I just started a game with the Hungarians and it seems that there are some very interesting things going on... It is on Hard, Early.

I decided to go on attacking Italy on the second turn. I managed to grab Venice intact but they did not back down and no peace treaty signed. Allright, I might as well have all the rest of the provinces.

Now comes the interesting part: I got 1000 florins from the Pope twice despite attacking the Italians on the second turn (and later taking their mainland provinces...)

By 1115 I have taken Italian mainland provinces, the Balkan and Byzantine European possessions including Constantinapole... when HRE attacked me. The ebb and flow is such that I am taking Austria and Bohemia, losing and regain Milan and Tirol sometimes... My only hope is to put the HRE to turmoil and rebel. Oh yes I forgot... I got excommed and the Pope attacked but I have beaten them back and luckily the Pope died in between (I did not help in that )

No one wants to make peace with me, not even the Italians with their two puny islands... Oh yes, they attack three times from Corsica, I defeat them every time and ransom the Doge for 10k florins... So you can do it with them, too not just the Eggys... It is even easier because since they are seaborne invasion even if I only rout their army they are still captured! Last time they came with 2 Royal knights and one UM and I routed them easily with three units of Jobbagy, one horse archer, one UM and 1/5th of a peasant unit. Jobbagy are deadly on a slope against royal knights!

Anyway I decide have my way with the Pope, taking the Papal States. I am not surprised that I am excommed however the next message gives me the two year warning with the Germans... wtf?

Oh yes, you would not guessed it: Italian Doge dies of illness but luckily there is no heir (probably I killed them in battle) so the two islands go rebel...

Sicilians attack me (now I am at war with everyone I border or even see except the Polish). They sink 3 of their boats on me but on the second turn they sunk mine, too.

I am buring the ground on the border of Germany, middle countries like Swabia are sacked and looted: an empty land on my border. Unfortunatelly HRE still does not rebel. And it is still only 1122...

Summarizing so far:

1) Pope grants florins even if you are at war with a Christian power, sometimes.
2) Ransom trick goes with the Italians, as well (where on earth did they get 10k three times...?)
3) There is a bug on excom warning: if you attack the Pope that is instant excom but this does not prevent the 2 year warning popup... so both can happen in one turn.
4) Italy does not always back down if it lost Venice.