Pope Julius II laid the cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica, one of Catholicism’s most sacred buildings.
21st June 1919: The German High Seas naval fleet is scuttled at Scapa Flow
21st June 2019
The Lateran Treaty recognised the Vatican City as an independent sovereign state under the authority of the pope and, in return, formally recognised the Kingdom of Italy with Rome as its capital.
22nd January 1506: Pope Julius II formally establishes the Pontifical Swiss Guard as the personal bodyguard of the Pope and the Vatican
- 22nd January 2025
- Tagged as: Bodyguard, Julius II, Mercenary, Papacy, Pontifical Swiss Guard, Pope, Pope Julius II, Rome, Swiss Guard, Switzerland, Vatican, Vatican City
Recognizing the military prowess of Swiss mercenaries, Pope Julius II obtained funding from the wealthy German merchant Jakob Fugger to fund a contingent of soldiers to ensure his safety, protect Vatican property, and assist in military engagements when necessary.
Relations between Catholicism and Judaism cover a long, complex and violent history in which Christians revered the Jewish scriptures yet held Jews collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.
The shortest papacy in history ended after just twelve days following the death of Pope Urban VII, shortly after he introduced Europe’s first smoking ban.
Antipope John XXIII made the Medici Bank the official bank of the Papacy.
HistoryPod Extra: The Myth of Gavrilo Princip’s Sandwich
28th June 2015
11th November 1918: WW1 Armistice of Compiègne is signed
11th November 2025
11th November 1918: WW1 Armistice of Compiègne is signed
11th November 2025
1st September 1939: Nazi Germany invades Poland
1st September 2018
9th November 1989: East Germany opens the Berlin Wall
9th November 2019