Famous People

H - 99 : Irene - Empress Ditched by the Pope

hbanziger

Apr 196 min read

H - 99 : Irene - Empress Ditched by the Pope

Empress Irene with her Son Constantine VI in the Hagia Sophia (12th Century Mosaic) Empress Theodora was not the only powerful woman in...

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H - 114 : Theodora - A Remarkable Empress

hbanziger

Apr 45 min read

H - 114 : Theodora - A Remarkable Empress

Was writing up the story of Emperor Justinian when I came across the story of his wife Theodora which is even more remarkable. Only 50...

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H - 152 : Saint Nicholas Day, 6 Dec 1977

hbanziger

Feb 265 min read

H - 152 : Saint Nicholas Day, 6 Dec 1977

It was a snowy winter evening when we approached the farm house where the Egloff family lived. A foot of fresh snow muffled the sound of...

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H - 160 : Did Hadrian Steal our Itinerary?

hbanziger

Feb 185 min read

H - 160 : Did Hadrian Steal our Itinerary?

Hadrian is one of the best known Roman Emperors. His legacy is present in so many places, one wonders how he achieved so much during just...

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G - 10 : Nizza Honours Garibaldi - Does it?

hbanziger

Jul 5, 20235 min read

G - 10 : Nizza Honours Garibaldi - Does it?

Garibaldi's Monument on Garibaldi Place in Nice Almost everybody knows Giuseppe Garibaldi and what he has done for the unification of...

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hbanziger

Jan 25, 20225 min read

F -203 : The Sultanate of Women

There are many fascinating aspects of the Ottoman Empire which we are going to discover this summer. One of them is the Sultanate of...

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E - 50 : Jean Parisot de Valette - the Man and the Legend

hbanziger

May 24, 20216 min read

E - 50 : Jean Parisot de Valette - the Man and the Legend

There are few people who have a capital named after them. President Washington comes to my mind as does Jean Parisot de Valette. When...

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E - 149 : Mercenaries, Refugees and Immigrants : Albanians in Southern Italy

hbanziger

Feb 12, 20213 min read

E - 149 : Mercenaries, Refugees and Immigrants : Albanians in Southern Italy

Arberesh Dance Group in Calabria Overnight, temperatures dropped sharply in the Ardèche. A beautiful, sunny week finished. Now a cold...

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D - 39: Important People in the Mediterranean - Suleiman the Magnificent

hbanziger

Jun 3, 20206 min read

D - 39: Important People in the Mediterranean - Suleiman the Magnificent

This will be my last blog about important people of the Mediterranean – I know there are many more but it is time to return to other...

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D - 40: Important People of the Mediterranean - Charles V.'s Strategic Dilemmas

hbanziger

Jun 1, 20206 min read

D - 40: Important People of the Mediterranean - Charles V.'s Strategic Dilemmas

Over the last 20 blogs I mentioned the name of Charles V. numerous times, often in a very specific context. Time to devote a full blog to...

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D - 42: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Pope Pius V

hbanziger

May 30, 20205 min read

D - 42: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Pope Pius V

Not everybody will be happy with my choice of person today: Pope Pius V. He was Pope and Bishop of Rome from 1566 – 1572 and probably one...

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D - 43: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Piri Reis

hbanziger

May 29, 20204 min read

D - 43: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Piri Reis

Most people won’t recognise the name of Piri Reis, or Captain Piri, the Turkish Admiral and cartographer to the Sultan, unless you are an...

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D - 44: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Andrea Doria

hbanziger

May 28, 20205 min read

D - 44: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Andrea Doria

In most of Europe and the US, Andrea Doria may not be a famous name. But in Italy it is. Who has several ships named after him? Most...

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D - 45: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Horatio Nelson

hbanziger

May 27, 20204 min read

D - 45: Famous People in the Mediterranean - Horatio Nelson

On our journey from Genoa to Sicily we will cross the path of some famous people who at one point in their life were busy in the area. Am...

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