104 - The Old New Synagogue of Prague and the Golem

Nestled on a bend of the Vltava River, the beautiful town of Český Krumlov is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. It's also the site of a horrific true crime! (Oo, let's get those true crime junkies in on this!) Rudolf II had troubles, and the mental illness of his son Julius only adds to the load. But the decline and fall of Rudolf II and the murder of Markéta Pichlerová is only part of the story.  We're also going to talk about the Defenestration of Prague, one of the defining moments in European history and the event that kicked off the first Great War of the early modern era. Melissa Joulwan of the Strong Sense of Place podcast - a podcast dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings - returns to talk about visiting Český Krumlov and eating so many delicious Czech foods, including wild bluebery dumplings! Photograph by Jorge Valenzuela  CC: 4.0

They say a giant man of clay sits in the attic, waiting for centuries for his instructions.  The story of the Golem in Prague is one of the classics of western storytelling, yet did you know that the temple where the Golem is rumored to be is a real place? The Old New Synagogue, one of the oldest active synagogues in the world, sits in the heart of Josefov, Prague's Jewish district. In this episode, we'll talk about Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who ruled from Prague, and his fascination with astronomy, alchemy, and mystiticism. We'll discuss the fascinating people he surrounded himself with, including Chief Rabbi, Kabbalah Expert, and supposed Golem-maker Judah Loew. Joining me for this episode is Melissa Joulwan, one of the hosts of Strong Sense of Place — a podcast and website dedicated to literary travel and books with vivid settings. Melissa has lived in Prague for seven years and shares her favorite spots and treats, including větrníky, glorious caramel cream puffs.

You've seen it on a million pizza boxes, in a thousand Italian restaurants, and in photos of your Dad pretending to hold it up.  It's the Leaning Tower! Why does it lean?  And why is it so gracefully elegant in its leaning? Most of this episode, however, is about the most famous person to be associated with the tower: the astronomer Galileo.  Did he really drop weights from the tower? Probably not. But he did change our entire perception of the universe, and his story involves an astronomical arms race. And of course the Inquisition.  You never expect the Inquisition... We'll also talk about ragú bolognese, the classic sauce from the nearby region of Emilia-Romagna.  Why pick bolognese instead of another Tuscan dish? Reasons.

The youngest of the world's seven largest religions is Sikhism, founded in Punjab in the 16th century. Nanak, a guru, or teacher, from outside Lahore, spent three days lost along a river and returned with an undestanding of one God: the Ultimate Reality. Nanak created a religion founded on equality, service, and openness, yet his successors would soon find themselves under attack from vested interests, particularly the Mughal Empire. In this episide, we visit the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, their holiest shrine. It is a brilliantly gorgeous golden temple surrounded by a tranquil pool, visited by a steady stream of devoted Sikhs. We'll recount some of the challenges the Sikhs have faced, challenges which have made them fiercely willing to defend their people and their faith. And of course, we'll include that most famous Punjabi dish: tandoori chicken, or at least as close as we can come without an actual tandoor!

One of the world's great museums of Renaissance art: the Uffizi.  Meaning "the offices," the Uffizi were quite literally built as an office buidling for the growing administration of Cosimo I de' Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, the leader who brought authoritarian rule, if also stablity, to Florence. Bry Rayburn from the Pontifacts podcast, joins me once again to talk about Cosimo, her historic bae, the great museum, and the rest of his legacy. We also talk about our old friend Giorgio Vasari, author, artist and architect, a true Renaissance man. And of course, ribollita, that classic Tuscan white bean stew! 

A quick bonus episode about how eclipses connect with human history

Towering above the city of Madurai, the gopurams or gateways of the Meenakshi Amman Temple are medieval skyscrapers, awash in color, writhing in movement, beautiful and otherworldly at the same time. In this episode we'll discuss the rise of the Mughal Empire, the fall of Vijayanagara, and of course, masala dosa, that most incredible of South Indian streetfoods.

In the late 1500s Poland and Lithuania joined to create the Commonwealth, a remarkable, if flawed, experiment in constitutional monarchy that would last more than 200 years. Its legacy of religious tolerance and representative republicanism is strangely overlooked in American history books - and I would guess in other histories as well. One of the chief economic engines of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the Wielizcka Salt Mine, an amazing wonder delved over 700 years. To visit Wieliczka is to be amazed at the artistry of salt sculptures and impressed by the sheer cheesiness of all the salty dwarves. So many salty dwarves. Or maybe they're gnomes... Finally, let's grab some friends and make pierogis! 

Suleiman the Magnificent? Suleiman the Lawgiver? Suleiman the Bisexual Poet? No matter how you label him, Suleiman was a fascinating sultan of the Ottoman Empire who strode upon the world stage, and his private life was worthy of a scandalous Netflix show.  Among his greatest legacies was commissioning this phenomenal mosque, designed by Mimar Sinan, one of the history's most successul and significant architects. Listener and traveler Emma Browning returns to discuss visiting the mosque and Istanbul and trying to find vegetarian food in a city known for its meat and seafood. Grab some Turkish delight and enjoy!

The world-famous "lost city of the Inca".  It wasn't a city, and it wasn't lost, but yes, it was made by the Inca.  The incredibly scenic former estate of kings is a true marvel, as I can personally attest, but this episode is about so much more than the ruins that people come from all over the world to see. Joined by Nick Machinski of the History of the Inca Empire podcast, we talk about the dramatic rise and fall of the Inca Empire, their staunch resistance to Spanish conquest, and the wonders that might have been, like the gold-covered Qoriqancha.  Listener and friend of the pod Jesse Oppenheim shares his breathless experience visiting Peru as well.  And if you haven't had lomo saltado, you should fix that. Photo by Allard Schmidt