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The Scorpion

Episode 5 of 10

Cellini roams between the great Italian courts, making art and causing trouble. He murders his brother’s killer before being falsely imprisoned for stealing the pope’s jewels.

Jerry Brotton is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and wants us to take a fresh look at a period in European history usually associated with beauty, harmony and art. His approach contains a health warning: the Renaissance was a lot darker and violent than many of us have imagined. Retracing the life of Benvenuto Cellini through his shocking autobiography, Jerry reveals how this was a time of conflict as well as beauty, creativity as well as tyranny.

Cellini roams between the great Italian Renaissance courts, at ease in making art and causing trouble. He conjures devils in the Colosseum and murders his brother’s killer before being falsely imprisoned for stealing the pope’s jewels.

Reader Marco Gambino

Producer Mark Rickards

A Whistledown Scotland Production

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14 minutes

Last on

Fri 28 Jul 2023 22:45

Broadcasts

  • Fri 26 Mar 2021 22:45
  • Fri 28 Jul 2023 22:45

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