List of books and articles about borgias online research. The house of the borgias produced two popes and many other political and church leaders. 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. Syphilis, sex and fear how the french disease conquered. And as jealousy and betrayal threaten to tear apart the borgia family from within, cesare is forced to reckon with his seemingly limitless ambition. Da vinci and machiavellis works were saved from pope julius iis purge of everything associated with alexander vi because they worked slowly. The borgias is definitely much, much more visually stunning than the european production.
Lucrezia borgia april 18, 1480june 24, 1519 was the illegitimate daughter of pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia by one of his mistresses. Cesare and lucrezia borgia, a play by robert lalonde. Cesare borgias ruthless murder of the servant lover of his sister lucretia, in front of their father, pope alexander. Lucrezia borgia was an italian noblewoman and daughter of pope alexander vi.
Sex disease and excess in an age of beauty is published by hutchinson. H istory doesnt recount who gave cesare borgia syphilis, but we do know when and where he got it. And lucrezias father was the pope alexander vi who was presumably unmarried at the time. Mar 12, 2020 borgia family, 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. The hidden history is a gripping history of a tempestuous time and an infamous family. Alexanders elevation did not at the time excite much alarm, and at first his reign was marked by a strict administration of justice and an orderly method of government. 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. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably, and perhaps unfairly, linked to the crimes and debauchery. The rise to power, and start of a dynasty, of the borgia family.
The borgia family managed to get two of its members elected as pope pope callixtus iii 14551458 and pope alexander vi 14921503. The borgia family stands out in history as being infamously steeped in sin. 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. Although the sums involved were unquestionably exaggerated by contemporary chroniclers, both callixtus iii and alexander vi bribed their way to the papacy, and used their power to advance their family as fully as possible. Top 10 alleged dark facts about the mysterious borgia family.
Others, like the painter pinturicchio, were not as lucky. There were numerous unsubstantiated claims that the family was of jewish origin. The house of borgias produced two popes and many other political and church leaders. With his father as the pope, borgia became the leader of the papal offices military, which included italian mercenaries and thousands of swiss troops. House of borgia the most infamous family of renaissance. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the borgias. Cesare, juan, lucrezia, and jofre, and they were accused of everything from buying the papal election to incest, with lots more in between. Born as rodrigo borgia in spain in 1431, he was elected pope in 1492, an event that spawned rumors that he had spent a considerable fortune bribing the appropriate cardinals to assure his success.
I dont recommend frederick rolfes book, which is biased and inaccurate. Their artwork wasnt finished until after alexander vis reign had ended, so they kept their place in the history books. Ironically, the most notorious family in italian history was spanish. Lucrezia borgia and her scintillating sex scandals the. May 17, 20 h istory doesnt recount who gave cesare borgia syphilis, but we do know when and where he got it. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history. The pope therefore claims to be the shepherd of all christians and representative vicar or vicegerent of.
Realizing its great value, both as an authentic document of history, and as an intensely interesting and tragic tale of engrossing fascination, in the pillory is offered to the reader with the feeling that it offers an unbreakable link between the roman catholic church of past and present times, for pope alexander vi, known in history as pre. Rodrigo borgia ascends within the catholic church, becoming pope alexander. The borgias are the most infamous family of renaissance italy, and their history normally hinges around four key individuals. The borgias became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 15th and 16th centuries, producing two popes. Jeremy irons on pope alexander vi, the borgais youtube. 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. The life and times of rodrigo borgia, pope alexander vi. Despite serving the church as a cardinal and later archbishop for over forty years before becoming pope, rodrigo is not often remembered for his piety. The borgias and their enemies book by christopher hibbert.
They were, for example, undoubtedly guilty of both nepotism and simony. Mar 05, 2019 the borgia family managed to get two of its members elected as pope pope callixtus iii 14551458 and pope alexander vi 14921503. Major historical figures are direct descendants of the borgias. Jul 10, 2011 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 imperiled papacy alive by capable.
Maria bellonci and marion johnson are nonfiction, derived from primary sources. Mona lisa, the borgia bride, the burning times, and the diaries of the family dracul. The real family behind the showtimes the borgias was even wilder and more corrupt than in the cable television series. For example, englands king henry iv was the greatgreatnephew of cesare borgia, making the borgia blood a major part of the english monarchy.
In blood and beauty, dunant illuminates the darkened narrative of the borgia record, reviving stained glass with fresh light, refreshing the brilliance of the gold and blue panes history. Descendants of the borgias live in almost every royal family in europe todaymeaning that the borgia. Some members of the family became known for their treachery. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history books and. 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. Thanks to the actions of the middle pair, the family name is associated with greed, power, lust, and murder. But the narrator, who also authored this series, used good history and common sense to challenge some of the most scandalous things associated with the borgia pope and his family. May 05, 2017 the borgias were a noble family from the years of the renaissance. The novel is about pope alexander vi rodrigo borgia and his family. The life of cesare borgia written by rafael sabatini, a very good historical novelist. The borgias, he writes, were often better than they appeared.
Syphilis, sex and fear how the french disease conquered the. I presonally liked the family by mario puzo, a 2001 novel. The death of pope alexander vi, 1503 eyewitness to history. Headed by patriarch rodrigo borgia who became pope alexander vithe family was comprised of his four children. See the complete borgia series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. His nephew rodrigo became pope as alexander vi, and rodrigos illegitimate children were cesare and lucrezia borgia. Alexander vi must have been the most amoral of all the power hungry individuals of his time. In his new departure of a book this is, improbably and quite delightfully, the 89yearold authors first novel, the popes daughter, fo creates a colorful recreation of lucrezia borgias. Francis borgia and francisco borja 15811658, a spanish general and viceroy of. The borgia dynasty of renaissance rome continues to fascinate 500 years later. These popes are in the history books for all the wrong reasons. The spread of catholicism this is a picture of pope alexander vi who contributed to the spread of catholicism by dividing spain and portugal the historical novels of jeanne kalogridis, including i. Born rodrigo borgia, pope alexander vi is so famous for his debased reign that his surname has become synonymous with the debased standards of the papacy in his era.
Aug 03, 2017 public domain rodrigo borgia or pope alexander vi was pope from 1492 until his death in 1503. The feud between the house of medici and the house of borgia. Rodrigo borgia or pope alexander vi was pope from 1492 until his death in 1503. Fortunately for him and for history, his personal doctor, gaspar torella. The third edition includes an extended final chapter covering the last years of pope john paul ii and the election of benedict xvi. The renaissance was an intriguing period in europe, and the history of the borgia family was equally colorful, and lively.
As a result, the 11year reign of rodrigo borgia pope alexander vi is still, to many, the most notorious in papal history. Alyssa palombos captivating new novel, the borgia confessions, is a story of passion, politics, and class, set against the rise and fall of one of italys most infamous familiesthe borgias. Best books about the borgia family 68 books goodreads. While its true that no one is perfect, the seven corrupt popes. There were two mistresses who have made the history books, however, the longestlasting and most influential. Feud between the medici and the borgia families what. The details about lucrezia as a woman, however, are left out of the history books. Dal bello cites one of the most scandalous episodes in borgia family history. Rodrigo borgia pope alexander vi, a man who bought himself the papacy, and two of his infamous illegitimate childrencesare and lucreziawere notorious for incest, poisoning, theft, political manipulation, seizing power, assassinations, wealth, landtheft, and titles through bribery. Dec 03, 2019 lucrezia borgia was an italian noblewoman and daughter of pope alexander vi.
The regime over which the borgia pope presided was, by any standards, an atrocious display of human intolerance and state violence. As i stressed in my discussion, it had a much bigger budget, so had, in addition to better cg backgrounds and more elaborate costumes, better cameras and better postprocessing so the light is, as you stay, stunning. A spanishborn pontiff from the powerful borgia family, pope. Vannozza dei cattanei the popes mistress history of. Rise and fall of the borgias audiobook by william landon. The name borgia is synonymous with catholic religious corruption, as well as greed, incest, and murder. The borgia family also borja, borjia or borges were a noble family during the renaissance in italy. Pope alexander vi died in rome in 1503 after contracting a disease, generally believed to have been malaria. During the middle years of his career he was instrumental in getting the royal house of aragon to accept the compromises which ended the schism, in those years when europe was going through its antipopeamonth phase.
Researching the borgias, sarah dunant learnt how syphilis took europe. List of books and articles about papal history online. Rafael sabatini wrote the 1912 nonfiction book, the life of cesare borgia, that. Hibberts previous books include the house of medici. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history cesare borgia, the illegitimate son of a pontiff, was the hero of the prince books and arts jun 29th 2019 edition. Heres a brief sampling of some of the worst popes in history. She had three political marriages, arranged for her familys advantage, and likely had several adulterous alliances. 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 of 34 years, and the advice he has for his son. A s a history, the borgias offers a vivid insight into the. 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. Bembo is exalted as the perfect gentleman in castigliones 1528 the book of the courtier. 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. House of borgia simple english wikipedia, the free. Although hailing originally from spain, they rose to great power in italy and more than one borgia became a catholic pope.
He sired at least twelve children through a number of mistresses. Tomb of lucrezia borgia and husband alfonso deste lucrezia. 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. Although the available evidence seems to cast some doubts regarding the existence of pope joan, it is likely that some would continue to believe that this figure was real. I would steer clear of any book, fiction or nonfiction, that presents lucretia borgia as a poisoner. Its all there intrigue, murder, sex, religion and the renaissance. The daughter of pope alexander vi, she was intensely involved in the political life of italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
Lucrezia borgia is among the most fascinating and controversial personalities of the renaissance. 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. Lr cesare borgia, lucrezia borgia, pope alexander vi and a. Shelf awareness meyer brings his considerable skills to another infamous renaissance family, the borgias and a fresh look into the. 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. Long term mistress of cardinal rodrigo borgia later pope alexander vi and the mother of 4 of his children, giovanni juan, cesare, lucrezia and gioffre. The house of borgia was an italospanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the vatican princess. From mistresses and illegitimate children to dance parties and harbored criminals, the vatican has a shockingly dirty history. An alternative history of the italian renaissance by catherine fletcher is published by the bodley head rrp.
The facts about lucrezias scandalous life as the bastard daughter of pope alexander vi are welldocumented. Feud between the medici and the borgia families what caused. Fictional storylines weaved with factual events, characters were pulled from their place in history and reanimated at palombos. Nov 14, 2019 ellen lloyd murder, greed, lust for power, political intrigue, scandals, incest, and corruption are the reasons why the house of borgia easily became the most infamous family of renaissance italy. Pope calixtus iii, his nephew pope alexander iv, his son cesare, and his daughter lucrezia. Sep 10, 2019 the borgias are the most infamous family of renaissance italy, and their history normally hinges around four key individuals. According to mandell creighton in his history of the papacy lucrezia. Jul 07, 20 in blood and beauty, dunant illuminates the darkened narrative of the borgia record, reviving stained glass with fresh light, refreshing the brilliance of the gold and blue panes history has.
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. Borgia spent part of 1499 conquering the italian cities imola and forli, making them directly answerable to the pope. These underground rumours were propagated by, among others, giuliano della rovere, and the family was frequently described as marranos by political opponents. When rodrigo became pope alexander vi, he sought to be allied with. The book tells of his attempt to set up a family dynasty to rule the western world at a time when the popes were held to be gods true representative on earth. The borgia family is one of the most notorious in european history. The borgias were a noble family from the years of the renaissance. Headed by patriarch rodrigo borgiawho became pope alexander vithe family was comprised of his four children.
The borgia book series by alejandro jodorowsky includes books borgia. In the summer of 1497, he was a 22yearold cardinal, sent as papal legate by his father, pope. 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. The first borgia pope, callixtus iii, did the job for only three years, from 1455 to. Lucrezia borgia was a coldhearted bitch, according to author john faunce. However, despite entrenching themselves in religion, they were known for caring little about morality. This books explores the borgia family in all its brilliance and depravity. Whether as a piece of fiction or history, the tale of pope joan will. Meet the 11 gay or bisexual catholic popes from history. Family affairs the most scandalous popes in history books. Puzo spent over twenty years working on the book off and on, while he wrote others.