Saving History
Journey through medieval Europe's most extraordinary stories, from legendary knights and epic battles to royal scandals and forgotten heroes. Explore Crusades, Viking raids, castle sieges, Norman conquests, and the Black Death. Discover Charlemagne, Richard the Lionheart, Crusades, and medieval kings and queens who shaped history. Host Monte Schumacher, medieval historian and castle restoration expert, brings 1,000 years of European history to life with expert analysis. New episodes monthly. Where medieval Europe's greatest stories come alive.
Episodes
The Hammer of God: Charles Martel's Battle That Saved Christian Europe
⚔️ The Battle That Determined Europe's Faith
In October 732, two worlds collided on the fields near Tours. From the south came the greatest Muslim army ever assembled in Western Europe—80,000 veteran warriors who had conquered Spain and now threatened to sweep toward Rome itself. Standing in their path was Charles "The Hammer" Martel and his revo...
The Poisoner's Crown: Lucrezia Borgia and Renaissance Power
🏰 History's Most Misunderstood Woman
Was Lucrezia Borgia really Renaissance Italy's master poisoner? For 500 years, she's been called a seductive murderess and symbol of papal corruption. But modern scholarship reveals almost everything we've been told is wrong.
⚔️ Discover the Real Story:
- How a pope's illegitimate daughter became Europe's most...
Black Plague: The Four Years That Ended the Middle Ages
🏰 The Most Pivotal Pandemic in History
In October 1347, twelve plague ships limped into Sicily carrying death itself. What followed wasn't just Europe's deadliest pandemic—it was the complete transformation of medieval civilization in just four years. The Black Plague killed one-third of Europe's population and ended the Middle Ages forever.
⚔️ Discover How Four Year...
Frederick II: The Wonder of the World 👑
From orphaned street child to Europe's most powerful emperor
Orphaned at age 4 in 1198 Sicily, Frederick II defied impossible odds to become "Stupor Mundi." This forgotten child revolutionized medieval Europe through genius and controversy.
⚔️ Discover Medieval Genius:
• How diplomacy reclaimed Jerusalem when crusades failed
• Why he built Europe's first secular university
• What scientific experi...
Join us for an engaging after show discussion of our recent episode: "Richard the Lionheart's Perfect Castle and Phillip's Greatest Siege".We'll unpack Richard the Lionheart's revolutionary castle design, debate Philip's siege tactics, and explore how this pivotal moment transformed medieval warfare. From the controversial decision to maintain a winter siege to the ingenious use of the latrine chute fo...
Richard the Lionheart's Perfect Castle and Phillip's Greatest Siege
From revolutionary fortress design to history's most dramatic siege
Built in 1196 as the "perfect castle," Château Gaillard faced its ultimate test in 1203. Two kings' fate hung in the balance as revolutionary siege tactics met medieval engineering genius.
Discover Medieval Warfare:
• How Richard designed the most advanced castle ever built
• ...
Join us for an in-depth discussion about the Saving History podcast.
Don't forget to subscribe.
The Hidden Origin of Medieval Christmas
From pagan rituals to Christian celebrations in medieval Europe
December 1066: William the Conqueror chose Christmas Day for his coronation, transforming how medieval Europe celebrated the season. Discover the hidden stories behind traditions we still follow today.
Discover Medieval Christmas:
• How pagan Yule traditions merged with Christianity
• Why medieval feasts lasted twelve full days
• What...
Unveiling the Mysteries of Napoleon's Era
From secret love letters to enigmatic Sphinxes reshaping Europe
Paris 1804: While Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, mysterious Sphinxes watched from the Tuileries Palace. Discover the hidden stories behind fashion, cuisine, and covert diplomacy that defined an epoch.
Discover Napoleonic Secrets:
• What the enigmatic Tuileries Sphinxes truly symbolized
• How secret love letters shaped Europea...
Charlemagne: The Ripple Effects of a King
From tribal kingdoms to the foundation of modern Europe
Christmas Day 800: Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor, creating the Holy Roman Empire. One king's vision transformed a fractured continent into the foundation of modern European civilization.
Discover Charlemagne's Legacy:
• How military innovations conquered half of Europe
• Why diplomatic strategies united warring tribes
• Wh...
Viking Mythology: Gods and Giants
From the World Tree to Ragnarök across the Nine Worlds
8th century Scandinavia: Viking warriors carried Thor's hammer into battle, believing Odin watched from Valhalla. Discover how Norse mythology shaped an entire civilization and continues captivating imaginations today.
Discover Norse Legends:
• How Yggdrasil connects all Nine Worlds together
• Why Odin sacrificed his eye for wisdom
• What Thor...
Defenders of Constantinople: Last Stand
From thousand-year empire to history's most dramatic siege
May 29, 1453: Emperor Constantine XI drew his sword for the final battle as Ottoman cannons breached Constantinople's legendary walls. Witness the heroic last stand that ended the Roman Empire after 1,000 years.
Discover the Last Stand:
• How Constantine XI led against impossible odds
• Why Giovanni Giustiniani became a siege legen...
Leper Knights: Key Figures of the Order of St Lazarus
From medieval outcasts to legendary warriors of faith
Jerusalem 1119: Leper knights took vows others couldn't, fighting battles healthy men feared. The Knights of St Lazarus transformed outcasts into legends, redefining courage and chivalry in the medieval world.
Discover the Lazarites:
• How founding fathers created an order of outcasts
• Why lepers became the most fearless warr...
Anne Boleyn's Final Walk: Tower of London's Haunting Tale
From queen to condemned prisoner in Tudor England's most infamous execution
May 19, 1536: Anne Boleyn walked to the scaffold at Tower Green, the first English queen to face execution. Her rise and fall changed England forever, sparking the Reformation and shaping a dynasty.
Discover Anne's Legacy:• How she captured Henry VIII's heart and crown• Why political...
When Medieval Popes Went to War with Monarchs
From emperors kneeling in snow to popes besieged in castles
January 1077: Emperor Henry IV knelt barefoot in snow for three days at Canossa, begging Pope Gregory VII's forgiveness. Witness the epic power struggle between spiritual and temporal authority that shaped modern government.
Discover Medieval Power Wars:• How Gregory VII brought an emperor to his knees• Why Frederick II challe...
Rollo: The Viking Who Became a Duke
From Norse raider to Norman founder changing European history
911 CE: Viking warrior Rollo knelt before King Charles the Simple, trading his longship for a duchy. The Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte transformed a feared raider into Normandy's first duke, reshaping medieval Europe forever.
Discover Rollo's Transformation:• How a Viking warrior became a Christian duke• Why the Treaty of Saint-C...
The Viking Age: From Raids to Empires
From Lindisfarne monastery to North American shores across 300 years
793 CE: Viking longships struck Lindisfarne monastery, beginning three centuries of Norse expansion. From fearsome raiders to kingdom founders, Vikings reshaped medieval Europe through conquest, trade, and exploration.
Discover the Viking Legacy:• How the Lindisfarne raid launched the Viking Age• Why Norse shipbuilding revolution...
The Black Dinner: The Massacre That Shaped Scotland
From royal feast to political massacre in medieval Scotland
November 1440: Ten-year-old King James II watched helplessly as his regent murdered the powerful Douglas brothers at Edinburgh Castle. The Black Dinner massacre reshaped Scotland's political landscape and inspired Game of Thrones' Red Wedding.
Discover Scotland's Dark History:• How the Douglas clan rose to threat...
Medieval Knights: Chivalrous or Brutal?
From noble ideals to battlefield reality in medieval warfare
1099: Crusader knights prayed before battle, then slaughtered thousands at Jerusalem's capture. Explore the complex truth behind medieval knighthood - where chivalric codes met brutal warfare across three centuries.
Discover Knightly Reality:• How chivalric ideals shaped medieval society• Why the Crusades revealed knighthood's ...
The Real Musketeers: Who Were the King's Guard?
From Dumas fiction to historical fact at Louis XIII's court
1625: Real musketeer Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan arrived at Versailles, joining the elite guard that inspired literature's most famous heroes. Discover the truth behind the legendary Musketeers and their dangerous world of court intrigue.
Discover the True Musketeers:• How d'Artagnan became the King...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!