History on Fire cover art

History on Fire

History on Fire

By: Daniele Bolelli
Listen for free

Where history and epic collide--"History on Fire" is a podcast by author and university professor Daniele Bolelli. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • [RERUN] EPISODE 87: The ‘Death, Destruction and Damnation’ World Tour Reaches Florida

    [RERUN] EPISODE 87: The ‘Death, Destruction and Damnation’ World Tour Reaches Florida
    Jun 22 2026
    "I answered him that… I, as Captain-General of these provinces, was waging a war of fire and blood against all who came to settle these parts and plant in them their evil Lutheran sect... For this reason, I would not grant them a safe passage, but would sooner follow them by sea and land until I had taken their lives." Captain Pedro Menendez de Aviles “Finding they were all Lutherans, the captain-general ordered them all put to death; but, as I was a priest, and had bowels of mercy, I begged him to grant me the favor of sparing those whom we might find to be Christians. He granted it; and I made investigations, and found ten or twelve of the men Roman Catholics, whom we brought back. All the others were executed, because they were Lutherans and enemies of our Holy Catholic faith. All this took place on Saturday, September 29th, 1565.” Father Francisco Lopez Today’s story is packed with pirates, mutineers, and scores of people killing each other in the name of Jesus. I’m willing to bet that if I were to tell you that this episode will focus on the people who came to the area that would become U.S. to flee religious conflict in Europe and create a society according to their version of Christianity, most of you would think of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock in 1620, or perhaps Jamestown in 1607. But those are not the people I’ll be speaking about today. Our story is indeed about the first Protestants in North America but it predates the Pilgrims stepping off the Mayflower by 56 years, and the settling of Jamestown by 43 years. This is the tale of the first religious conflict between European nations within the boundaries of what will later become United States. Catholic Spaniards and French Protestants square off in Florida in the 1560s, when the European wars of religion do a brief stop in the Americas as part of their ‘death, destruction and damnation’ world tour. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOF YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Substack⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the details at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geek Nation Tours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please, check out this month’s sponsor at https://www.rula.com/hof for affordable, accessible therapy and mental health care. Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Purest Mushrooms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount. Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dakota Pure Bison⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout. This episode is supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arizona State University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life. My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wild Hunt Conditioning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 2 mins
  • [RERUN] EPISODE 86: The French Wars of Religion

    [RERUN] EPISODE 86: The French Wars of Religion
    May 18 2026
    “Nation… a term inherently so vague and so contradictory that it must always be taken in a mystic sense, as meaning whatever the ruling classes hold it convenient to mean at the moment.” Lewis Mumford This is a story about politics, faith, paranoia, betrayal and conspiracy theories. More specifically, this is about the origin of the French wars of religion. In this episode, we play with Martin Luther, the printing press, Caterina de Medici, the Merindol massacre, human Christmas decoration, and the Guise brothers. We’ll run into the king of France demanding to be a spectator to his teenage son and his bride having sex for the first time. We’ll see a queen drinking copious amounts of a mule’s urine to supposedly facilitate pregnancy. We’ll consider the fate of Count Sebastiano de Montecuccoli, who was accused of poisoning the heir to the throne so he was tied to four horses sent running in opposite directions. We’ll chat about Henry II who sent his 13-year-old to marry an enemy of the country, and then managed to die at a joust during her wedding celebrations. And of course, much, much more. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOF YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the details at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geek Nation Tours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. My daughter’s links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/isabellahanbolelli⁠⁠ Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Purest Mushrooms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount. Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dakota Pure Bison⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout. This episode is supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arizona State University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life. My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wild Hunt Conditioning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 43 mins
  • EPISODE 118: Woe to the Vanquished

    EPISODE 118: Woe to the Vanquished
    Apr 20 2026
    “Everything resounded with the confused noise of terrifying threats and shrieks of despairing anguish blended with the wailing of women and children.” - Livy Later this year, I will launch a podcast that will run separately from History on Fire, and it will be entirely dedicated to Roman history. Today, I’ll give you a little taste of what’s coming up. In this episode, I’ll share with you a tale from approximately the 390s BCE: it’s the story of Rome’s triumph over its Etruscan rival Veii, before disaster strikes in the forms of a tribe of Gauls sacking the city. Among today’s offerings: the myth of Sisyphus, the dictatorship of Marcus Furius Camillus, the massacre at Veii, the sin of hubris, Nemesis knocking at Rome’s door, the downfall of Rome’s hero, the Italian Celts, Gauls migrating because of wine, the botched diplomatic mission at Clusium, Taoist advice, Tolkien, the origin of panic, Rome’s elders facing the Gauls, the sacred geese, “Woe to the vanquished.” If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOF YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the details at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geek Nation Tours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. My daughter’s links: ⁠https://linktr.ee/isabellahanbolelli⁠ Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Purest Mushrooms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount. Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dakota Pure Bison⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout. This episode is supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arizona State University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life. My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wild Hunt Conditioning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 40 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
my history teaches were dull and never managed to capture my imagination with historical figures. Every now and then I tried to close gaps in my education be reading / listening audio books, but none managed to keep me interested.

This is the first resource I keep coming back to. Professor Danielle builds a comprehensive picture of each event and presents it in a way I find interesting and engaging 👍🏼

the first podcast which sparked my interest to history 🔥

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.