From the 12th century to Renaissance, the Ordelaffi family ruled the commune of Forli, in Northern Italy. On and off. Also, on and off again. When they weren’t fighting others for the commune — Florence, the Emperor, the Pope — they were fighting each other, and in 1376, poison became a favorite weapon, when Sinibaldi I Ordelaffi poisoned first his uncle and then his cousin, so that he could have Forli. He’s not even our protagonist, though, because we lit, for this episode, on Pino III Orderlaffi, who started poisoning wives, a sibling, and his mom, and is therefore sort of iconic in the history of Ordelaffi badnesses. Michelle loved this episode, cause she got to learn all about poison in medieval and Renaissance Italy. She will tell you all about it.
Link to Transcript
Hey Anne and Michelle,
Thanks so much for another entertaining and intriguing episode from True Crime Medieval. This was such an interesting dive into how poisoning played a role in the human psyche during this time. My bet is on the arsenic, but I suppose anything is game. I am such a huge fan of the show, and always look forward to listening to the latest episodes. I nearly had a heart attack hearing you mention my name at the end of the episode, and I’m SO excited to hear you cover the Umayyad blood feast! You both are so wonderfully talented, and you bring such joy to this period of history.
Thanks for all that you do,
-Jacob Glemaker