The details about lucrezia as a woman, however, are left out of the history books. Thanks to the actions of the middle pair, the family name is associated with greed, power, lust, and murder. Vannozza was born with the name giovanna in 1442 into an aristocratic family. The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of the tudors and a world undone. It was okay for alexander to have about 8 children, and one possible after become pope. Cantarella was the poison of choice for the borgia family. While staying within the same general historical time, the borgias and their enemies give plenty of new information that history readers will enjoy, and doesnt retread his previous books. Feud between the medici and the borgia families what. The illegitimate daughter of a pope and his mistress, lucrezia borgia was a famous beauty, notorious for the suspicious deaths and political intrigue that swirled around her and her family. Fact is deftly sorted from fiction in this description of the incredible rise of the borgias from obscurity to the very center of the renaissance. If you wanted to be pope or stay pope in the 1400s, there was only one way to do it.
In march 2005, heavy metal published the first of a threepart graphic novel biography of alexander vi entitled borgia, written by alexandro jodorowsky with art by milo manara. The novel is about pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia and his family. A portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, alexander vi, as well as the role model for machiavellis the prince. They were from valencia, the name coming from the family fief of borja, then in the kingdom of aragon, in spain the borgias became influential in religion and politics in the 15th and 16th centuries. The actual borgias were a spanish family, and when rodrigos uncle became pope calixtus iii he was made into a cardinal. I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent history of the borgias, particularly of rodrigo who became pope alexander, and his children cesare and lucretia.
An archive of our own, a project of the organization for transformative works. There were numerous unsubstantiated claims that the family was of jewish origin. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history books and. Lucrezia borgia and her scintillating sex scandals the. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably, and perhaps unfairly, linked to the crimes and debauchery. The borgias and their enemies book by christopher hibbert. Lizzie skurnick is editorinchief of lizzie skurnick books. A portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, alexander vi, as well as. Actor jeremy irons speaks to the cbs this morning cohosts about his role as pope alexander vi in the showtime series, the borgais, his marriage. Cesare borgia s ruthless murder of the servant lover of his sister lucretia, in front of their father, pope alexander. To his credit, meyer the tudors is forthright about how this supposed hidden history of the italian renaissances most controversial family came to be. The house of the borgias produced two popes and many other political and church leaders. In dunant, whether you know what happens next or not, the story retains its power.
Cesare conquered the territory of romagna eastmiddle hunk of italy, including the city of cesena. Dal bello cites one of the most scandalous episodes in borgia family history. The borja spelled in italian as borgia was a noble house with origin in the town of borja zaragoza in the then crown of aragon. I have read a lot of books about the borgias, and of all those on my bookshelf actual volumes on the shelf, as well as audiobooks this is far and away my favorite. Hibberts previous books include the house of medici. Bembo is exalted as the perfect gentleman in castigliones 1528 the book of the courtier. Cesare borgialucrezia borgia works archive of our own. It was not merely that they were not italian there would be only one other nonitalian pope between the end of the great schism in 1417 and the sack of rome in 1527. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the borgias for centuries, g. Headed by patriarch rodrigo borgia who became pope alexander vithe family was comprised of his four children. Two examples of cesares activities in this period crop up particularly vividly in the history books, and in machiavellis little book on princes. The borgia legend the borgias are the most infamous family of renaissance italy, and their history normally hinges around four key individuals.
Vannozza dei cattanei the popes mistress history of. Rafael sabatini wrote the 1912 nonfiction book, the life of cesare borgia, that. The first borgia pope, callixtus iii, did the job for only three years, from 1455 to 1458. Nevertheless, it struggles to make any significant. Puzo spent over twenty years working on the book off and on, while he wrote others. A spanishborn pontiff from the powerful borgia family, pope alexander vi. The life of cesare borgia written by rafael sabatini, a very good historical novelist. House of borgia simple english wikipedia, the free. Lucrezia borgia was a spanishitalian noblewoman of the house of borgia who was the.
The real family behind the showtimes the borgias was even wilder and more corrupt than in the cable television series. Famed for her beauty, vannozza was also smart and industrious and ran a number of inns in rome. I presonally liked the family by mario puzo, a 2001 novel. The borgias by sarah dunant, the family by mario puzo, madonna of the. A s a history, the borgias offers a vivid insight into the hothouse world of papal politics in the tumultuous years before the reformation. Pope calixtus iii, his nephew pope alexander iv, his son cesare, and his daughter lucrezia. Conspiring with his ruthless sons cesare and juan and poisonously seductive daughter lucrezia, the charismatic rodrigo borgia will let nothing and no one stand in the way of his relentless quest for wealth and power. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history. Lucrezia borgia was the daughter of future pope alexander vi, and her three marriages into influential families helped build the political power of her own family. The hidden history is a gripping history of a tempestuous time and an infamous family. Bond exposes the fact that you can still find borgia s influence and legacy throughout the vatican today. The borgia family is one of the most notorious in european history. Jeremy irons on pope alexander vi, the borgais youtube.
Shelf awareness meyer brings his considerable skills to another infamous renaissance family, the borgias and a fresh look into the machinations of power in renaissance italy. In 1492 he became pope himself, taking the name alexander vi. These underground rumours were propagated by, among others, giuliano della rovere, and the family was frequently described as marranos by political opponents. The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a. Heres a brief sampling of some of the worst popes in history. Meyer does the most surprising thing, and offers a revisionist history of the borgias that argues that pope alexander was an active church reformer, cesare his nephew one of the great men.
The borgias, he writes, were often better than they appeared. In the summer of 1497, he was a 22yearold cardinal, sent as papal legate by his father, pope. The borgia family also borja, borjia or borges were a noble family during the renaissance in italy. It was finished by his longtime girlfriend, carol gino.
Lr cesare borgia, lucrezia borgia, pope alexander vi and a. Sex disease and excess in an age of beauty is published by hutchinson. They despoiled other italian families of their land and titles. Syphilis, sex and fear how the french disease conquered. Showtimes the borgias 201120 was produced by neil jordan and starred jeremy irons as pope alexander vi. The borgias are the most infamous family of renaissance italy, and their history normally hinges around four key individuals.
The renaissance borgias and their machiavellian magnetism. According to mandell creighton in his history of the papacy lucrezia. When rodrigo became pope alexander vi, he sought to be allied with. Dunant begins her story on a sultry august day in 1492. Lucrezia borgia was a coldhearted bitch, according to author john faunce. Cesare, juan, lucrezia, and jofre, and they were accused of everything from buying the papal election to incest, with lots more in between. Even the borgia pope alexander vi, who by the time he bribed his way into office had fathered eight children by at least three women, is credited with keeping the. Throughout a tumultuous halfcenturyas popes, statesmen, warriors, lovers, and. Historians debate whether or not borgia was an active participant in her notorious familys crimes, but interest in her has inspired countless works of art, books, and films.
H istory doesnt recount who gave cesare borgia syphilis, but we do know when and where he got it. This book will completely alter your view of gods infallible envoy on earth. Lucrezia borgia april 18, 1480june 24, 1519 was the illegitimate daughter of pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia by one of his mistresses. The first borgia pope, callixtus iii, did the job for only three years, from 1455 to. Some members of the family became known for their treachery. Borgia family, spanish borja, descendants of a noble line, originally from valencia, spain, that established roots in italy and became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 1400s and 1500s. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous renaissance family and their storied milieu. It is not a tale we might expect of the borgias, but it is nevertheless a tale that is all too reflective of the amazing doublestandards of the renaissance, and is perhaps all the richer for it. Ironically, the most notorious family in italian history was spanish. Such was the hatred for the borgias on the part of the roman nobility, that on the announcement of the death of the first borgia pope, callisto iii. The borgias have become infamous for their ambition, violence, depravity, and allegations of incest, although the author makes clear that these allegations were likely to be unfounded. She had three political marriages, arranged for her familys advantage, and likely had several adulterous alliances. I loved the authors approach, which for one thing takes the reader back to the very first borgia pope and here i didnt even realize that there was any other borgia pope than.
524 1027 1130 1017 1235 695 1123 698 1098 1422 1353 470 91 1507 852 901 855 900 1089 1490 716 542 334 1338 169 444 323 177 94 1066 7 81 1408 885 592 90 401 456 853