City Breaks

Munich Episode 07 Munich and the rise of Hitler Episode 7 tells the story of Munich's connection with Hitler, from his arrival in the city in 1913 until the start of World War 2 in 1939. How did Munich come to be known as the 'Hauptstadt der Bewegung', or 'Capital of the (National Socialist) Movement'? Hear how a speech by Hitler in Munich's Hofbräuhaus ended in bloodshed on Odeonsplatz in 1923, a...

Munich Episode 06 The Town Centre Starting in Marienplatz, hear about the two – yes, two – Town Halls and the quaint daily marionette shows: why does the blue-and-white knight always win the daily jousting competition and what are the coopers frolicking about? Then we visit the Peterskirche (Munich’s oldest church) and the Frauenkirche (her biggest), plus others offering sunny, Italian-feel baroqu...

Munich Episode 05 Ludwig's Dream Castles We're going on a virtual tour of some of the fairy-tale castles built by Ludwig II in the Bavarian countryside so we can enjoy their magnificent, some would say insane, splendour.  Hear about Neuschwanstein, believed to have been the inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and Linderhof, where even the hunting lodge was crafted from marble,...

Munich Episode 04 Ludwig II Ludwig II, the flamboyant and ultimately tragic King of Bavaria who reigned from 1864 to 1886, is remembered for his physical beauty, but also for his strange behaviour. He often retreated from Munich to the Bavarian forest, where he enjoyed midnight sleigh rides and dreamed up the ever-more-extravagant decorating plans for his fairy-tale castles. His declining mental h...

Munich Episode 03 Schloss Nymphenburg Find out which baby Wittelsbach had the Nymphenburg Palace built in his honour and which family member built a hermitage in the garden to make up for a lifetime of revels. Discover such highlights as the picture gallery filled with portraits of Ludwig I's favourite women and the hunting lodge with its own hall of mirrors. Then meet two colourful personalities...

Munich Episode 02 The Residenz A brief history of Munich's most visited tourist attraction, the Residenz, is followed by tips on what is most worth seeing, such as the grottos where 19th century ball-goers did their eating, meeting and greeting and the Treasury with its crowns and ostrich-egg-holder. Then we introduce the Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria from this palace between 1180 and 1918...

Munich Episode 01 Introduction to City Breaks Munich http://citybreakspodcast.co.uk

Florence Episode 19 Literary Florence The final episode on Florence focuses on a selection of the many literary writings connected to the city, beginning with the Tuscan writers Petrarch and Boccacio and the English poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Then four novels set in Florence are covered:Irving Stone’s biographical novel about Michelangelo,The Agony and the Ecstasy, Galil...

Florence Episode 18 History and Travel Writing First a brief look at some history books which have much to tell about Florence, and then glimpses into the many different writings of those – famous and not-so-famous – who have travelled to Florence and then written about it. There is a whole selection of quotes from travellers as varied as the actor David Garrick enjoying the city's 'fine profusion...

Florence Episode 17 The Uffizi This episode is devoted to the Uffizi, Florence's world-famous art gallery, offering a short history of the gallery and an overview of its treasures. The main focus is then on a number of highlights by Italian painters, such as the three glorious Madonnas (by Ducio, Cimabue and Giotto respectively) displayed together in the first main room plus, of course, Botticelli...

Florence Episode 16 Michelangelo Of course, Michelangelo deserves an episode to himself and this is it. First, hear about the museums which display his work, including the Bargello and the Accademia. Then, there's a brief biography, focussing particularly on his Florence connections, especially his time as a youngster under the care and sponsorship of Lorenzo il Magnifico. Despite a long period wo...

Florence Episode 15 San Marco Perhaps one of Florence's lesser-known pleasures, San Marco's tranquil atmosphere and beautiful frescos are a delight. Hear a brief history of the building, including its connections to Cosimo de Medici and the 'mad monk' Savonarola, both of whose rooms you can visit. Find out too about the 43 monks' cells, each with their own fresco, the Pilgrim's Hospice and the Lib...

Florence Episode 14 Galileo Amid all the art and culture in Florence, it’s important to remember that the city also has a special place in the history of science, most notably as the home of Galileo.  This episode begins with a biography, including his links to the Medici family, his main work and his controversial dispute with the catholic church, whose doctrine was in direct opposition to Galile...

Florence Episode 13 The Palazzo Pitti Hear how the Medicis lorded it over the Pittis by buying up the grand palace which the latter could no longer afford. There are brief biographies of various Medici, some who patronised the arts and sciences and others who murdered each other to ensure their own succession. Find out which one was the 'the spendthrift cardinal' and which one was said to have 'pa...

Florence Episode 12 Machiavelli This episode takes time out from visiting the sights of Florence in order to get to know more about one of the city's most famous inhabitants: Nicolo Machiavelli, one-time Secretary to the Council of Florence, but much better known to us for his writings.  Hear about his life at the centre of Florence's politics, his banishment to the countryside when he fell out of...

Florence Episode 11 The Palazzo Vecchio Find out why Duke Cosimo di Medici moved his family into the Palazzo Vecchio, the building which was originally his office, and how he and his Spanish wife Eleonora di Toledo made it both a symbol of the power of the Medici family and a comfortable home for themselves and their numerous children.  Hear too how Machiavelli worked from here and about some of t...

Florence Episode 10 Piazza della Signoria First, find out about some of the historical events which took place in the Piazza della Signoria across the centuries, then hear about the main works of art to be found there.  The final section tells the story of the 15th century mad monk Girolamo Savonarola, whose fiery preaching persuaded the citizens of Florence to burn most of their precious possessi...

Florence Episode 09 Around San Lorenzo Staying near San Lorenzo church, first a visit to the Laurentian Library, with its Michelangelo staircase and reading room, plus a magnificent collection of ancient books and manuscripts.  Next, we take in the nearby Medici Chapel, where over 50 family members are buried, some of them in the splendidly over-decorated mausoleuim on the upper floor.  And to fin...

Florence Episode 08 San Lorenzo A description of the San Lorenzo district in medieval times, plus a visit to the Medici family church, famous for its artwork, especially the two pulpits by Donatello, who is buried here alongside his friend and sponsor, Cosimo di Medici.  Biographies of both men conclude the episode. 

Florence Episode 07 Palazzo Medici-Riccardi The first Palazzo the Medici built themselves is plain outside, but fabulous inside - find out why and hear about some of the artwork inside.  And hear the history of the first few generations of this amazing family who ruled Florence for two centuries.

Florence Episode 06 Santa Maria Novella A brief history of Santa Maria Novella - including the exotic visitors who came to the Council of Florence and the arrival of Eleanor of Toledo - and then a description of the church as a thriving artistic community in medieval days, one which nurtured such talents as Cimabue, Giotto and Fra Lippi.

A tour of Santa Croce involves visiting some of Italy's most famous tombs (think Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo ...), remembering the devasting floods of 1966 and seeing the symbol of the city's recovery from flood damage in the shape of Cimabue's rescued-from-the-waters crucifix.

Florence Episode 04 Dante.  The story of Dante's life in Florence, plus some of his writing and tips on where to look for him in the city today.

Florence Episode 03  Around the duomo.   A brief history of three buildings closely connected to the duomo, namely the baptistery, Giotto's  bell tower and the Cathedral Museum, along with pointers to the works of art to look out for in each.

Florence Episode 02 Inside the duomo Stories from inside Florence's cathedral: all about the painting 'Dante's Divine Comedy', how Brunelleschi designed the dome and why a murder was committed in front of the altar in 1478.