221: End of the Age of Hauteville

221: End of the Age of Hauteville

Author: Jonathon LaRosa September 9, 2026 Duration: 48:28

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SEASON 9: ARCHITECTS OF STABILITY

EPISODE 221: End of the Age of Hauteville

It began with William Iron Arm and Drogo, then passed to Humphrey, then was wrestled away by Robert Guiscard…These men all died in their turn, leaving but one remaining. Roger de Hauteville was left to keep his two rowdy nephews at arm’s length from each other while he consolidated his life’s work in Sicily and Calabria. Great Count Roger was without question the last great Norman conqueror, and his death didn’t necessarily end Norman supremacy, but it did put an exclamation point on the unbelievably dangerous and effective push for Norman conquest across the medieval world. Though his son, if you can believe it, will grow to eclipse him, Roger de Hauteville left an indelible mark on Mediterranean history. This is the final chapter of his story.


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Jonathon LaRosa hosts Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story, a series dedicated to pulling the medieval period out of the shadows of misconception. It’s an exploration of how the brutal power struggles, explosive changes, and surprising alliances of that distant time directly shaped the borders, cultures, and traditions we navigate in the present. Each episode is built on a foundation of relentless research, but it’s delivered as gripping narrative, letting you hear the clash of swords and the whispers in royal courts as if you were there. This isn't just a dry recounting of dates and kings; it's about resurrecting the lived experience of our ancestors, the forgotten people whose decisions and dramas set our world in motion. By untangling the intricate web of stories that span continents and centuries, the podcast reveals the medieval era for what it truly was: the essential, volatile crucible of modernity. Tune in to discover how the turning of fortune’s wheel in the past still echoes in our politics, our conflicts, and our identities today.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story
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