Venetian Stories https://venetianstories.com/episode/venetian-stories/ A podcast of Venetian Stories — episodes from the History of Venice from the time of Augustus until today. It is not a chronological narrative, but a series of freestanding episodes from the two millennia of Venetian history. However, for newcomers, the first few episodes are a quick-paced chronological narrative of the most important events. Start there, even if you arrive later. Podcast sponsored by History Walks Venice. Mon, 09 Nov 2026 21:42:23 +0000 en-GB Copyright © 2004–2026 René Seindal Bits and pieces of the History of Venice — podcast shaped René Seindal episodic A podcast of Venetian Stories — episodes from the History of Venice from the time of Augustus until today. It is not a chronological narrative, but a series of freestanding episodes from the two millennia of Venetian history. However, for newcomers, the first few episodes are a quick-paced chronological narrative of the most important events. Start there, even if you arrive later. Podcast sponsored by History Walks Venice. René Seindal rene@venetianstories.com false https://venetianstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Venetian-Stories-Podcast-logo.png Venetian Stories https://venetianstories.com/episode/venetian-stories/ yes 29577647-49f5-50bc-a34c-bdc09e48b854 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 Episode 35 — Patriarchs galore https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-35-patriarchs-galore/ Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:07:00 +0000 e29143df-341a-50b5-a73d-f33340634a8a Just as Venice gradually grew politically independent as an unintended result of the interactions with, and between the surrounding powers, the church organisation within Venetia also acquired some level of independence both from the papacy, and from the mainland powers. Unsurprisingly, the process which led to a separate Venetian church had very little to do with religion and faith.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks Venice

]]> Just as Venice gradually grew politically independent as an unintended result of the interactions with, and between the surrounding powers, the church organisation within Venetia also acquired some level of independence both from the papacy, and from the mainland powers. Unsurprisingly, the process which led to a separate Venetian church had very little to do with religion and faith.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks Venice

]]> false no 37:50 No no Episode 34 — The Duchy of the Venetians https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-34-the-duchy-of-the-venetians/ Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:16:00 +0000 103f41ba-b62a-530b-a98d-f8151b8b8279 As the Byzantine presence in northern Italy waned, and vanished, the Duchy of the Venetians was the only Byzantine territory left. Outside direct imperial control, the Venetians had to find their own way, and it wasn't easy. Early Venetian politics was therefore often turbulent, factional, violent and deadly.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks Venice

]]> As the Byzantine presence in northern Italy waned, and vanished, the Duchy of the Venetians was the only Byzantine territory left. Outside direct imperial control, the Venetians had to find their own way, and it wasn't easy. Early Venetian politics was therefore often turbulent, factional, violent and deadly.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks Venice

]]> false no 41:12 No no Episode 33 — The Demise of the Exarchate https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-33-the-demise-of-the-exarchate/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 04:59:00 +0000 c5dacaca-4742-5405-b649-3a5eebd6081d The events around the demise of the Exarchate of Ravenna only marginally involved the Venetians. It is nevertheless important to the history of Venice. Without the Exarchate, the empire was more distant, and Venetia was therefore less protected, but also less constrained.

Read the full transcript.

Errata corrige

  • It is not entirely correct, that we don't have any sources for the fate of exarch Eutychius. The Chronicon Salernitanum, written in the late 900s, has this passage: "Afterwards, Aistulf, a most cunning and fierce man, was elevated in the Kingdom. At this time, Eutychius, a Roman patrician, surrendered himself to Aistulf who at the same time won Comacchio, Ferrara and Istria in battle."

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

Translated sources

]]> The events around the demise of the Exarchate of Ravenna only marginally involved the Venetians. It is nevertheless important to the history of Venice. Without the Exarchate, the empire was more distant, and Venetia was therefore less protected, but also less constrained.

Read the full transcript.

Errata corrige

  • It is not entirely correct, that we don't have any sources for the fate of exarch Eutychius. The Chronicon Salernitanum, written in the late 900s, has this passage: "Afterwards, Aistulf, a most cunning and fierce man, was elevated in the Kingdom. At this time, Eutychius, a Roman patrician, surrendered himself to Aistulf who at the same time won Comacchio, Ferrara and Istria in battle."

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

Translated sources

]]> false no 45:15 No no Episode 32 — The first doges of Venice https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-32-the-first-doges-of-venice/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:11:00 +0000 33f52d13-ebd5-5eec-9efe-6431d3278933 If you thought fake news is a recent invention, think again. The traditional story of the first Venetian doges is little more than that, a made up story. Several of them probably didn't even exist, and if they did, weren't what we're told they were. Fake news from a thousand years ago, but well seasoned. You've been warned.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> If you thought fake news is a recent invention, think again. The traditional story of the first Venetian doges is little more than that, a made up story. Several of them probably didn't even exist, and if they did, weren't what we're told they were. Fake news from a thousand years ago, but well seasoned. You've been warned.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> false no 00:47:31 No no Episode 31 — The world of Venetia https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-31-the-world-of-venetia/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:58:13 +0000 eaaeabe3-fe1a-5391-ac6c-5ff72bab8888 The Venetians fleeing the Lombards migrated into the lagoons along the Adriatic coast. Lagoons in the plural, as there were several, but what kind of environment was that, why was it there, and how did the Venetian settle in?

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks

]]> The Venetians fleeing the Lombards migrated into the lagoons along the Adriatic coast. Lagoons in the plural, as there were several, but what kind of environment was that, why was it there, and how did the Venetian settle in?

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks

]]> false no 00:37:49 No no Episode 30 — Venetia Maritima https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-30-venetia-maritima/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:19:00 +0000 e95b1cd2-e317-5d48-b3a9-34d210efd0fa The invasion of the Lombards in 568 set in motion another migration. A part of the people of the Byzantine province of Venetia fled the Lombards, and headed for the areas which remained under the control of Constantinople.

A century later, the only territories not controlled by the Lombards were the lagoons from Grado in the north to Cavarzere in the south. This area was initially called Venetia Maritima, and later, the Duchy of the Venetians, or in Venetian: the dogado.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks

]]> The invasion of the Lombards in 568 set in motion another migration. A part of the people of the Byzantine province of Venetia fled the Lombards, and headed for the areas which remained under the control of Constantinople.

A century later, the only territories not controlled by the Lombards were the lagoons from Grado in the north to Cavarzere in the south. This area was initially called Venetia Maritima, and later, the Duchy of the Venetians, or in Venetian: the dogado.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks

]]> false no 00:33:38 No no Episode 29 — The Lombard Invasion https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-29-the-lombard-invasion/ Wed, 13 May 2026 05:07:00 +0000 72db5258-7309-5a0d-b7f1-11b13aebd62d The Lombard invasion of Byzantine Italy in 568 was a pivotal event in Venetian history. The invasion and the conquests that followed, led to an increased importance of the lagoon settlements, to a slow demise of Byzantine control in north-east Italy, to the establishment of a semi-independent church in the lagoons, and ultimately to Venetian statehood.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Wallks

External

]]> The Lombard invasion of Byzantine Italy in 568 was a pivotal event in Venetian history. The invasion and the conquests that followed, led to an increased importance of the lagoon settlements, to a slow demise of Byzantine control in north-east Italy, to the establishment of a semi-independent church in the lagoons, and ultimately to Venetian statehood.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Wallks

External

]]> false no 00:38:09 No no Episode 28 — The early sources https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-28-the-early-sources/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:49:00 +0000 c2289ecc-fd70-5ee3-9924-a773d47c43de What we know about the early history of Venice comes almost entirely from a dozen or so medieval chronicles, which were copied from each other in ways which are difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle. Moreover, the chronicles come to us as copies of copies of copies, more, but often less complete.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> What we know about the early history of Venice comes almost entirely from a dozen or so medieval chronicles, which were copied from each other in ways which are difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle. Moreover, the chronicles come to us as copies of copies of copies, more, but often less complete.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> false no 00:32:27 No no Episode 27 — Cassiodorus https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-27-cassiodorus/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:09:00 +0000 d091b82c-5d13-5f71-b93f-e61a84c5fe56 March 25th is supposedly the birthday of Venice. That might be true, or it might not be because we have no primary sources for such an event, and no archaeological evidence.

The oldest written source we have, which mentions the earliest residents of the lagoons, is a letter somebody sent them, from around 537.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> March 25th is supposedly the birthday of Venice. That might be true, or it might not be because we have no primary sources for such an event, and no archaeological evidence.

The oldest written source we have, which mentions the earliest residents of the lagoons, is a letter somebody sent them, from around 537.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

]]> false no 1:05:43 No no Episode 26 — Sewage https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-26-sewage/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:48:00 +0000 72bce3d1-2b01-52d0-b1bc-495b280df662 One of the most common questions I get on my walking tours, is about sewage. Where does it go? Are the canals open sewers? What about Katharine Hepburn?

Now, Venice does have a sewage system, sort of, and it usually works, until it doesn't.

The reason for this — somewhat shorter — episode, is that for us, last week, it didn't.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Illustrations

]]> One of the most common questions I get on my walking tours, is about sewage. Where does it go? Are the canals open sewers? What about Katharine Hepburn?

Now, Venice does have a sewage system, sort of, and it usually works, until it doesn't.

The reason for this — somewhat shorter — episode, is that for us, last week, it didn't.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Illustrations

]]> false no 21:34 No no Episode 25 — The Venetian Carnival https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-25-the-venetian-carnival/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:11:00 +0000 26ce15b6-ad50-59c7-b9da-0eb09b3c502a The Venetian carnival was famous, and was so already in the Middle Ages. Kings travelled across Europe to see the Venetian carnival. It was one of the must-see things for travellers to Venice.

The carnival was not, however, like the modern cheap replica.

The ancient Venetian carnival sported such noble activities as pig-chasing in the alleyways, a flying Turk delivering flowers, and the public execution of a bull by sword.

Read the full transcript.

Links

History Walks Venice.

Images

The first six illustrations are from Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch. The print is from Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane (1610) by Giacomo Franco, and the painting by Pietro Longhi (1751).

]]> false no 43:43 No no Episode 24 — Festa delle Marie https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-24-festa-delle-marie/ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:52:00 +0000 4f828b40-a0bf-567b-9fba-18c3331239b0 Intro

Legends are important. They're told, retold and promoted for many reasons. All societies have their legends, and Venice had too. Some such legends become part of a national narrative, which is one of the glues holding together a society. In this episode, we'll discuss a few such legends, so get ready for pirates, maidens, box-makers, fierce battles, and good wine and oranges.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 40:16 No no Episode 23 — Venice treacle — the cure-all remedy https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-23-venice-treacle-the-cure-all-remedy/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:23:00 +0000 aa07c077-c493-5bd5-b7f0-ccc0cbd2ae36 The Serenissima produced and exported treacle, both to Western Europe and to the Ottoman Empire. It was a flourishing business for centuries, and an important part of the Venetian economy. Venice treacle, however, wasn't some sweet sugary substance. It was an ancient medicine, which supposedly could prevent or cure almost anything.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Images

]]> false no 40:45 No no Episode 22 — Happy New Year https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-22-happy-new-year/ Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:25:00 +0000 23b18161-f3a5-5fa2-80af-47cef8e5209c We celebrate New Year on January 1st, as most Europeans have done for half a millennium or more.

So, too, did most Venetians, but the Republic of Venice — that is, the state as opposed to the people — celebrated the New Year on March 1st, and did so officially until the fall of the republic in 1797.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 18:32 No no Episode 21 — The Plague Doctor https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-21-the-plague-doctor/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:29:00 +0000 6c9a8b75-beed-53f8-a567-e0de64ba3014 The plague doctor, long black cloak, pointy fingers, beaked mask with empty eyes. A giant black raven, the harbinger of a terrible death.

We all know that image. It is part of our culture and mythology. That was how medieval plague doctors looked, right?

Well, guess who didn't know about the beaked plague doctor? The plague doctors of the 1500s and 1600s didn't know about the beaked plague doctor.

Yet, they were him. Or were they?

Read the full transcript.

Links

Newsletters

History Walks website

Images of the plague doctor

Sebastiano Zecchini — Roma e Perugia 1656 Gerhard Altzenbach — Germany 1656 Paulus Fürst — Germany 1656 Grevembroch — Venezia c. .1750]]> false no 41:32 No no Episode 20 — Venice and the plague – part 4 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-20-venice-and-the-plague-part-4/ Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:03:00 +0000 70347dc0-bcde-50f8-aad0-a4bd3d18d67c After the epidemic of 1630, the Venetians had little choice but to keep their guards up and stay alert. Their only defence was prevention. The plague was still be endemic in Europe for another century and a half, and Venice wasn't immune. A city can only lose 40% of its population, so often.

Read the full transcript.

Images

Links

History Walks Venice

]]> false no 37:35 No no Episode 19 — Venice and the plague – part 3 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-19-venice-and-the-plague-part-3/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:54:00 +0000 417018d6-5240-551a-897e-310c68212b85 During the 1400s, Venice had created defensive structures against the recurring outbreaks of the plague, and these measures kept Venice mostly safe for much of the following centuries. Mostly.

Read the full transcript.

Links

History Walks Venice

]]> false no 34:55 No no Episode 18 — Venice and the plague – part 2 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-18-venice-and-the-plague-part-2/ Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:29:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12542 Welcome to another episode of death and suffering.

Last time we mostly talked about what the plague is, and what people of the time thought the plague was. This time we'll talk about what the Venetians did, based on their knowledge and beliefs of the plague.

Read the full transcript.

Links

History Walks Venice

]]> false no 33:42 No no Episode 17 — Venice and the plague – part 1 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-17-venice-and-the-plague-part-1/ Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:54:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12504 In 1348 — or maybe late in 1347 — a ship arrived in Venice with an unexpected — and unwanted — cargo.

From the Black Sea, besides the normal goods of hemp, fur, cotton and silk, it brought the plague to Venice.

From Venice, the plague moved onwards to all of Western Europe.

Millions died in what was probably one of the largest disasters ever to hit the continent.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 33:12 No no Episode 16 — The game of Pallone https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-16-the-game-of-pallone/ Thu, 28 Aug 2025 05:27:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12439 Introduction

Ball games were popular in the past. While some of them have modern descendants, most of the many ball games of the past are now completely forgotten.

In this episode, we'll talk about proper ball games: noble games for decent people.

Calcio, as discussed in the previous episode, wasn't a real ball game.

So what was a real and noble game for decent people?

Read the full transcript.

Links

Venetian Stories podcast

Venetian Stories newsletter

History Walks Venice

Images

]]> false no 30:27 No no Episode 15 — The game of Calcio https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-15-the-game-of-calcio/ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:26:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12385 I fell down a rabbit hole, and a rather deep one at that.

It is all the fault of a 1500s priest and philosopher, who wrote a treatise on ball games. That rang a bell with some Venetian works of art that I knew of, so I set out to understand what ball games they were playing.

Big mistake there, and the price is two episodes on the ball games Venetian played centuries ago.

This time: the game of Calcio — a kicking ball game.

Read the full transcript.

Links

History Walks Venice

Illustrations

]]> false no 29:20 No no Episode 14 — The War of the Castle of Love https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-14-the-war-of-the-castle-of-love/ Wed, 30 Jul 2025 05:16:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12323 When playing at war for fun and romance turned into real war, with sieges, baggage trains, warships, winners and losers, who feared for their lives, and white chicken, lots of white chicken.

Read the full transcript.

Illustrations

Links

]]> false no 30:28 No no Episode 13 — Nobles and Citizens https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-13-nobles-and-citizens/ Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:05:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12298 What did it mean to be a nobleman or noblewoman in the Republic of Venice? What did it mean not to be noble?

This is not as simple as it sounds.

All people were absolutely not equal in the Republic of Venice.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 38:21 No no Episode 12 — Some institutions of the Republic of Venice https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-12-some-institutions-of-the-republic-of-venice/ Wed, 02 Jul 2025 05:27:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12229 The story of Bianca Cappello, as told in the two previous episodes, mostly unfolded in Tuscany, but there are some interesting interactions with the Republic of Venice. She was, after all, a Venetian noblewoman, and her actions had legal and diplomatic repercussions in Venice.

Read the full transcript.

Links

The Bianca Cappello episodes are:

About the Venetian institutions on History Walks Venice:

]]> false no 30:02 No no Episode 11 — Bianca Cappello, part 2 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-11-bianca-cappello-part-2/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 05:11:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12172 Bianca Cappello had eloped to Florence with her lover, whom she soon after married. She then became the mistress of the prince regent of the Duchy of Florence. Her husband took a mistress of his own, but her family murdered him on Blanca's doorstep. Does all that sound bad? Well, it's getting worse.

Transcript: the approximate text for this episode on the History Walks Venice website.

See also

]]> false no 26:29 No no Episode 10 — Bianca Cappello, part 1 https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-10-bianca-cappello-part-1/ Wed, 04 Jun 2025 05:16:00 +0000 https://venetianstories.com/?post_type=podcast&p=12147 In 1563, a young Venetian noblewoman eloped with her lover, never to come back to Venice again. She went on to have an eventful, and highly unusual life, in Florence.

Transcript: the approximate text for this episode on the History Walks Venice website.

See also

Bianca Cappello in Florence

]]> false no 27:39 No no Episode 9 — Subject city https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-9-subject-city/ Wed, 07 May 2025 05:20:00 +0000 78617c73-599b-574f-bd10-1f14b89bb319 The decline of Venice didn't end with the loss of statehood. Attempts at modernising Venice have failed, and the result is an economic monoculture of mass tourism, and a constant demographic decline.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 30:48 No no Episode 8 — Decline and fall https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-8-decline-and-fall/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 05:03:00 +0000 ea2a6fbe-c192-51c4-9c5b-e4201a6b3397 The 1600s and 1700s were a period of slow decline for Venice, until the Republic of Venice fell to Napoleon in 1797.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 31:39 No no Episode 7 — Changing geography https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-7-changing-geography/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:46:00 +0000 d3187562-d9ba-5af1-a906-fea798217988 The 1400s and 1500s were centuries of enormous change for Venice, and for the rest of the world. The changing geography moved Venice from a central position in European trade to the margins.

Read the full transcript.

]]> false no 29:23 No no Episode 6 — Wealth, power and empire https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-6-wealth-power-and-empire/ Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:42:34 +0000 fa34e358-6a2d-586e-b58e-41da2a614329 Conquest, empire, naval battles, conspiracies, insurrections. The 1200s and 1300s were interesting times for Venice.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 30:24 No no Episode 5 — Ascendancy https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-5-ascendancy/ Wed, 12 Mar 2025 06:06:00 +0000 66833bc2-a537-53b1-9dcf-9e624e9aea63 Venice became a more important state in the 1000s and 1100s, and started to build not only their trading empire, but also more equal relations to the Byzantine Empire, the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope in Rome.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 26:59 No no Episode 4 — Becoming a state https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-4-becoming-a-state/ Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:05:00 +0000 f33effd1-8551-5a9d-a541-35969ef957f6 Venice appeared as a kind of, but not quite, sovereign polity in the late 700s and 800s. Venetian society, no longer governed directly by Constantinople, nor really independent, had to survive between the two super-powers of their time, Byzantium and the Carolingian Empire.

Read the full transcript.

Links

]]> false no 32:33 No no Episode 3 — The Roman and Byzantine period https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-3-roman-and-byzantine-period/ Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:21:09 +0000 8af7b7a7-d263-500b-8179-941230acda75 The origins of Venice go back to Roman times, long before there was a Venetian state, and a city called Venice.

Read the full transcript.

Links

Past episodes in the “Early Venice” series.

History Walks Venice:

Sources:

]]> false no 26:52 No no Episode 2 — The Long Arc https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-2-the-long-arc/ Sat, 01 Feb 2025 14:15:04 +0000 f2a1920a-e7a3-5c23-9242-ec19de78788d The History of Venice spans some two millennia, and in this first episode of the podcast I'll try to draw some long lines from the very earliest times until the current.

Read the full transcript.

]]> false no 26:02 No no Episode 1 — Introduction https://venetianstories.com/podcast/episode-1-introduction/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:19:21 +0000 96dfabac-6411-58df-882e-9374df2251ce A brief introduction of the Venetian Stories podcast, and your guide, René Seindal.

Read the full transcript.

References

The intro music

The musicis a galiarda (English: galliard), called Su l'herba fresca, performed by Accademia Strumentale Italiana.

This specific piece might have been written for the occasion of the wedding of Cosimo de' Medici and Eleonora de Toledo in 1539.

Galliards, which were very popular in the 1500s, were a dance form characterised by athletic jumps on certain steps, and in some cases, they were used for physical exercise.

]]> false no 9:40 No no