One of the reallife models machiavelli took inspiration from when writing the prince was cesare borgia, a crude, brutal and cunning prince of. Yet, as bestselling biographer sarah bradford reveals in this breathtaking new portrait, the truth is far more fascinating than the myth. The borgia family also borja, borjia or borges were a noble family during the renaissance in italy. Married to the viscount bangor, she makes her home in london. Maria bellonci and marion johnson are nonfiction, derived from primary sources. For those new to the history of renaissance italy, stratherns book is a. Journalist and historian mario dal bello drew on documents from the vatican secret archive to write his new book, i borgia. Cesare, juan, lucrezia, and jofre, and they were accused of everything from buying the papal election to incest, with lots more in between. The borgia family originally came from the kingdom of. Buy a cheap copy of the borgia bride book by jeanne kalogridis. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous renaissance family and their storied milieu. The first stones of the borgia castle where laid at the beginning of the 14th century, period in which it was only a sight tower.
Much has been written about them fiction and nonfiction alike but the borgia confessions offers a rare perspective that of a servant to the famous papal family. Notable book of the year, george vi, princess grace, and elizabeth. Ellen lloyd whether in ancient or modern times, family feuds have always occurred and sometimes a small incident can ignite a fight that will last for generations. As a result, the 11year reign of rodrigo borgia pope alexander vi is still, to many, the most notorious in papal. Buy a cheap copy of the borgias and their enemies book by christopher hibbert.
A new history of the notorious papal family 9781726009881. The first borgia pope, callixtus iii, did the job for only three years, from 1455 to. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably. A new history of the notorious papal family kindle edition by chaplin, danny. A survey of the colourful reigns of the seventeen renaissance popes and his examination of the great borgia myth, this work aims to bring to light the true legacy political, artistic, and religious of an extraordinary time. The borgia family is a song from the horrible histories tv series. Headed by patriarch rodrigo borgiawho became pope alexander vithe family was comprised of his four children.
Much has been written about the notorious borgia family and the power they held over the italian peninsula during the 15th and 16th centuries, but probably the most vilified member of the family was rodrigo borgia, who rose to claim the papal throne after the death of pope innocent in 1492, even though borgia had a longtime mistress and. Syphilis, sex and fear how the french disease conquered. A history of the popes by eamon duffy first published in 1997, 3rd edition published 2006 an all encompassing history of the papacy from its beginnings nearly 2000 years ago. Cardinals and captaingenerals 145871 rodrigo boria. Feud between the medici and the borgia families what. The book itself concentrates on the history of the borgia family, historys most notorious dynasty, and works its way up from the first borgia pope pope calixtus iii right up until the end of the dynasty proper with lucrezia. For fans of philippa gregory and alison weir, bestselling author c. Although some papal families such as the colonna owned huge tracts of land, the majority such as the piccolomini and the della rovere started out as cashstrapped minor nobles, or in the borgias case as landless foreigners, and popes from this latter group naturally encouraged their. In the summer of 1497, he was a 22yearold cardinal, sent as papal legate by his father, pope. If you thought you knew the borgias, this book will surprise you.
Taking the papal name of callixtus iii, he was the first spanish pope of. The house of the borgias produced two popes and many other political and church leaders. The borgia, also known as the borja, were a european papal family of spanish origin. Lucrezia borgia was born on 18 april 1480 at subiaco, near rome. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history. The borgia dynasty of renaissance rome continues to fascinate 500 years later. Mercilessly cruel and defiantly decadent, the borgias use bribery, simony, intimidation and murder in their relentless quest for wealth and power. Cesare borgia, in full cesare borgia, duke of valentinois, italian duca valentino, born c. The borgias, he writes, were often better than they appeared. The rivalry between the medici and borgia, two of the most powerful families of renaissance italy was an interesting chapter in european history. The borgias and their enemies book by christopher hibbert. Then, recorded in church documents, is one of the strangest pontificates in papal history. List of popes from the borgia family news newspapers books scholar jstor march 20 learn. Maddalena moretti is a young widow from the rural romagna region who arrives in rome in hopes of escaping an overbearing mother and another.
Yet as paul strathern shows in his new book, the family eclipsed them all. I presonally liked the family by mario puzo, a 2001 novel. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably, and perhaps unfairly, linked to the crimes and debauchery. 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. 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. She has published two previous accounts of the borgia family, including a biography of cesare borgia. The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed. The papacy has often resembled a secular european monarchy more than a divinely inspired institution. Ten days after the death of nicholas iv 1292, the twelve cardinals assembled in rome but two years and three months were to pass before they gave the church a pope. List of books and articles about papal history online. The borgias is a historicalfiction drama television series created by neil jordan. I would steer clear of any book, fiction or nonfiction, that presents lucretia borgia as a poisoner. And i dont mean that in the sense that the borgia werent as bad as history made them out to be, or that the borgia werent as bad as other nobles.
The renaissance popes were statesmen, warriors, patrons of the arts as well as churchmen. The third edition includes an extended final chapter covering the last. The part we are accustomed to think of the pope playing in the church may need a little adjustment. He lived with faint regard to the moral code of his church or his times, wielded papal authority like a grasping duke, and instilled fear into friend and foe alike, a practice refined into an art form by his even more notorious son, cesare, upon whose. Historical inaccuracies in the ac series contd the. The very name lucrezia borgia conjures up everything that was sinister and corrupt about the renaissanceincest, political assassination, papal sexual abuse, poisonous intrigue, unscrupulous power grabs.
He was a renaissance captain who, as holder of the offices of duke of the romagna and captain general of the armies of the church, enhanced the political power of his fathers papacy and tried to establish. Rumor and representation explores the historical and cultural structures that underpin the early modern borgia family, their notoriety, and persistence and reinvention in the popular imagination the book balances studies focusing on early modern observations of the borgias and studies deconstructing later incarnations on the stage, on the page, on the. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading borgia, behind the myth. The borgias, also known as the borjas, were a european papal family of spanish origin that. Tracy borman, author of queen of the conqueror and elizabeths women the borgias is a fascinating look into the lives of the notorious italian renaissance family and its reputation for womanizing, murder and corruption. Some catholics may find surprises when they read the papal biographies in this book. The pope therefore claims to be the shepherd of all christians and representative vicar or vicegerent of christ. The novel is about pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia and his family. At an advanced age, he was elected pope callixtus iii in 1455 as a compromise candidate and reigned as. Pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia, for example, forced his daughter lucrezia into a series of marriages for political reasons.
Roman pontiffs bestowed great wealth on their families and forged strategic alliances with other powerful families to increase their power. Dunant begins her story on a sultry august day in 1492. The borgia family is one of the most notorious in european history. Cesare borgia was either the first or second bastard son the other being juan. Rodrigo borgia was the bull in the china shop of the vatican. Ezio opposes cesare for his militarism, his attempts to expand the papal states and try and unify italy, all of that would be continued and with greater. It is perhaps fitting that the coat of arms of the borgia family is a bull. A vivid and at times startling reappraisal of one of the most notorious dynasties in history. The renaissance borgias and their machiavellian magnetism. I dont recommend frederick rolfes book, which is biased and inaccurate. House of borgia simple english wikipedia, the free. He is pope by reason of being bishop of rome and thus, according to roman catholic belief, successor in the see of rome the holy see to its first bishop, st.
The first major biography of the borgias in thirty years, christopher hibberts latest history brings the family and the world they lived inthe glittering rome of. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the borgias for centuries, g. Our marketplace offers millions of titles from sellers worldwide. Lucrezia borgia april 18, 1480june 24, 1519 was the illegitimate daughter of pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia by one of his mistresses.