Christory: History Where You Least Expect It

Dr. Christine Contrada
  • 5.0 (10)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Dr. Christine Contrada is a native New Yorker whose true passion is history.  She has taught countless historical topics over the years at elite liberal arts colleges, public research universities, inner-city and rural community colleges, in continuing education, and for study abroad programs.  No matter where she is, nothing brings her as much joy as getting an adamant naysayer excited about history - and that's the focus of the Christory podcast.Her podcasts weave history and popular culture so she is always searching, wherever she is, for a hidden corner that has some spicy bit of historical significance to share.  Making any historical topic interesting is her favorite challenge.

  1. JAN 4

    Christory S2 E10: Arrivederci Roma

    The Papal Jubilee is finally rounding home plate. We’ll have to wait outside the club for the next shot at redemption in 2033. In the meantime, Christory knows well that barbarians have a nice long history at the Roman gate. If you think you know everything about the mac daddy of Rome’s falls, think again. Reconsider 476 CE the way you didn’t learn about it in high school.

    27 min

  2. 11/02/2025

    Christory S2 E9: Where My Taphophiles At?

    Heading to Naples for the pizza? Well, don’t forget All Souls Day and bring some to your dear departed because nothing says lovin’ like pizza. Where my taphophiles at because Chistory is riding the runaway Jubilee train to the cemetery through Samhain and rocking the liminal space of transitioning to the dark half of the year like a Gaelic boss.

    21 min

  3. 09/11/2025

    Christory S2 E8: Conjuring up a Holy Summerween

    The Conjuring has Christory moving from endless summer to Summerween. We’ve got questions about demons and the papacy has answers. According to some exorcists, demons get especially irritated during holy years, so get your PSL and let’s hit the streets of Rome and see what this jubilee means for some historical demonic sites around town.

    24 min

  4. 08/19/2025

    Christory S2 E7: If In Doubt, Paddle Out

    Hurricane Erin is cruising through the Atlantic with 50 foot waves crashing in the eye of the storm. In honor of those who pray for surf, we are duck diving into the history of the boogie board and Christory’s own history riding the waves. Celebrate the dog days of the jubilee summer with a goofy footed historian.

    31 min

  5. 08/08/2025

    Christory S2 E6: Smells Like Both Teen Spirit and Holy Spirit

    It smells like Teen Spirit in Rome these days. Christory’s got OG eyes on the Jubilee of Youth and the new pope as he navigates holy Lollapalooza . The Vatican works tirelessly to present an image, but popular culture often has its own ideas. Let’s take a closer look as the jubilee inspired season of our podcast rolls on.

    26 min

  6. 05/18/2025

    Christory S2 E5: The New, Not So Young, Pope

    It’s on like Donkey Kong. We’ve got a new pope and Christory is on the ground in Rome watching it go down. The dream is that the first pope from the US of A is walking through the Vatican apartments winking at the nuns like Jude Law in The Young Pope because nothing is more historically fun than a spicy pope.

    21 min

  7. 04/04/2025

    Christory S2 E4: Spicy Popes

    From parading around Rome with an elephant to putting a corpse on trial, there is more delightfully devious behavior amongst the 266 popes than in all the seasons of Cops. Hold onto your sock, papal or not and see the Holy See’s dirty laundry in high definition.

    22 min

  8. 02/19/2025

    Christory S2 E3: Ridin' The Typhoid Train

    What do Abigail Adams, Prince Albert, Louisa May Alcott, Wilbur Wright, quite possibly Sacagawea and Alexander the Great, and maybe Saladin have in common?  They met the grim reaper by hitchin’ a ride on the Typhoid train. Christory's back in the history of disease with a Papal Jubilee twist ( of lime).

    17 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Dr. Christine Contrada is a native New Yorker whose true passion is history.  She has taught countless historical topics over the years at elite liberal arts colleges, public research universities, inner-city and rural community colleges, in continuing education, and for study abroad programs.  No matter where she is, nothing brings her as much joy as getting an adamant naysayer excited about history - and that's the focus of the Christory podcast.Her podcasts weave history and popular culture so she is always searching, wherever she is, for a hidden corner that has some spicy bit of historical significance to share.  Making any historical topic interesting is her favorite challenge.

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