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HistoryExtra podcast - The unification of Italy: everything you wanted to know
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The unification of Italy: everything you wanted to know

HistoryExtra podcast

05/03/25

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44m

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In 1861, the kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the various Italian states under one national banner. But what did it mean to be 'Italian' in the mid-19th century? How did the pope react to the concept of a united Italy? And why did so many British women fall in love with Garibaldi? In conversation with Spencer Mizen, historian David Laven answers listener questions on the campaign to unify Italy: the Risorgimento.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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What's the difference between private and public life – and where should we draw the line between the two? Over the centuries, these boundaries have often been blurred, as Tiffany Jenkins explores in her book Strangers and Intimates. In this episode, she speaks to Lauren Good about everything from the rigid separation of public and personal spheres in ancient Athens, to the privacy-busting spectacle of Big Brother.

(Ad) Tiffany Jenkins is the author of Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and Fall of Private Life (Pan Macmillan, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fstrangers-and-intimates%2Ftiffany-jenkins%2F9781529034165.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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Next Episode

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(Ad) Padraic X Scanlan is the author of Rot: A History of the Irish Famine (Basic Books, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rot-History-Padraic-X-Scanlan/dp/1472146875/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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