with music. It's sort of like a group of buskers in Martin place. It could be very hot. I mean, I've got a picture somewhere of this. They put a kind of canvas awning with four people at either corner, holding up the canvas awning so that there was some sort of shade for the players. Yeah. That's not what you get in a kid's playground these days. You've almost got the sense. Of the space of a stage, if you then knock on the door of one of the palazzi in, in Venice and say to, to the, the local brew of the, of the aristocracy, look, I don't suppose we could borrow one of your rooms, you know, in your, in your lovely palazzo to, to put on a, a, a show.  Yeah, sure. And maybe charged, maybe didn't, you know, and, and so they, the, the very first, it was the San Cassiano, I think it was the theatre, the theatre, this, this room in a, in a palace became a theatre. People went in an impresario would often commission somebody to write the libretto, might write it himself. Commissioner, composer, and they put up some kind of a stage, public came in paid, so it's paying to come and see opera.  Look, it's, it's not so different to what had been going on in England in the Globe Theatre. And also the, the similar thing to Shakespeare's time, it was this sort of mixing up of the classes, so everything was kind of mixed together.  And that's, that's why you get different musical genres mixed together. For example, an early something like Papaya by Monteverdi, we've just done it, and from what, from what I can gather from the vocal lines, some of the comic roles were probably these street players,  who just had a limited vocal range, but  could do character roles very well, play old women, play old men, play whatever, you know, caricature type roles. Other people were Probably trained singers. Some of them were probably out of Monteverdi's chorus in San Marco, and on the, on when they weren't singing in church, they were over playing in the opera, living this kind of double life.  And That's how  opera  started to take off. Yeah, so like you were saying, there are different levels. So you had these classical Greek themes, which would be more like, you're an educated person going, yes, yes, I'm seeing this classical Greek play, but then you're someone who'd never heard of Greek music. The classics. They were there for the, you know, the lively entertainment and the sweet performers. Yes. So the, the, the Commedia dell'arte had, had all these traditional folk tales. Then you've got all of the, all of the ancient myths and, and, and so forth.  Papaya was particularly notable because it was the first opera that was a historical opera. So it wasn't based on any ancient myths or anything. It was based on the life of Nero and Papaya. And so they were real life a few hundred years before, but they were real. It was a real historical situation that was being enacted on the stage.  And it was a craze. That's the thing to remember is. You know, these days people have to get dressed up and they have to figure out how they get inside the opera house and they're not sure whether to clap or not and all of this sort of stuff and there's all these conventions surrounding it. That wasn't what it was about. It was the fact that the public were absolutely thirsty for this kind of entertainment.  Yeah. And I was seeing the first, so the first opera house was made in in about 1637, I think it was. And then by the end of Monteverdi's lifetime, they said there were 19 opera houses in Venice. It was, like you were saying, a craze that just really took off. They had a few extra ones because they kept burning down. That's why one of them, the one that, that is, still exists today is called La Fenice. It keeps burning down as well, but rising from the ashes. Oh, wow. Like the, yeah, with the lighting and stuff, I imagine it's So, yeah, because they had candles and they had, you know, Yeah, it must have been a huge fire hazard. Huge fire hazard, and all the set pieces were made out of wood or fabric and all of that. Opera houses burning down is another big theme.  Oh yeah, it's a whole thing in itself, yeah. So then you've got These opera troupes, which are maybe a little, something a little bit above these commedia dell'arte strolling players. So, you've got Italy at that time. Venice was something else. Venice wasn't really like the rest of Italy. You've got this country which is largely agrarian, and you've got this country where people are wanting to travel in order to have experiences or to trade to, to make money and so forth. And so, first of all if an opera was successful, it might be taken down to Rome or to Naples for people to hear it. You would get these operas happening, happening in different versions. And then of course, there was this idea that you could travel further through Europe. And I, I think I have on occasion, laughingly. a couple of years ago said that it was like the, the latest pandemic, you know, it was, but it was this craze that caught on and everybody wanted to experience. Yeah. So you didn't, you didn't have to live in Venice to see the opera. They, they moved around. It was, it was touring. Probably more than we think. That, that, that whole period, like a lot of these operas were basically unknown for about 400 years. It's only, the last century or so that people have been gradually trying to unearth under which circumstances the pieces were performed.  And we're still learning a lot, but the sense is that there was this sort of network of performers and performance that occurred.  And one of the things that Monteverdi did, which was, which was different as well, is that before you would have maybe one or two musicians accompanying, and he came and he went, I'm taking them all. And he created sort of, sort of the first kind of orchestras, like  lots of different instruments. They were the prototypes of, of orchestras. And Look, the bad news for your, the violin side of your project, there was certainly violins in it. It was basically a string contingent. That was the main part of the orchestra. There may have been a couple of trumpets, may have been a couple of oboe like instruments. I would have thought that for Venice, they would have had much more exotic instruments.  But the, the, the fact is at this time with the public opera, what became very popular were all of the stage elements. And so you have operas that have got storms or floods or fires. They simulated fires. A huge amount of effort went into painting these very elaborate sets and using, I mean, earlier Leonardo da Vinci had been experimenting with a lot of how you create the effect of a storm or an earthquake or a fire or a flood. There was a whole group of experts who did this kind of stuff. For the people at the time, it probably looked like, you know, going to the, the, the first big movie, you know, when movies first came out in the 20s, when the talkies came out and seeing all of these effects and creating the effects. When we look at those films today, we often think, well, that's been updated, you know, it's out of date, but they found them very, very, very compelling. What I'm saying is the money tended to go on the look of the thing on the stage and the orchestra, the sound of the orchestras from what we can gather was a little more monochrome. Of course, the other element of the orchestra is the continuo section. So you've got the so called orchestra, which plays during the aria like parts of the opera, the set musical numbers. And you've got the continuo, which is largely for the rest of the team. And you would have had a theorbo, you would have had maybe a cello, a couple of keyboard instruments, lute. It basically, it was a very flexible, what's available kind of. Yeah, so there was they would use violines, which was the ancestor of the double bass. So a three stringed  one and violins as well. And that, and what else I find interesting is with the music, they would just, they would give them for these bass instruments, just the chords and they would improvise sort of on those. Chords. So every time it was a little bit different, they were following a Yes. Improvisation. Yeah. So it was kind of original. You could go back again and again. It wasn't exactly the same. And look, that is the problem with historical recreation. And that is that if you go on IMSLP, you can actually download the earliest manuscript that we have of Papaya.  And what you've got is less than chords, you've got a baseline. Just a simple bass line,  a little bit of figuration to indicate some of the chords, and you've got a vocal line. That's all we have. We don't actually know, we can surmise a whole lot of things, but we don't actually know anything else about how it was performed. I imagine all the bass instruments were given that bass line, and like, Do what you want with that. So yeah, it would, and it would have really varied depending on musicians. Probably different players every night, depending on, you know,  look, if you go into 19th century orchestras, highly unreliable, huge incidents of drunkenness and, you know, different people coming and going because they had other gigs to do. Like this is 19th century Italian theatres at a point where, you know, It should have been, in any other country, it would have, Germany had much better organized you know, orchestral resources and the whole thing. So it had that kind of Italian spontaneity and improvised, the whole idea of opera was this thing that came out of improvisation. Singers also, especially the ones that did comic roles, would probably improvise texts, make them a bit saucier than the original if they wanted for a particular performance. All these things were, were open.  And this brings us to an end of this first episode on Giovanni Battista Rogeri.  We have seen the young life of this maker setting out to make his fortune in a neighbouring city, alive with culture and its close connections to Venice and the world of opera. I would like to thank my lovely guests Emily Brayshaw, Stephen Mould and Florian Leonhardt for joining me today.   ​ 

“Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Luke 24:38–39Imagine if Jesus appeared to you. What if He showed you the wounds in His hands and feet and invited you to touch Him so as to believe. Would you believe? Most likely you would, to a certain extent. It would be the beginning of an experience that could be life-changing, just as it was for these disciples. Our Lord's appearance to the disciples led to their transformation from men who were confused and doubtful to men who were filled with joy and zeal. Eventually, they would go forth preaching about Jesus as witnesses to His death and Resurrection with courage and with a desire that all who heard them would turn to Jesus as their Savior.In the first reading of today's Mass, Saint Peter is recorded as doing this very thing. After healing a crippled man at the gate of the Temple, a crowd gathered in amazement and Peter preached to them about Jesus. He concluded His sermon by saying, “God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”Today, we are entrusted with the same mission given to our Lord's disciples, and we must preach with the same zeal, courage and conviction with which they preached. First, we must become as certain as they were about Jesus' triumph over sin and death. We must turn from all sin and believe that the fullness of life is found only in Christ Jesus. But then we must commit ourselves to the proclamation of this faith with every fiber of our being.Begin by considering how deeply you believe in Jesus as the Savior of the World. Though it might be tempting to think that having Jesus appear to you in person would help deepen your faith in Him, the truth is that the first disciples were not primarily convinced because of the physical appearances of Jesus. Rather, this gift came primarily through the spiritual touching of their minds. After appearing to the disciples physically, we read that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” This was what convinced them more than anything—the spiritual gift of understanding. And that gift is offered to you today, just as it was to the first followers of Jesus.Saint Thomas Aquinas explains that the spiritual gift of understanding is a gift that reveals to us the very essence of God. He explains that it is a much deeper form of knowledge than that which is obtained through our five senses. Thus, simply seeing something with our eyes, touching it or hearing it is not nearly as convincing as the knowledge obtained through the spiritual gift of understanding. The gift of understanding enables us to “read inwardly” and to penetrate the very essence of something. For that reason, the physical appearance of Jesus might have been the first step toward believing, but it wasn't until these same disciples encountered our Lord within their souls, perceiving the very essence of His Resurrection inwardly, that they were forever changed. Only this form of knowledge could then convince them to go forth and proclaim the message of salvation. Reflect, today, upon your own knowledge of Jesus and the transforming power of His Resurrection in your life. Has God spoken to you within the depths of your soul? Have you perceived this inward knowledge and had your mind opened? Listen attentively to our Lord—not just with your ears but primarily with your spirit. It is there, within you, that you, like the first disciples, will come to know and believe in the life, death and resurrection of Christ so that you can then go forth empowered to proclaim these truths to others. My revealing Lord, You showed Yourself to Your disciples not only physically but spiritually, revealing Your very essence to them interiorly. Please bestow this gift upon me, dear Lord. May I come to know You and believe in You with all my heart. As I do, please use me as an instrument of Your mercy to others. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured images above: Appearance of Jesus to the disciples, fresco in the basilica of Saint Andrew in Mantua, Italy, via Adobe

Champion of Judaism against Catholicism & Sabbateanism, expert in the classics, and a great פּוֹסֵק

To say I enjoyed my time with Anthony is an understatement...in our short conversation I saw his love not only for food, BBQ and his family but for the team he leads at all of his Swig And Swine locations. Born and raised in Mantua, New Jersey, Anthony DiBernardo has always had a passion for cooking. He entered the culinary world when he was 14 as a banquet cook. Later, the US Navy brought Anthony to the Lowcountry, where he has lived for nearly 25 years. After serving as a cook on the USS Batfish submarine for four years, Anthony began working in the kitchen at Blossom Café. His résumé includes roles as the Executive Chef at Kiawah Island Resort, Corporate Executive Chef at Mustard Seed, and Operating Partner and Head Chef at Rita's. After incorporating barbecue menu items during each culinary venture, Anthony started his own barbecue catering business, where his passion started to set fire. He opened Swig & Swine BBQ in collaboration with Queen Street Hospitality Group in 2013 and became sole proprietor of Swig & Swine in 2019. This episode was recorded live at Brisket Love Fest in Tampa. Shortly after Antony's son, Asher, was in a skateboard accident that left Anthony fighting for his life. Anthony has shared Asher's journey on their social channels. In addition there is a GoFundMe to help cover some of the medical bills for Asher's recovery. Asher's GoFundMe Click HERE Follow Swig and Swine on Instagram Follow Swig and Swine on Facebook

Great Italiani gaon, whose rabbinical opponents tried to get him fired by his own בַּעֲלֵי בָּתִּים

Romeo and Juliet reluctantly part ways at dawn before her mother enters to tell Juliet to prepare to marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet protests first to her mother and then to her father, who violently berates her for refusing to marry. Lady Capulet takes her husband's side and shames Juliet before departing, leaving her to beg the Nurse to intervene. The Nurse, however, advises Juliet to take Paris's hand and forget about Romeo. Juliet pretends to agree but secretly goes to Friar Laurence's cell, where she runs into Paris, who is seeking the Friar's services for their upcoming wedding. Juliet brushes off Paris's affection and after he departs, laments her woes, threatening to kill herself with a dagger she snatches from the Friar's chamber. The Friar consoles Juliet with a plan for her to drink a potion that will make it look like she is dead and that she will send word of the plan to Romeo. They will then free Juliet from the Montague tomb and together, Romeo and Juliet will escape to Mantua. Back at the Capulet home, the wedding preparations are well underway. Juliet returns and begs her father's forgiveness, then retires to her chamber where she dismisses her mother and Nurse before drinking the potion. Next Chapter Podcasts presents the NAATCO and Two River Theater production of “ROMEO AND JULIET”, written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by HANSOL JUNG. The Play On Podcast series, ROMEO AND JULIET, is Directed by DUSTIN WILLS. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON with additional contributions by LEANNA KEYES.   The cast is as follows:   DORCAS LEUNG       as     JULIET CHRIS BANNOW      as     ROMEO MIA KATIGBAK        as     NURSE and PRINCE DANIEL LIU              as     LADY CAPULET, LADY MONTAGUE, PETER and GREGORY                      PURVA BEDI         as     FRIAR LAURENCE MITCHELL WINTER as     PARIS, TYBALT and APOTHECARY DAISUKE TSUJI         as     LORD CAPULET and LORD MONTAGUE JOSE GAMO             as     MERCUTIO and SAMPSON ZION JANG           as     BENVOLIO and BALTHASAR   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Original music composition by BRIAN QUIJADA. Additional music composition and music direction by NYGEL ROBINSON. Sound engineering by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND.   The Managing Director of Business Operations and Partnerships at Next Chapter Podcasts is SALLYCADE HOLMES.   The Play On Podcast Series “ROMEO AND JULIET” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NCPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium on Apollo Plus for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to playonpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember:  “Violent delights have violent ends”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Benvolio tells the Prince how Mercutio was killed by Tybalt, and Tybalt by Romeo. The Capulets call for Romeo's execution but the Prince punishes him with banishment from Verona instead. Back at home, Juliet awaits news of her rendezvous with Romeo but when the Nurse arrives and informs her of what has happened, she threatens to kill herself. The Nurse calms her by saying she'll find Romeo and bring them together. Romeo, hiding in Friar Laurence's cell, mourns his banishment and threatens to take his own life until Juliet's Nurse arrives with news of her desire to be with him. Romeo agrees to go to Juliet's chamber and to leave for Mantua by nightfall, where he will stay until the dust has settled and he and Juliet can return in marriage to Verona. Meanwhile, Lord Capulet comforts his grieving wife by setting a date with Paris for him to wed Juliet in two days.  Next Chapter Podcasts presents the NAATCO and Two River Theater production of “ROMEO AND JULIET”, written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by HANSOL JUNG. The Play On Podcast series, ROMEO AND JULIET, is Directed by DUSTIN WILLS. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON with additional contributions by LEANNA KEYES.   The cast is as follows:   DORCAS LEUNG       as     JULIET CHRIS BANNOW      as     ROMEO MIA KATIGBAK        as     NURSE and PRINCE DANIEL LIU              as     LADY CAPULET, LADY MONTAGUE, PETER and GREGORY                      PURVA BEDI         as     FRIAR LAURENCE MITCHELL WINTER as     PARIS, TYBALT and APOTHECARY DAISUKE TSUJI         as     LORD CAPULET and LORD MONTAGUE JOSE GAMO             as     MERCUTIO and SAMPSON ZION JANG           as     BENVOLIO and BALTHASAR   Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Original music composition by BRIAN QUIJADA. Additional music composition and music direction by NYGEL ROBINSON. Sound engineering by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES). Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND.   The Managing Director of Business Operations and Partnerships at Next Chapter Podcasts is SALLYCADE HOLMES.   The Play On Podcast Series “ROMEO AND JULIET” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NCPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium on Apollo Plus for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to playonpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember:  “Violent delights have violent ends”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me in conversation in two parts with Esme Garlake, an ecocritical art historian and climate activist who centers her research on the interaction between the artist and the natural world. We are talking about two artists who were trained under Raphael, Giulio Romano and Giovanni da Udine.  How do animals manifest in their works, and what does it tell us about the social history of sixteenth century Italy? Part one focuses on establishing how an ecocritical approach is used to analyze Renaissance art via Raphael before turning to the Palazzo Te in Mantua, and Giulio Romano's Sala dei Cavalli and the Banquet of Cupid and Psyche. For more of Esme's work: Blog: https://medium.com/@esme.garlakeArticle: https://envhistnow.com/2023/05/04/towards-an-ecocritical-art-history/Research Profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/art-history/esme-garlake     Podcast Instagram: @italian_renaissance_podcast Get additional content by becoming a Patron: patreon.com/TheItalianRenaissancePodcast Support the show

1.) Private notes 2.) Manuscript given out to copy 3.) Printed books

What's better? The Zohar or Boccacio? .

What does a yeshiva study when all the Gemaras are burned? The toxic Catholic Reformation & the Babylonian Talmud

It would have been a YU in the 16th century. In the best sense of the term

Se acerca a nuestros micrófonos el tenor mexicano Javier Camarena, encargado de dar vida con su voz al Duque de Mantua en el Rigoletto de Verdi que estará en el Teatro Real hasta el próximo 2 de enero.  Con él charlamos sobre esta producción que cuenta con una dirección musical a cargo de Nicola Luisotti y Christoph Koncz, y que tiene como director de escena a Miguel del Arco. Escuchar audio

SynopsisAugust 1613 proved to be an especially eventful month in the life and career of Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi. The previous summer his old employer, Duke Vincenzo of Mantua, had died, and Monteverdi was looking for a job.  Fortunately, the position of Master of Music for the Republic of Venice opened up, and, on today's date Monteverdi was probably rehearsing musicians for a trial concert of his music at St. Mark's Cathedral. The concert was a success. Monteverdi got the job, a generous salary, and even a cash advance to cover the move from his home.So much for the good news—on his trip back home, Monteverdi was robbed by highwaymen armed with muskets. In a surviving letter, Monteverdi described the incident in some detail, noting that the muskets were very long and of the flint-wheel variety, and that he lost more than a hundred Venetian ducats.Despite the trauma—and the humiliation of being strip-searched for valuables by one of the robbers—Monteverdi recovered his fortunes in Venice. In addition to his church duties at St. Mark's, he became famous writing a newfangled sort of commercial entertainment called opera, and lived to the ripe old age of 77.Music Played in Today's ProgramClaudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) Che dar piu vi poss'io, fr 5th Book of Madrigals Consort of Musicke; Anthony Rooley, conductor. L'oiseau Lyre 410 291

Residents of man-OH-way in Box Elder County have been dealing with water issues today after a pump in the primary water tank failed to turn on early this morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023: President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has agreed to a plea deal that is expected to keep him out of prison for tax and gun possession charges. Plus, officials are investigating how 146 dogs were found dead in a Mantua home, while another Cleveland fire station had a bullet fired at it this week. Then, we look at 9 arrests tied to a suspected car theft ring Lorain, what teens think about new curfew restrictions come to the DORA in Canton, and ask you where you'd like to see a DORA in Northeast Ohio. We also fill you in on when you can see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in Cleveland, and more on 3News Daily with Stephanie Haney. Watch Stephanie Haney's Legally Speaking specials and segments here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SLtTChKczKEzKhgSopjxcmFQniu28GN Connect with Stephanie Haney here: http://twitter.com/_StephanieHaney http://instagram.com/_StephanieHaney http://facebook.com/thestephaniehaney Read more here: 'It was just horrendous': 146 dogs found dead inside Mantua home https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/portage-county/146-dead-dogs-found-portage-county-home/95-0d24d149-b41e-4573-bfa8-66cbc7e73056 President Biden's son Hunter charged with gun felony, tax misdemeanors https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/portage-county/146-dead-dogs-found-portage-county-home/95-0d24d149-b41e-4573-bfa8-66cbc7e73056

What happens when a new team member is given a collection of complex responsibilities? This can be a formula for frustration and worry on part of a new team member unless their manager has a thoughtful way of easing the team member into mastering the complexity. Our guest Ivy Mantua shares her approach to this challenge which she calls "gradual development". And along the way she also offers some thoughts on the mastery of technical or functional skills. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm

In this episode, we welcome VP of of IT Training, Growth & Development at United Wholesale Mortgage, Jillian Mantua. Jillian is passionate about developing and guiding teams through the uncharted territories that come with organizational transitions and rapid growth by leveraging best practices across all industries. She focuses on identifying what and how to do things differently than current day practices, how to bring out the best in employees, and true alignment with organizational values.Tune into hear Dori and Jillian discuss a variety of topics around the importance of fostering and developing growth within an organization to achieve operational efficiencies, and the recipe that United Wholesale Mortgage has developed to do just that.Follow Jillian on LinkedIn here and don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share this podcast with friends and colleagues!*Disclaimer: Podcast guest participated in the podcast as an individual subject matter expert and contributor. The views and opinions they share are not necessarily shared by their employer. Nor should any reference to specific products or services be interpreted as commercial endorsements by their current employer.This is a production of ProcellaRX

Well ladies and gentlemen, this podcast within a podcast has finally come to an end: Jeff and Dave, at long last (denique, tandem, demum) have reached the final episode on the Aeneid. We start out by looking at how the end of the Iliad and the end of the Aeneid compare, verge off into some Shakespearean and Miltonian digressions, recite some beautiful Latin poetry, talk about Annie Lennox, and round it all off with a look at interpretive possibilities from a wide range of 20th century scholars. These include: Bowra, Elllingham, Brooks, Lewis, Parry, Putnam, and Commager. Who is correct in their interpretation of the Aeneid? When the ancients said that Vergil's twin purposes were to "rival Homer" and "praise Augustus all the way back to his ancestors", were they correct? Or is the man from Mantua up to something quite different and more subtle? Should we go with the revisionist interpretation – adopting Jeff's maxim "the Romans were wrong"– or side with the traditional school? Pull up your can of Campbell's Soup, make your way to your own Fortress of Solitude, and settle in for a rip-roaring interpretive ride.

The sons of Andrea , "The Amati Brothers" took violas, violins and cellos to new heights with their incredible skill and innovation. Meet Antonio and Girolamo before things get complicated in this first episode. This is the story of the Amati brothers, Antonio, and Girolamo. Join me as we explore the remarkable craftsmanship, profound influence, and indelible mark left by these legendary violin makers.  Discover the distinctive characteristics of their creations, renowned for their elegance, exquisite sound, and unparalleled craftsmanship.  Delve into the secrets of the Amati brothers' workshop, uncovering their innovative techniques, meticulous attention to detail, and the artistry that made their instruments treasures coveted by musicians and collectors worldwide. In this episode I speak to Cellist James Beck and Violin maker and Expert Carlo Chiesa.    Transcript of Episode  Welcome back to Cremona, a city where you can find almost anything your everyday Renaissance citizen could desire.  Located on a bend of the impressively long Po River, bursting with artisans and commerce, we find ourselves in the mid-1500s, and more precisely in the home of Girolamo Amati and Antonio Amati, otherwise known as the Amati brothers or the brothers Amati. In these episodes, I'll be talking about Andrea Amati's two sons, Antonio Amati and Girolamo Amati. Sometimes Girolamo Amati is also referred to as Hieronymus, the Latin version of his name.  Because I'm doing these podcasts chronologically, we heard about the early childhood of the brothers, in the Andrea Amati episodes. As we heard in the previous episode, Antonio Amati, the elder brother, by quite some years, perhaps even 14 years older than Girolamo Amati, inherited his father's workshop with his little bro when their father died.  They grew up in Cremona during the mid-1500s, in a time that was relatively more peaceful than their father's childhood and would have attended the local school. The local school was attended mainly by children of merchants and nobles. They would learn, in addition to the traditional subjects of geometry, arithmetic, and even astrology, subjects such as geography, architecture, algebra, and mechanics, both theoretical and applied. This created quite a well-educated middle class that the brothers would have been part of. Like their father, they would go on to be quite successful in their business, adapting their products to the demands of the time. The brothers were growing up in post Reformation Cremona, and the instrumental music was bounding forward. Renaissance composers were fitting words and music together in an increasingly dramatic fashion. Humanists were studying the ancient Greek treaties on music and the relationships between music and poetry and how it could.  This was displayed in Madrigals and later in opera and all the while the Amati workshop along with other instrument makers of course were toiling away making instruments so that all this could happen. Now the eldest brother Antonio Amati never appears to marry or have a family but the younger brother Girolamo Amati apparently a ladies man, does and as you would have heard in the previous episodes, when he was 23, he married Lucrencia Cronetti, a local girl, and she comes to live in the Amati house, handing over her dowry to her new husband (Girolamo Amati) and father in law (Andrea Amati). A few years later, Girolamo Amati's father saved up enough money to buy the family home so that when he passes away in 1576. Girolamo Amati is in his mid-twenties and his older brother (Antonio Amati) is probably around his late thirties. They inherited a wealthy business, a house, and a workshop.  So here we find the Amati brothers living and working together in the house and workshop in San Faustino (Cremona). Antonio Amati, the head of the household and Girolamo Amati with his young bride. Business is looking good, and life looks promising. Antonio and Girolamo may have been some of the only violin makers in Cremona, but they were by far not lone artisans in the city. They were surrounded by merchants and tradespeople busy in industry. There were belt makers, embroiderers, blacksmiths, carpenters, boat builders, masons, terracotta artisans, weavers, textile merchants, and printers, just to name a few of the 400 trades listed in the city at this period. Business was going well for our violin makers. There was a boom in the city. Many noble houses were being built amongst which the grand residences of merchants stood out, sanctioning their social ascent.  Charitable houses, monasteries and convents were popping up like mushrooms around town.  Ever since the Counter Reformation, the local impetus to help the poor and unfortunate had flourished. Wondering what the Counter Reformation is? Then go back and listen to episode two of the Andrea Amati series. Where we talk about what the Reformation was, what the Counter Reformation was, and what its effects were on artisans in Cremona.  But nowhere said organized religion like the Cathedral. And entering the vast, echoey structure was something to behold, with its mysterious, awe-inspiring grandeur, the towering heights of the ceilings inspiring a sense of reverence and humility. The vaulted arches and frescoed domes drawing the eye upwards, the kaleidoscope of colors entering the windows, and the glittering of precious metals illuminated by flickering candles, ornate furnishings, intricate artworks, sculptures, and base reliefs with depictions of saints, biblical stories, and the scenes from the life of Christ covering the walls, all created an otherworldly feeling and a sense of the divine.  And what would the Cathedral be without music? The glittering of gold, the fragrant smell of incense, and the heavenly sounds of music were an all-in-one package for the regular church attender in the Amati Brothers Day. The Chapel House School of the Cathedral produced many talented composers, yet the church would only sponsor and permit sacred music. And even then, this music had to be in full compliance with the Council of Trent. This meant following a whole bunch of rules in composition. Wing clipping of aspiring young composers led to many of them moving away to other courts and cities who were looking for fresh, raw talent. This may or may not have been the case for a musician and composer called Claudio Monteverdi. But what we do know is that he left Cremona to join the employ of the Mantuan court at the age of 23.  I spoke to cellist James Beck about Monteverdi, who was a Cremonese composer who left the city to work at the Gonzaga court during the Amati brother's lifetime. And so Monteverdi, for example, to take him as an example, he was employed in the court, in the Manchurian court, and he was just one of many musicians and  composers. And also I'm wondering about just, the everyday life, would they also,  were musicians expected to, to wear certain.  Clothes, like they were just told, look, this is what you're wearing. James Beck Livery is the term for the, the uniform of the house. And we know about that kind of stuff from, you know, Downton Abbey and all that kind of stuff so musicians were very much part of the servant class, a very intellectual servant class and a very trusted servant class, but Monteverdi arrived at that Gonzaga court in Mantua as a string instrument player of some kind. We don't really know if it was a gamba, you know, between the legs or brachio held like a violin. He was at the court for about, I think, 10 or 15 years as a string player before he became The Maestro de Capelle and of course that was a very trusted employee because he accompanied his employer, the Duke, on various war campaigns or social outings to other countries, as a musician and maybe as some kind of trusted part of the entourage. So, Monteverdi was picking up lots of ideas about things that could go on in music because he was witnessing different practices, he was in Flanders. He was in Hungary. He was in other parts of Italy seeing how they did music over there on the other side of the fence and I think that is what can never be underestimated, that communication was haphazard and accidental in previous times and there was no such thing as uniformity. So, to go to another country and to go to another court and to see musicians who had different training or had come into different spheres of influence to yourself would have been hugely, hugely exciting and influential and we think that Monteverdi picked up some of the ideas of what might be opera from these kind of trips. Linda Lespets It makes me think of when I was a student and I would do work experience in different workshops and they would, I had been taught in French school, it was a very specific way of doing things and I'd go to another workshop and I'd just be like, wow, it's like, what are you, what are you doing? How could this possibly work? And it does. And you're like, oh, and now I feel like I, the way I work, it's a mixture of all these different techniques. What works best for me. And it must've been magnified so much, to such a greater level for in that period for music and competition. Because of the, because of the social isolation and the geographic isolation of previous times. James Beck And I mean, just if we just talk about pitch, whole idea of what is An A was different in each town, and it might have sounded better on some instruments than not so good on others, and those instruments would have been, you know, crafted to sound good at those different pitches. And now we all play the same pitch, and we want every instrument to be the same. What were some of the, if you could generalize, what were some of the differences for you? In the different Lutherie schools. Linda Lespets  So, in the French method, you basically hold everything in your hands or it's like wedged between you and the workbench and you don't use really, uh, vices. And I have quite small hands and  I did one work experience and the guy was like, just put it in a vice. And I was like,  Ohhh, and I was getting a lot of RSI  and sore wrists and it kind of just, it was sort of practical as well. James Beck Wow. And is that for crafting? Individual elements or is that for working on complete instruments?  Linda Lespets Like in general, like you just, you can make a violin without using a vice and they, they won't use sandpaper or it's all done with, scrapers. So it's good. I know all the different techniques and I can, when there is a blackout or an electricity failure, we can just keep on going. Like, we can keep rolling, it doesn't stop us.  There was a thing with Monteverdi that, that you seem to know about how madrigals. James Beck I know about madrigals. I hope I do. Linda Lespets  In Mantua and the, this kind of trapezoidal room. James Beck  There's a very special room in the ducal court.  Ducal castle or Ducal palace in Mantua, and they call it the wedding room and it's a room that was, had existed for some time. I mean, it's a huge, huge palace, I think it's the sixth largest palace in Europe. So, it's 34, 000 square meters, 500 rooms.  And this is not, I mean, Mantua was not a big state.  You never know when you need 500 rooms.  It wasn't a big state, but it was a very aspirational state. And they really wanted to kind of prove themselves amongst these, the cultural elite of Northern Italy, because there were extraordinary things going on in Florence and Venice. So, you know, they were really, the Gonzaga's were really trying to hold their own. So, they had one of these 500 rooms slightly remodelled. So it was of cube proportions.  Right. So, you walk into a cube. You walk into a cube and then, they commissioned, a very, uh, distinguished painter to cover, everything within that room in very realistic, uh, lifelike portraits of, of the Gonzaga's going about their life. And this was the highest status room in the palace, and it was used for various purposes to impress. So, it could be used for ceremonies, or it could be used for, as a bedchamber for the Duke if he wanted to receive a guest of high status, and show that guest that he slept in this incredible room. Linda Lespets Slightly creepy.  All these people looking at you. James Beck  I know, and they're really, there's a lot of eyeballing in those portraits.  So it's like, you're outnumbered. Like when you go in there, like you're surrounded by people. You're surrounded by the Gonzaga's. We're here. That was not a very, uh, fertile or, healthy line. So, they were dying out fast, but there were lots of them painted on the walls. Linda Lespets Wasn't there one with mirrors? James Beck There was a hidden room, that they discovered in, I think 1998. ., which had mirrors. Linda Lespets  and I was wondering what the,  maybe it was polished metal, the mirrors. James Beck I'm not sure where they would, where they would sing madrigals. Well, they think it was specifically for, for performances of Monteverde, but I don't know. . Why a hidden room is needed. Yes. And how, how do you hide a room for 500, or, sorry, for 200 years, maybe it was walled up. Linda Lespets Well, I mean, if you're in a palace with 500 rooms, you might miss one, you know, if it's walled up. James Beck  And also there was a big, there were quite a lot of, traumatic experiences in the Mantuan court. Not long after Monteverde left there, there was a siege and a war and then a lot of plague. So you can see how knowledge could dissipate and everyone could die that knew about it , exactly absolutely.  When the Gonzagas were running out of heirs, their neighbours and, and particularly the Hapsburgs, were like, Hmm, we might take that little gem of a dutchie. So they, they laid siege to it for two summers. War was a summer sport at those days. 'cause you know, no one wanted to do it in winter 'cause it was just too much. And Mantua is at that stage was completely surrounded by water. It was very cleverly conceived and beautifully conceived too because the water reflects the beautiful buildings. And so they, the Mantuan's stockpiled food and drew up the bridges. And, and for two years they were, no one came in or out of the city whilst the Habsburgs laid siege. And actually the Habsburgs didn't really get through those defences, but at the, in the second summer, in the second siege, a cannonball did get through and then the whole, the cannonball made some rats got through and those dirty soldiers who'd been on campaign for two summers were riddled with plague and the plague got into the town and that was actually undoing of the Gonzaga dynasty. Linda Lespets A rat brought them down. James Beck A rat brought them down. And so, the plague weakened the city. The city fell. And then that plague was taken by those refugees from Antwerp down into Venice. And Venice was absolutely devastated by plague for something like 10 years. And the city's population plummeted to its lowest in 150 years. Linda Lespets Wow. . And it's true that war was like a summer sport. And I'm wondering if nowadays, we, you know... That's, we play sport instead. Well, I hope, I think that's why we do play organized sport. I think that's, you know, it's... Take the World Cup or something.  Well although that's, not... To get that aggression, to get all that aggression out of our system in a nicely controlled manner. James Beck It is like countries like against each other. Totally is. Linda Lespets The Cremona City Municipality had at its disposal a group of wind players, mostly made up of brass instruments, trombones, bombards, bagpipes, and sometimes a cornet. This ensemble was particularly suited for outdoor performances.  Or at least I hope it was. I don't know if you've ever heard a bombard being played inside. I have.  Anyway, the viola da braccia players and viola or violin players were also employed by the town hall and given a uniform made of red and white cloth.  This was the instrumental group in the church, and it doubled up for civic occasions as well.  I speak to Carlo Chiesa, violin maker and expert in Milan. Carlo Chiesa And the other way by which Cremonese makers got their success is musicians, because in the 16th century, there are a few important Cremonese musicians moving from Cremona and going to northern cities to play for the emperor, for the king, or to Venice. I think the most important supplier of instruments at some point out of Cremona was the Monteverdi Circle.   Linda Lespets This orchestra employed by the city of Cremona played both for the council and in the church on all public holidays and in processions.  One of their members, a cornet player called Ariodante Radiani,  who was paid the considerable sum of 100 lira. When the maestro di cappella was paid 124 lira, ended up having to be let go. It turned out he was a little bit laissez faire with his responsibilities as a musician, and a lawsuit was brought against him for neglecting his duties as a musician. To add to this, he was also found guilty of murder.  So, in the end, their homicidal cornet player was replaced.  Linda Lespets  You know, you've got the scientists and human thought and philosophy and looking back to Greek and Roman antiquity. So, I feel like that's, that's like the idea in art, in literature. And what do you, how do you see that happening?  in music. James Beck We as musicians had really practical roles to fulfill as well and sometimes that was expressing the will of the church through music and of course you know that's kind of self-explanatory and then we've got this really practical role to entertain and how we go about doing that with the materials we have. So the renaissance as an idealistic expression, I think, you know, as a practical musician, we were always doing others bidding out unless we were church musicians, we were there to entertain and to, excite and to distract and act as an instrument of sometimes of state policy or, or, you know, kind of  showing off the power or opulence of a state.  Maybe it was through, opera. Where are you?  You're getting like human emotion. Yes, absolutely, absolutely. But also, the subject of all those early operas is usually, ancient material from ancient Greece or Rome, so, you know, clearly Renaissance in its ideals of looking back. Othello.  Of course. Poppea, Ulysses. I mean, the operas were definitely, drawing into ancient literature and myth, which was bypassing Christianity in many ways.  Linda Lespets  It's strange because it was an era where it didn't really contradict the other. People were cool with it. Like they were very devoted churchgoers and at the same time they were very into all this Greek and Roman mythology. It was interesting. And then all this humanist thinking and invention I mean, Monteverde was a priest as well, right? James Beck  Towards the end of his life. Linda Lespets Instruments are starting to play a bigger role in the music, in the church in Cremona. In 1573, the Maestro de Capella, the Chapel Master at the cathedral, wrote a piece of music for five voices, consorted with all sorts of musical instruments.  The words and text are completely clear in accordance with the Council of Trent, he points out. The Amati brothers' father, Andrea Amati, would have witnessed this musical tradition in his lifetime as he attended church, where the music sung would have gone from something that had been unrecognizable in, or in any case very difficult to understand, to music that had identifiable text that could possibly be understood and sung with. They were not hymns like the Lutherans were singing in a congregational style, but there was a marked change in the music being played in the churches. And these were the effects of the counter reformation trickling into everyday life of the people.  The workshop continued to be a success. Both the brothers Amati were able to earn a living and to provide a generous dowry for their sister, who had just recently married a man from Casal Maggiore. In town, the cathedral looked like it was finally going to have the interior finished. This had been going on ever since their father was a little boy. And now it looked like all the frescoes and paintings were to be completed. And most amazing of all was an enormous astronomical clock that was being mounted on the terrazzo, the giant bell tower next to the cathedral. Sadly, Girolamo Amati's pregnant wife would never see the clock that would amaze the citizens of Cremona, as shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Elizabeth, Lucrenzia ( Girolamo Amati's wife) died. The fragility of life and uncertainty that Girolamo Amati had to deal with is quite removed from our lives today, and a man in his situation would certainly be looking to marry again, if for nothing else than to have a mother for his young daughter. And as he was contemplating remarrying, finding a new wife and mother for his child, over in Paris, one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the decade was taking place. And the music for the closing spectacle was being played in part on the instruments his father (Andrea Amati) and brother (Antonio Amati) had made for the Valois royal family all those years ago.

Synopsis On today's date in 1784, an Italian violinist named Regina Strinasacchi gave a concert in Vienna and had the good sense to commission a new work for the occasion from an up-and-coming young Austrian composer named Wolfgang Mozart. “We have the famous Strinasacchi from Mantua here right now,” wrote Wolfgang to his father. “She is a very good violinist, has excellent taste, and a lot of feeling in her playing—I'm composing a Sonata for her at this moment that we'll be performing together on Thursday.”Wolfgang's papa must have been pleased about the cash commission, but might have frowned to learn that Strinasacchi received her part barely in time for the performance, and that his son hadn't even bothered to write out his own part in full.  Also, Regina and Wolfgang never got together to rehearse prior to the concert, which meant that she was probably sight-reading her part, and he improvising his.No matter—the new sonata was received warmly and afterward Wolfgang had a whole month to dot all the musical “i's” and cross all the musicals “t's” in his score before it was printed. And, for the record, this Violin Sonata in B-flat Major is arguably one of Mozart's finest. Music Played in Today's Program Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) Violin Sonata in Bb, K. 454

 The Amati family; in this Series we explore the life and legacy of Andrea Amati, the masterful craftsman behind some of the world's most revered violins. In these episodes we delve into the fascinating history of Amati's life, his revolutionary techniques, innovations, and the enduring impact of his work on the world of music. Through interviews with experts in the field of history, instrument-making, and performance, we uncover the secrets of Amati's unique approach to violin-making, from his choice of materials to the meticulous attention to detail that went into each instrument. We also explore the rich cultural and historical context that shaped Amati's work, and the role that his violins played in shaping the sound of the Renaissance and beyond.   Transcript Andrea Amati Part I   A traveller passing through northern Italy's Lombardy in the 16th century would be struck by its beautiful plains, fertile meadows and abundance of grains and livestock. Large fields planted with wheat, alternated with meadows crossed with an intelligent system of irrigation ditches, and long rows of trees growing around the edges of the fields gave it that typical Po Valley plantation look. In the distance, on the northern bank of Italy's longest river, the Po, lay the bustling city of Cremona. East of Milan, on the flat Padana plains, it was described as being “rich in men and traffic”, an important commercial hub, and here you would find a strategic river crossing. In this city lived a handful of noble Cremonese families, owners of almost all the land in the surrounding countryside's, cultivated by peasants still living under a feudal system.  The crops they grew, of flax, wheat, millet, rye, and rice, would be transported into the city to feed its citizens. After Milan, Cremona was the largest and most important city in the state, bursting with tradespeople and merchants. Almost 50 percent of its inhabitants are artisans, and the wealth of the city is substantial. In the Duchy of Milan, Cremona contributes as many taxes to the Duke's coffers as the rest of the provinces combined, making it a noteworthy place indeed. This was an era in which transport via water was 20 times cheaper than overland. Goods and people were frequently passing through the city on barges, often coming from Venice, then on to the markets of all of Europe with their wares.  It was a transient place, an inland port even, where many people would pass through, stop and stay a while, then move on. But for those who stayed there, life was never dull.  In the year 1505, a Cremonese artisan called Gottardo Amati and his wife welcomed a little baby boy into the world. They named him Andrea Amati.  As was often the custom, their son would one day learn a trade similar to that of his father. Of this his parents were fairly certain. What they couldn't have known was that this child would grow up to be the first in a great dynasty of violin makers, whose instruments would grace the salons of royalty and become proud acquisitions of noble families across Europe, influencing every violin maker that would come after him. Whether they realized it or not. The Amatis.  You may or may not have heard of this violin maker. But hopefully by the end of this series you will be like, Amati, yeah sure. Which one? The father, the son, the brothers, the grandfather? Because yes, there were a bunch, five to be precise, spanning four generations and they all lived in the northern Italian city of Cremona.   In these episodes I'll be looking at the Amati family of Violin Makers, their extraordinary story that spans almost 200 years and the world changing events that moved their lives.  I started by talking to someone who knows a whole lot about this family. Violin maker, expert, author, and researcher in Milan, Carlo Chiesa. Carlo Chiesa I'm a violin maker and a restorer and the researcher on the history of violin making. To find the Amati workshop, first we must go to the city of Cremona.  The Amatis are all connected and if you look at the history of the Amati family of violin makers, that's the history of the Cremonese making for about two centuries because the Amati workshop was the  only serious workshop in Cremona for about 200 years. When you speak of Cremonese making,  of course you must start with the Amati workshop. Linda Lespets In the 1500s, Cremona was a city full of life, its streets filled with the sounds of clanging hammers and the buzz of conversation. It was home to a thriving community of artisans, each with their own unique skills and talents.  Half the population found themselves in trade, but the other half worked and survived by supplying manual labour for the domestic market. There were servants, shopkeepers, coachmen, navigators, bankers, blacksmiths, carpenters, woodsellers, farriers, instrument makers, the list goes on.  I spoke to Benjamin Hebbert, Oxford based expert, dealer, author, and international man of mystery.  Benjamin Hebbert So, Cremona's actually a very interesting city, if you think of Italy and, you know,  Italy's got the sort of long boot kind of going down into the Mediterranean and then you've got the sort of, the top of Italy is sort of, kind of oval shaped, like the socks sticking out of the top of the boot. And if you take that area, the great landmass of Northern Italy, at the top and at the west, it's lined by mountains.  And then you've got the Adriatic Ocean with Venice on the other side. And right going through the middle is the River Po.  And that really connects everything. The Po becomes, by the time you get to the middle of Italy, it's a very wide river. So your last stone bridge is at Piacenza.  It starts at Trieste, goes to Piacenza.  And then when you get to around about Cremona, there's a number of islands, very swampy islands. And the river kind of kinks a little bit so it slows and it becomes a little bit narrower because of the swamps and that's not good enough to put a bridge on it but it's controllable so that you can put a pontoon bridge over the river so at certain times of the year you've got a huge bridge for trade for taking armies over and that's really the history of northern Italy is armies going one way or another. Cremona is that point right in the middle of Italy where you can get huge amounts of trade, commerce, anything can travel through and get over the pontoon bridge and of course that pontoon bridge doesn't exist anymore it's even difficult to see on maps because in maps people draw land features and stone buildings they don't  do disposable bridges. So right away from the Roman times, that's what Cremona stands for. If you go to Cremona, you'll see that there's all sorts of arguments, whether it's the highest tower in Italy, the highest tower in Europe, but the cathedral has this enormously high tower. And that's because actually from the top of the tower, people wanted to be able to see over the river to whatever was coming from the other side. There was a massive fortress in Cremona, towards the western edge. And one thing that you'll miss when you go there is that because of the way that the river's silted up, it's now about a mile.  Maybe two miles from the city walls. Linda Lespets Carlo Chiesa talks about cultural life in Cremona and how it was placed in the dutchy of Milan.  Carlo Chiesa Cremona was a large town in northern Italy in the plain, so in a very quiet and rich environment. But the problem was that, Cremona was never, the main center of a state. It was a large city in a rich area without a court  and without a university. So it was a quiet place, so to say. The noble families from Cremona, had a, usually a palace, a building in Milano.  So Milano was the important city and Cremona was just, an outskirt, so to say, there was no high cultural life in Cremona for many years, and at that time, that was the situation. So it was, I would say, a quiet place to live, but for the fact that sometimes it happened that armies arrived from one place to going to another and there were wars and riots and things like that. So, I think life was quite, easy in Cremona, but not, we must not, consider that as we see today, it was not safe. There was never a safe idea of life. That is the main difference in my opinion.  It was the seat of rich families, very rich families. It was a very rich environment, but since there was no court the cultural life was never as important as it was in  even smaller towns which had rulers and small courts, let's say Parma or Mantua or Piacenza  even. These are cities smaller, much smaller than Cremona and less rich than Cremona but situated just 40, 60, 80 kilometers away of  Cremona. But they had a richer  cultural life because there were kings or princes or  counts or some people who  took care of the court. Linda Lespets Cremona was a booming city on the rise. Around 35, 000 people lived there.  The size of it meant that merchants would not accumulate fortunes like those in Florence or Venice.  But what we do find is a healthy middle class. earning a good living for themselves.  To get an idea of the atmosphere, in the mid 1500s, 50 percent of people living in Cremona were artisans, 10 percent nobility, 20 percent were classed as just poor, and the rest worked for the others. Zooming into the artisan class of Cremona, we find that sixty percent of them worked in the thriving textile industry.  Cremona was known for its fustian, that's a heavy cotton fabric often used for men's clothing and padding.  The Cremonese fustian had dazzling colors and beautiful designs.  Cremona was making 100, 000 pieces of this fustian that was exported to Venice and beyond the Alps. This well connected city thrived through its manufacturing industry. Their success was an availability of raw materials and their ability to be able to process them. As in the textile industry, there was a sort of funnel of goods arriving from Venice, from the east and the rest of the known world. They would be shipped along the Po River in barges to Cremona where they would either be processed or go on to be sold in the rest of Europe. There were products arriving from the north, Germany and from the south, from Naples.  Merchandiser materials coming from all directions, converging on this one town, which made it a fantastic place to be an artisan.  All you desired was at your fingertips. The time we find ourselves in is the Renaissance.  Cremona is an intersection of trade, had not only physical goods, but ideas, and it is into this world we find our first violin maker. Andrea Amati,  a Renaissance man. Carlo  Chiesa.  Carlo Chiesa When Andrea Amati was born and when he grew up, he was working and he was an apprenticeship in a Renaissance workshop, meaning that his training  was as an artisan who was intended to be an artisan artist. Linda Lespets So the Renaissance, what was it exactly? I spoke to Dr. John Gagnier Dr John Gagne I'm John Gagne. I'm a senior lecturer in history at the University of Sydney, and I work mostly on European history from the 13th to the 18th centuries.  What is the Renaissance?  Oh, right. Okay. Just in a nutshell. Yeah.  So the Renaissance, largely speaking, is an intellectual cultural movement. Based upon, well, you know, as you know, it's a French word, meaning the rebirth refers to any flourishing of some previously existing culture. I say this generally because, you know, there were renaissances before the, the famous one, the Italian renaissance, there was a Carolingian renaissance, there was a 12th century renaissance. But the one we're most familiar with is the, let's say the 15th century renaissance, which really got its start in the. 13th century, grew in the 14th century, maybe made most famous by Petrarch, who was a scholar and poet.  And then sort of exploded across Italy in the 15th century,  when  many culture makers and princes began to return to the inheritance of classical Roman antiquity to try to suck out of it the, you know, a platform for moving ahead in European history because they saw, they thought that the past had been so rich and so much had been lost that only by going back, could you find something to build the future with and what's maybe most notable about the 15th century renaissance is They really scraped all aspects of the, barrel, let's say, of ancient culture, so it was, intellectual, moral, philosophical, cartographic, scientific, musical, arithmetic, it was everything that the classical world had left. They really wanted to absorb and internalize. So in the 15th century in Lombardy, which is where Cremona is, there is a  court in Milan which also has a sort of satellite in the city of Pavia, the  second city of the duchy. The duchy of Lombardy is, you know, probably a few million people, one of the most industrious in northern Italy. The courts at Milan, the Ancestral Castle is at Pavia, that's also the university town. And then, the third city, let's say, although Pavia is very large, Cremona is often referred to as the second city of Lombardy, because it's also a city of industry. And so, The world in which Andrea Amati would have grown up. So there were maybe two aspects to that world. And one is the one I just described, which is a world of antique rebirth, which by the 16th century was in very full swing and had been internalized, even at levels below elite levels, thanks to things like the printing press, which had made access to knowledge more accessible. And then there's the political environment, which was more tumultuous because, the Duchy of Milan, or Lombardy was, contested territory for the first half of the century. So it was a war torn part of Italy. And so the world he would have grown up in would have been, extremely tumultuous because of shifting political regimes, especially in Cremona. Linda Lespets All the income taxes, I think it's income taxes, in Cremona just as a city, had as much income tax as all the other, towns. in the Milanese state combined, so economically it was quite important. John Gagne Yeah, and it sounds like one of their biggest industries was, textiles. It looks like mostly Fustian, which is a kind of cotton velvet, let's say. And a few other sort of middle range textiles. So they're not, what Cremona produces is not  fine textiles like silks and silk velvets and that kind of thing. Those are still produced elsewhere. In fact, in Milan, the city, put up regulations that prevented other cities, even within its own duchy, from, let's say, getting into the silk trade or silk production, which would have meant planting lots of mulberry trees that the silkworms could grow. That was not Cremona's specialty. They never really got into that. What they were surrounded by was flax and cotton. They had rich territory to grow that kind of crop and so they produced a kind of like hard wearing, sometimes called German style cloth, which they exported, very successfully into northern parts of Europe. Linda Lespets Basically it was a town that made a lot of its money through the textile trade. And they also talk a lot about the Moleskine, and I thought they were like... Actual little mole skins and I was imagining all these like farms with tiny little moles  and Emily the Fashion historian. She said no, it's a soft cotton. It's not actually a mole  So I'm like, where are they getting all these moles from? Because  it was a lot. John Gagne  Yeah, the renaissance mole farming was an intense industry. We won't get into right now, but no I'm joking yes, I mean, It's a city that, it sounds like, you know, Cremona's merchants were, very active on the regional and international scale. So it seems like more even than the Germans, there were Cremonese merchants active in Venice. So if you're thinking about like the, who would you, whose faces would you see most around Venice, which was of course like an international hub. The Cremonese community was extremely active in Venice, which gave them access to all kinds of, shipments coming from all over the world, really. And then there was an access because the city sits on a pilgrimage route known as the Via Franchesa, which runs from England down to Rome, there would have been a kind of like cross European access, route for traders, travellers, merchants to pass through the city as well. And, uh, so there's a constant passage of merchants from Cremona up into, you know, the Alps, then over into France and through, diagonally through France towards England. Linda Lespets In the center of the city of Cremona is the Piazza del Comune, or Town Square. A bustling hub of activity, this grand square was surrounded by some of the city's most impressive buildings, including the Palazzo Comunale, or Town Hall, with its tall arches and elegant columns. It was a symbol of the city's power and wealth, its political center. It's Loggia De Militi, it's military headquarters, and the cathedral, the religious heart of Cremona, with its impressive terrazzo bell tower standing proudly next to it.  Our violin maker Andrea Amati was born in 1505 and as a boy the cathedral was already almost 400 years old.  Rising up from the stone paved square, it is one of the most beautiful Romanesque cathedrals in Lombardy. On its white marble facade is a magnificent central rose window with a two story loggia adorned with stately statues. The sound of bells echoing through the city was a constant reminder of its importance, and at the moment it was undergoing a transformation. If the young Andrea Amati had wandered into the cathedral, he would have seen walls rising up held by giant stone pillars capped with gilded gold and intricate carvings. Weaving its way around all this was scaffolding. Lots of scaffolding. The painter Boccaccio Boccacino is painting colourful frescoes of the Epiphany and a cycle of the life of Mary in Christ. These paintings in the cathedral would continue throughout Andrea Amati's lifetime by a variety of artisans, and as the years passed he would see the church filled with vivid artworks bursting with life.  Sometimes even seemingly to spill out of the paintings themselves and into the church, thanks to the artist's use of trompe l'oeil and life sized paintings depicting biblical scenes. It is a truly impressive structure. Coming out of the cathedral and walking along a decorative portico, you cannot miss the Torazzo,  the highest tower in Italy, made of brick and rising well above the city. Its size and beauty were a source of pride for the people of Cremona.  From this tower, which is in fact the bell tower of the cathedral, a lookout could spot  approaching armed forces, and the people of the city were not being overcautious. Cremona had an unfortunate habit of being trampled by invading armies on a regular basis.  And yet, it was an exciting time to be alive. The world was changing in unstoppable ways. This was the modern era,  John Gagne. John Gagne  Okay, so, you know, obviously the modern era is contested and many people, accept that it's a  fiction of history, you know, when we become modern, but there are some compelling things that we recognize in terms of the transition from what we call the medieval to the modern. And one of the, say, most, enjoyable ones is a print. Made in the 16th century by the Dutch Flemish artist Jan Straat who went by Jan Stradanus, Johannes Stradanus in Latin, who's worked for the Venetian court.  And he produces a print called Nova Ruperta, which means New Discoveries. And it's nine items that he thought represented the modern world. And they were the Americas,  the magnetic compass, gunpowder, the printing press,  clockwork,  guayac wood, which was wood from Brazil that was used against syphilis,  distillation technology.  Silk cultivation and the stirrup and saddle  and those were some of these of course are not new to the 16th century Some of the like stirrups have been around since the deep Middle Ages and some of these of course were Asian technologies They were brought to Europe, you know, like printing or silk making and that kind of thing  Actually printing was individually  established in Europe, but all the rest of it gives you a sense of what people in 16th century thought made their age a new age So syphilis was a big thing  Yes, syphilis was completely contemporaneous with the Italian wars that we discussed earlier in terms of the breaking apart of local rule in Cremona. Syphilis, it's still disputed about whether syphilis was an ancient disease that had recurred,  or whether it was a completely new disease that Europeans pinned on the Americans. But, one of the first successful cures after mercury, which is of course a terrible cure because it also kills.  Even though it may feel like it's fixing the syphilis, was the guaiac wood from Brazil, which had curative properties. But maybe the overarching story is one about, an opening up of Europe to things that suggest going places or opening up to ideas whether it's about the magnetic compass and the discovery of the Americas or Travel learning new things to the printing press so it's let's say broadening of the mind of Americans of Europeans I'm sorry,  and that I think is a nice distillation Let's say of the idea of modernity in the 16th century is that these things are new discoveries that set Europe on a new path  And this modern era with all its new or revised discoveries and ideas would have influenced or been a part of Andrea Amati's life in Northern Italy. Linda Lespets Stories of strange and distant lands, cures of diseases, printing, the spread of learning, and music. Incredible clockwork mechanics and more give us a taste of the world he came from. Looking onto the Piazza del Comune, the centre square of Cremona, on a busy market day. You could run into locals and foreigners alike. Farmers, clergy, members of the civic community, artisans, nobility, peasants, and soldiers. There were always soldiers from somewhere. On campaign passing through the city. And of course merchants. Merchants of anything and everything, selling all sorts of goods imported into the city from one of the many trading routes leading there.  There were spices, herring, honey, oysters, fine wines, pepper, clothes, dyes, cloth, fake gold, iron, leather, paper, soap, hats, sugar, just to name a few of their wares. Although the city was under the control of the Venetian state, life was precarious. Safety was never assured, and wars between the French, the Spanish, the Austrians, and even neighboring states was a constant danger.  The people of Cremona lived in an ever present shadow of war.  John Gagne. John Gagne  Venice also had a claim on Cremona. So, part of it was that it was, Cremona was being tugged in three directions, the French claimed it, Cremona actually broke away from the Duchy of Lombardy in 1499 when the French took over and it gave itself to Venice for nine years or something and then the French captured it back. There was a lot of back and forth. For strategic reasons, obviously, it was a, for all the reasons we've described, it was a desirable city in terms of its productivity, it's revenue and that kind of thing.  Exactly. Yeah. Moles everywhere.  And so, uh, but there was also, interestingly, and maybe this is characteristic of Cremona, there was also a large sort of community of resistors to a lot of the foreign occupation. There's one great story about. In the 1520s, as the Cremonese were trying to escape from French oversight that 500 rebels against the French entered the city disguised as peasant grocers to lead a revolt from within. So that's the kind of thing that's going on all the time is an attempt to pull the city in one direction or another, often by the residents themselves that are trying to fight against whoever is in control. Yeah, it's, it's tremendously, um, tumultuous until basically the, French totally withdraw. And it's, as I said, Cremona is the last city other than Milan that the French withdraw from. And so it was really kind of like a war zone. In the story of the 16th century though, if I can tell big stories for a second, is one of recovery. So through the, let's say up to 1600, uh, there's a lot of recovery going on, economic recovery, you know, a post war boom of some sorts where the city is reestablishing its earlier successes. And then after 1600, there's a slide downwards that comes as a result of a number of things, including the 1630 plague and the 30 years war, which runs from 1618 to 1648. And that really, Sets most of Italy on an economic decline that's, that it never really recovers from, you know, until the 19th century. Linda Lespets One day when Andrea was seven years old, news came of the brutal sacking of the city of Brescia by the French. I speak about this in the very first episode of the Violin Chronicles. Brescia was only 60 kilometres away and also part of the Venetian state. Would Cremona be next?  Word came that Bergamo had paid the French 60, 000 ducats to avoid a similar fate.  Cremona was not in danger, just now. But after some complicated manoeuvring, the city was now being ruled by the Dukes of Milan, the Sforzas. Battles were being fought and armies were passing through the city, again. But life went on, and Andrea would grow up in this time of uncertainty, with continual war looming on the horizon. A horizon that could be seen from the top of that really tall bell tower. We were just talking about the terrazzo. At around the age of 14, Andrea would have started learning his trade. He was most likely apprenticed to an instrument maker, or learnt from his father, perfecting his skills and honing his craftsmanship.  In the Amati household, after several years, Andrea would have finished his apprenticeship, become a craftsman, and continue to work under a master for many years. He would live through the turbulent years in his town until he reached the age of 30, when the city changed hands once again and was now controlled by the Spanish.  The irony of this war was that the Spanish created relative peace and stability by investing in local infrastructure and injecting money into the region. They absolutely wanted to keep other powers out, and ended up creating a bubble of stability for the area.  John Gagne explains how the Spanish came to rule Lombardy and Cremona.  John Gagne I should say that the whole century was a bit messy, or the first half of the century was very messy.  The first thing to say is that the Spanish and the French had been, in Italy for centuries. So, the Spanish had ruled, or the House of  Aragon had ruled the Kingdom of Naples on and off with the Angevins of France  since the 13th century. So, in the south of Italy, there had been a kind of give and take between France and Spain over the rulership of, Italy's largest kingdom since the Middle Ages and this had been going on even earlier in Sicily. So, there's kind of an upward movement of this contest between the crown of France and the crowns of Spain that then breaks out at the end of the 15th century when both the Spanish and the French try to gain more territory in Italy. The fulcrum for their dispute, well, it starts actually in, not surprisingly in Naples, but the Spanish managed to keep Naples after some tumults between the 1490s and the 1510s. But in the north the French succeed for the first 30 years of the century. So the French establish, they take over the entire duchy of Lombardy. They kick out the Milanese dukes, more or less. I mean, there's a lot of fighting. They come back three times. So there's a lot of in and out of regimes.  So the French succeed and in fact, Cremona is in French hands for the longest of any city in the Duchy and is one of the most fought over. There's a lot of violence in Cremona through the 1530s, and there's a lot of tension with the French occupiers through that period as well. In fact, there's a great chronicle in the civic library of Cremona that I've looked at, which is vivid that just in describing the suffering of the people of Cremona in the first 30 years of the 16th century. Then the Spanish crown manages to kick the French out and they say they claim the duchy of Lombardy for themselves, which in truth they did have some claim to because the Spanish crown became soldered to the Holy Roman Empire.  In 1500, when the little prince, Charles V, inherited both the Spanish crown and the Holy Roman Empire. So in one person, you had that trans European claim on a lot of territories. So it's largely thanks to the inheritance of Charles V that he could lay claim to the Duchy of Milan. which finally came into his hands in 1535 when the last of the native Dukes died. And then, it basically remained in Spanish hands until the 18th century. Much of Italy was under Spanish rule of some kind, until the 18th century. And maybe the key, the last thing to say here about how Cremona became Spanish was that, Emperor Charles V retired. He handed, he broke up this unified dominion over much of Europe and handed off different parts to different people. His son became, King Philip II of Spain. And in the 1540s, the late 1540s, King Philip established personal rule over the Duchy of Milan. And in that case, you know, he sent a lot more, governors to Italy to take over and make sure that his own orders were being enforced. So by 1550, let's say, by the time Andrea Amati is an adult man, the government he's working under is run by a Spaniard. Although the, let's say, the city of Cremona is still being overseen by a largely Italian group of magistrates under the rulership of these Spanish representatives.  The Spanish monarchy took over from the Sforza Lodge in 1535 and would retain power that would last for the next 200 years or thereabouts. Linda Lespets This same period of Spanish occupation would coincide with a golden period of violin making in Cremona and would englobe the lives of the four next generations of our Amati family. This brings us to the end of the first episode in this series on Andrea Amati.  The picture we have of Cremona in the early 16th century is of a busy commercial hub full of artisans, not particularly many instrument makers, yet things are about to change on that front. Despite the city being battered by wars, the people are particularly resilient, if somewhat warlike, and as you will see in the upcoming episodes, they will have to face even greater odds to survive and thrive. All the while creating some of the most beautiful instruments we have surviving today.   I'd like to thank my guests, Carlo Chiesa,  Benjamin Hebbert, and Dr. John Gagne for sharing their knowledge with us today.  Thank you so much for listening to this podcast and I'll catch you next time on The Violin Chronicles. Whether you're a seasoned musician, a lover of classical music, or simply curious about the art of violin-making, “The Violin Chronicles” is the perfect podcast for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of one of the greatest craftspeople in history. Join us as we explore the life, work, and legacy of Andrea Amati, and discover the secrets of his enduring genius. The music you have heard in this episode is by Unfamiliar faces – All good folks, Bloom - Roo Walker, Getting to the bottom of it –, Fernweh Goldfish, Le Magicien- Giulio Fazio, Industrial music box-Kevin Macleod, The penny drops- Ben Mcelroy, Gregorian chant- Kevin Macleod, Make believe-Giuolio Fazio, Casuarinas- Dan Barracuda, ACO live in the studio Baccherini

XIX: The Third Bolgia: Simoniacs. Pope Nicholas III. Dante's Reproof of corrupt Prelates.XX: The Fourth Bolgia: Soothsayers. Amphiaraus, Tiresias, Aruns, Manto, Eryphylus, Michael Scott, Guido Bon- atti, and Asdente. Virgil reproaches Dante's Pity. Mantua's Foundation.XXI: The Fifth Bolgia: Peculators. The Elder of Santa Zita. Malacoda and other Devils.

In 1531, Titian painted the incredibly sensuous image of Mary Magdalene for Duke Federico II of Mantua who, in turn, gifted it to the celebrated poetess Vittoria Colonna. By combining the two best-known versions of Mary Magdalene – prostitute and penitent – Titian produced a profound image of spiritual sublimation of the physical. 

After the failed Pazzi conspiracy and its bloody vengeful aftermath, Lorenzo has to face war against pope Sixtus IV AND Naples AND Urbino. As if that wasn't enough also plague and more plots.Then, would you believe it, another war, the salt war of Ferrara and once all that is over, a good old teenage Cardinal is on the way

Giulio Romano's "Room of the Giants" in the Palazzo Te is one of the most dramatic and unique pictorial cycles in history. Depicting the fall of the Titans to the Olympian gods, the colossal-scale figures, rounded corners, and illusionistic architecture create a veritable sense of virtual reality. It is a painting cycle with no beginning or end, where the spectator becomes part of the action, and the traditional subject-object relationship is destroyed. 

The Room of Psyche in the Palazzo Te in Mantua, Italy, is one of the most erotic pictorial cycles of the Renaissance. From the 9 ceiling paintings that depict the story of Cupid and Psyche, to the lunettes depicting the labors of Psyche, to the wall paintings depicting examples of divine and bestial love, as well as earthly and divine banquets celebrating the redemption of Psyche, the room is a veritable explosion of sensual and erotic imagery.  

Synopsis Today, a letter: written on this date in 1615 by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi to a friend at the court of the Duke of Mantua. The letter accompanied a vocal score that Monteverdi hoped would convince the Duke to commission a much larger work. After detailed instructions regarding the positioning of the singers and the instruments Monteverdi adds—almost as an afterthought—this line: “If you could let the singers and players see the music for an hour before His Highness hears it, it would be a very good thing indeed.” Talk about “authentic performance practice!” It probably took more than an hour's rehearsal for the U.S. premiere of American composer Steve Reich's intricate setting of four Hebrew psalm fragments—titled “Tehillim”—which took place in Houston, Texas, on today's date in 1981. Back then, Reich was already famous as one of America's leading “minimalist” composers, but a search for fresh directions coincided with Reich's rediscovery of his Jewish heritage, and “Tehillim” was the result. “For me,” says Reich, ”the most important aspect of a piece of music, mine or someone else's, is its emotional and intellectual effect on performers and audiences—I find it basically impossible to separate the emotional and intellectual aspects of a piece of music.“ Music Played in Today's Program Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Orfeo Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Erato 88032 Steve Reich (b. 1936) Tehillim Schoenberg Ensemble; Percussion group The Hague; Reinbert De Leeuw, Cond. Nonesuch 79295

The pictorial decoration inside of the Palazzo Te in Mantua, Italy, is some of the most inventive and delightful imagery of the Italian Renaissance. From the Room of Ovid, with representations of episodes from the "Metamorphoses," to the Room of the Imprese, with its many coat of arms and playful supporting putti, to the Room of the Sun and Moon Chariots, with its exceptional  "di sotto in sù" perspective, to the Hall of the Horses with its many equestrian portraits of Gonzaga prize-winning horses and accompanying images of the labors of Hercules, This episode will begin to unpack the extraordinary decoration inside of the Palazzo Te.

Time to leave behind the valley of souls, make our way out of Dis place and head back to the land of the living. As the guys wrap up this portion of the epic poem, it's hard to avoid a little bit of interpretive questioning: Why did Vergil couple Rome's glorious future with the tear-jerking, pathos-filled death of Marcellus? How did the man of Mantua really feel about Augustus? Is that lavish, spondaic poety sincere or is there some kowtowing to the guy who cuts his check? And perhaps most of all, why does Aeneas exit the Mall of Persephone through that gate of false dreams? Was it only to prevent the emergency-exit alarm from going off as he heads toward his Iliadic destiny? To get some answers, cast your anchor from the prow, face your sterns toward the shore, grab a bag of huggable portions, and tune in!

The Palazzo Te (1526-1535) was both designed and decorated by the great Mannerist artist and pupil of Raphael, Giulio Romano.  Built for the Marquis-turned-Duke of Mantua, Federico II Gonzaga, every detail of the building was intended to delight the visitor. This episode explores the history and architecture of this extraordinary pleasure palace.