In this 35-minute video podcast, we look on the dramatic and scandalous story of Marco of Caderzone (ca.1430-1490), the illegitimate son of Count Giorgio Lodron.

The 1400s was a century of tumultuous change in Europe. Noble dynasties, especially in the northern part of the Italian peninsula, had already been in a constant battle for power, but the social upheaval in the aftermath of the Black Death (1347-1353) had made the situation even more extreme.

In this genealogy podcast, we will be travelling back in time to the 1400s, to look at the infamous life – and violent death – of ‘Marco de Caderzone’, an illegitimate son of one of the Counts of Lodron, whose notorious misdeeds are said to have terrorised the people not only in Caderzone, but throughout Val Rendena in northern Trentino. We’ll also look at how he met his demise, and the series of vendettas that took place after his execution in 1490.

Lastly, we will look at the rising of the noble Bertelli family, who had a crucial role in both putting an end to Marco’s power, and ultimately obtaining that same power for themselves.

I hope you enjoy this podcast. Even if you have no ancestors from Val Rendena, this fascinating story is truly like something out of 'The Medici' or 'The Borgias'!