A few weeks ago I finished playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey and decided to embark on Assassin's Creed: Ezio's Trilogy. This is a three part game, produced almost ten years ago and obviously the graphics are nowhere near as good as Odyssey. However the game is set during one of my favorite historical periods, the Italian Renaissance. I have already finished ACII, am just about finished with AC Brotherhood, and this weekend I intend to start AC Revelations. I will later have a full review of these games as I always do, but for now I want to revert to the historical premise.
I made a deep dive into historical/religious studies in 2012 after beating the first Assassin's Creed game set during the Crusades. During these studies one of the areas that most grabbed my interest was the Renaissance period of around (1450-1550). I wrote a pretty detailed post concerning everything about this period from the political families, the philosophical ideals, and of course the incredible art of it's time (see Italian Renaissance). However now I want to dive further into this period with some new angles on the era.
A good portion of my inspiration regarding the Italian Renaissance comes from the Showtime drama, The Borgias. This is in my opinion one of the best historical series out there, on par with The Tudors or Reign. I actually first watched this show back in 2012, and am now watching it thru a 3rd time thru. There is no show that does a better job of capturing all the key players of this era.
The show demonstrates the corrupt ambition of Rodrigo Borgia who comes from the powerful House of Borgia. Rordrigo's uncle Alfons first brought the house to prominence as he reigned as Pope Callixtus III from 1455-1458. However Rodrigo took his aspirations for his family to a whole other level. Thru diplomatic dealings and bribes Rodrigo is able to ascend to the papacy in 1492 and rule over some of the most defining periods of the Renaissance. His son Cesare serves as his right-hand man, doing his father's military work and quite frankly "dirty work" to sustain their power.
The show no doubt demonstrates a very dramatic account of the family and I intend to get a more fair understanding in this study. However for anyone who enjoys history, this show is bursting with historical figures such as the affable French King Charles VIII, the political philosopher Nicolas Machiavelli, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, the lady of Forli Caterina of Sforza, and the outspoken friar Girolamo Savonarla.
Pope Callixtus III (1455-1458)
The Borgia family was of noble affluence during the medieval times dating as far back as the mid-1300s. Their origins were from the Spanish town of Borja, which was located in the Kingdom of Aragon. It was however the rise of Alfons de Borja to the papacy in 1455 that brought the family heightened influence. Alfons was from the Kingdom of Valencia and studied law and worked as a diplomat before he became a cardinal.
Alfons served as a diplomat for the kings of Aragon and was able to strengthen the ties with the Catholic Church. As a result of his diplomatic relations with the church, he was made a bishop and later a cardinal in 1444. At this point Alfons left the Kingdom of Aragon to relocate to Rome as a governing member of the Roman Curia. This was essentially a committee of cardinals who deliberated over matters pertaining to the church and the state. This governing body still operates to this day, working under the pope as this administrative center of the Catholic Church.
Thru Alfon's devout faith and experience in governing, he was chosen by the cardinal conclave as pope in 1455. His tenure as pope was quite brief, only three years, and was mostly concerned with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Ottoman Empire had begun to rise as a powerful force in the middle east, and a potential threat to the catholic church. During his papacy Alfons called for crusades against this new rising threat to take back the holy city that once belonged to the Byzantine Empire.
However Europe had just finished the Hundred Years War between France and England in 1453 and were too war weary to answer the pope's calls for another crusade. The Kingdom of Hungary however delivered a major victory in 1456 at the Siege of Belgrade, in which they were able to delay the advance of the Ottoman Empire. Pope Alfons celebrated this victory with a papal decree that the church bells ring at noon each day to commemorate the brave crusaders.
Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503)
Rodrigo Borgia is without question the most famous of the Borgias, having ascended to the papacy and ruling over church and political matters for ten years. He was born in the Kingdom of Valencia to a wealthy family and studied law at the University of Bologna. As a young deacon he demonstrated a keen tact for politics thru his charming persona but more so his family name. In 1456 he was appointed as a cardinal by his uncle Pope Callixtus III, and later became the first ever archbishop of Valencia which strengthened his political power. Thru his political power in Spain and his position in the Roman Curia he was able to further his ambitions.
During his time as cardinal, he demonstrated early signs of corruption, nepotism, sexual promiscuity, and a general lack of integrity for the church. He had many mistresses including Vannozza dei Cattanei who gave birth to four children, Giovanni, Cesare, Lucrezia, and Gioffre. These four children, especially Cesare all played a pivotal role in strengthening the family's power. By 1492 Rodrigo had managed to swindle his way to the papacy thru careful alliances and bribery. As Pope Alexander VI he oversaw a period of great political instability as well as internal conflicts within the catholic church.
Early in his tenure, the kingdom of Spain was established thru the marriage of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle of Aragon. Also that same year the Spanish monarchy funded Christopher Columbus' discovery of America. Hence Spain had emerged as a new global power with this new marriage, the discovery of the new world, and a Spanish pope. While Pope Alexander always honored his Spanish heritage and blessed this discovery he did not play a major role in Spanish dominance. Rodrigo was rather driven by his own personal agenda to strengthen his control over the Papal States of Rome.
Throughout his papacy Rodrigo was a proponent of simony, bribery, libertinism, corruption, and nepotism. Just like his uncle did for him, Rodrigo strengthened the Borgia name by various family positioning. He appointed his son Cesare as cardinal and archbishop of Valencia. His eldest son Giovanni was the commander-in-chief of the Papal Army. His daughter Lucrezia was placed in various political marriages with affluent families in the region.
His tenure as pope dealt mostly with the Italian Wars and the establishment of the Holy League. Another defining event of his papacy was the excommunication and execution of the friar Savonarola. Despite the allegations of corruption Rodrigo strengthened the military might of the Papal States during his time. He died in 1503 at the age of 72 due to malaria, which nearly killed his son Cesare as well. There are some theories that it was Cesare who killed his father by poisoning however this is mostly conspiracy. Following the death of Pope Alexander the Borgia family's influence did not last much longer in Italy.
Borgia's Role in the Italian Wars (1494-1498)
Perhaps the most defining event of his papacy was the start of the Italian Wars with France in 1494. This conflict was essentially a territory dispute within the Italian Peninsula in which King Charles VIII of France intended to cease on a dynasty claim. The war is a very complicated one and I intend to right about it further in detail. At the time Italy was divided into various republics such as the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Florence, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Papal States.
The French invasion was primarily directed at their claim to Naples, however the intention was to control the entire region of Italy. The French armies had the support of Milan (which was controlled by the Sforza family) whom detested the House of Borgias. However Rodrigo Borgia was able to put his political skills to work, and called upon aid from the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Spain. Furthermore he strengthened his ties with Florence and Venice. His son Cesare commanded the papal armies and thru diplomatic guile they were able to advert the French invasion to Naples.
France was easily able to conquer Naples however they were by no means finished with their conquest over Italy. Meanwhile in 1495 Pope Alexander had managed to coordinate the first ever European super alliance known as the Holy League. The primary members were all against the French invasion and included the Papal States, the Kingdom of Spain, Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, and various other smaller Italian states.
The alliance achieved a crucial victory at the Battle of Fornovo which essentially expelled the French advance. At this point King Charles VIII grew sick and had to return to France, and died a couple years later in 1498. His territory acquired in Naples was quickly regained by Spanish Aragon forces under King Ferdinand, thus making the entire conquest for nothing. However this was only the beginning stage of the French-Italian Wars, a conflict that would go on until 1559.
The Inquisition of Giarolmo Savonarola (1497)
Perhaps the 2nd most defining event of Pope Alexander's papacy was his dealings with the friar Giarolmo Savonarola. By the 1490s Savonarola had become one of the most prominent figures in the booming city of Florence. This was due to his outspoken preaching which ultimately condemned the corruption of the Borgia papacy. He had established many followers during the time and intended to transform the city of Florence into the "New Jerusalem".
By 1494 Savonarla had become one of the most significant figures in the city of Florence, outside of Machiavelli. In 1495 he refused to join Pope Alexander's Holy See which proved the be the final insult to the Borgia's. Furthermore Savonarla began to conduct an intensive campaign for reform. Using orphan children as his disciples he conducted processions, bonfires of vanities, and various other theatrics in the streets of Florence. Seeing Savonarla as a major threat the Borgia pope had him excommunicated in 1497 for heresy. He was arrested a year later by the city and declared a heretic by a tribunal of clerics. Shortly after his trial Savonarla was burnt at the stake in the center Piazza della Signoria of Florence.
After Savonarla's death his movement in Florence slowly withered away however would later pave the way for the Protestant Reformation. The famous reformer Martin Luther praised Savonarla as a martyr of the Christian faith. Savonarla's legacy can no doubt be disputed, as to whether he was a sincere prophet of Christ or simply a madman out for power seeking to establish his own church. The wise Machiavelli dubbed Savonarla as incompetent in his prophetic movement, and simply ill-prepared for the recourse of his actions.
Cesare Borgia
He was Rodrigo's second son and perhaps the family's most effective lieutenant. By age 17 Cesare was made cardinal by his father by which he was able to have a larger influence over political matters. However Cesare favored military matters over religious matters and often served as the true commander of the papal army. As military commander he was able to seize various Italian regions for his father to strengthen the Papal States.
Cesare also later served as "condottiero" for the French King Louis XII in 1500 as they began their 2nd push into Italy. Cesare helped the French armies re-capture the regions of Milan and Naples all while strengthening his father's control. Cesare had ambitious plans of his own to conquer central Italy most notably the region of Bologna. However after the death of his father in 1503, Cesare's influence began to dwindle.
He was able to setup a puppet pope to replace his father in Pope Pius III, however Pius died after only 26 days into his papacy. The next pope chosen was a stern enemy of the Borgia family from the up-and-coming influential family the Della Rovere's. Pope Julius II was able to exile the Borgia family back to Spain. Cesare was able to build a fortification in Viana Spain where he hoped to rebuild his forces. However in 1507 he was stabbed by a spear during a conflict with Spanish knights, and died at the young age of 31.
Lucrezia Borgia
She was the beautiful daughter of Rodrigo who was arranged in various political marriages throughout her life. Her first marriage was at the young age of 13 with Giovanni Sforza. The Sforza's were a very influential family at this period and the pope needed their alliance. However by 1497 unhappy in her marriage, Lucrezia was able to appeal to her father to end the marriage. No longer needing the support of the Sforza family the pope arranged to have her daughter's marriage annulled by charging Giovanni as impotent.
During the annulment of her marriage Lucrezia had a scandalous affair with a Spanish stable-boy named Perotto. Together it is believed they gave birth to a child, named Giovanni, however kept it secret. The child is often referred to as the "Roman Child" and his parentage remained a mystery. Her lover of Perotto was mysteriously killed, most likely by a member of her family who considered him below her.
Lucrezia's father did not waste any time to arrange another marriage for her daughter to strengthen their political power. In 1498 she was married off to Alfonso d'Aragon of Naples and together they had a child. This marriage did not last long however and he was mysteriously murdered in the year 1500, also likely by members of the Borgia family. Lucrezia's third and final marriage was with Alfonso I D'este of Ferrara of which they had 8 children together. However they were no in love and both had affairs on the side. Lucrezia died in 1519 from childbirth at the young age of 39. She was the last significant Borgia to die, thus ending the powerful house of Borgia.
Giovanni Borgia
He was the eldest son of Rodrigo and assumed the role of commander of the papal armies and duke of the province of Gandia in Spain. However his greatest claim to fame was the mysterious way by which he was murdered. In 1497 at the young age of 23, he was found dead in the Tiber River in the ghetto of Rome. While his exact murderer was never confirmed speculations often point to his younger brother Gioffre, committing the act over a woman. Giovanni's sudden death brought much grief to his father Pope Alexander.
Gioffri Borgia
He was the youngest son of Pope Alexander and often considered as the weakest by his cruel father. Gioffri was uninterested in politics like his other two brothers, yet was still arranged in a marriage for political affluence. At the young age of 12 he was married off to Sancha of Aragon, however she was very unfaithful to him. It is believed that she had affairs with both of Gioffri's older brothers Cesare and Giovanni, and is speculated as the reason as to why Giovanni was mysteriously murdered. He lived a fairly uneventful life as prince of Squillance and died in 1517 at the young age of 35.
A good portion of my inspiration regarding the Italian Renaissance comes from the Showtime drama, The Borgias. This is in my opinion one of the best historical series out there, on par with The Tudors or Reign. I actually first watched this show back in 2012, and am now watching it thru a 3rd time thru. There is no show that does a better job of capturing all the key players of this era.
The show demonstrates the corrupt ambition of Rodrigo Borgia who comes from the powerful House of Borgia. Rordrigo's uncle Alfons first brought the house to prominence as he reigned as Pope Callixtus III from 1455-1458. However Rodrigo took his aspirations for his family to a whole other level. Thru diplomatic dealings and bribes Rodrigo is able to ascend to the papacy in 1492 and rule over some of the most defining periods of the Renaissance. His son Cesare serves as his right-hand man, doing his father's military work and quite frankly "dirty work" to sustain their power.
The show no doubt demonstrates a very dramatic account of the family and I intend to get a more fair understanding in this study. However for anyone who enjoys history, this show is bursting with historical figures such as the affable French King Charles VIII, the political philosopher Nicolas Machiavelli, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, the lady of Forli Caterina of Sforza, and the outspoken friar Girolamo Savonarla.
Pope Callixtus III (1455-1458)
The Borgia family was of noble affluence during the medieval times dating as far back as the mid-1300s. Their origins were from the Spanish town of Borja, which was located in the Kingdom of Aragon. It was however the rise of Alfons de Borja to the papacy in 1455 that brought the family heightened influence. Alfons was from the Kingdom of Valencia and studied law and worked as a diplomat before he became a cardinal.
Thru Alfon's devout faith and experience in governing, he was chosen by the cardinal conclave as pope in 1455. His tenure as pope was quite brief, only three years, and was mostly concerned with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Ottoman Empire had begun to rise as a powerful force in the middle east, and a potential threat to the catholic church. During his papacy Alfons called for crusades against this new rising threat to take back the holy city that once belonged to the Byzantine Empire.
However Europe had just finished the Hundred Years War between France and England in 1453 and were too war weary to answer the pope's calls for another crusade. The Kingdom of Hungary however delivered a major victory in 1456 at the Siege of Belgrade, in which they were able to delay the advance of the Ottoman Empire. Pope Alfons celebrated this victory with a papal decree that the church bells ring at noon each day to commemorate the brave crusaders.
Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503)
Rodrigo Borgia is without question the most famous of the Borgias, having ascended to the papacy and ruling over church and political matters for ten years. He was born in the Kingdom of Valencia to a wealthy family and studied law at the University of Bologna. As a young deacon he demonstrated a keen tact for politics thru his charming persona but more so his family name. In 1456 he was appointed as a cardinal by his uncle Pope Callixtus III, and later became the first ever archbishop of Valencia which strengthened his political power. Thru his political power in Spain and his position in the Roman Curia he was able to further his ambitions.During his time as cardinal, he demonstrated early signs of corruption, nepotism, sexual promiscuity, and a general lack of integrity for the church. He had many mistresses including Vannozza dei Cattanei who gave birth to four children, Giovanni, Cesare, Lucrezia, and Gioffre. These four children, especially Cesare all played a pivotal role in strengthening the family's power. By 1492 Rodrigo had managed to swindle his way to the papacy thru careful alliances and bribery. As Pope Alexander VI he oversaw a period of great political instability as well as internal conflicts within the catholic church.
Early in his tenure, the kingdom of Spain was established thru the marriage of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabelle of Aragon. Also that same year the Spanish monarchy funded Christopher Columbus' discovery of America. Hence Spain had emerged as a new global power with this new marriage, the discovery of the new world, and a Spanish pope. While Pope Alexander always honored his Spanish heritage and blessed this discovery he did not play a major role in Spanish dominance. Rodrigo was rather driven by his own personal agenda to strengthen his control over the Papal States of Rome.
Throughout his papacy Rodrigo was a proponent of simony, bribery, libertinism, corruption, and nepotism. Just like his uncle did for him, Rodrigo strengthened the Borgia name by various family positioning. He appointed his son Cesare as cardinal and archbishop of Valencia. His eldest son Giovanni was the commander-in-chief of the Papal Army. His daughter Lucrezia was placed in various political marriages with affluent families in the region. His tenure as pope dealt mostly with the Italian Wars and the establishment of the Holy League. Another defining event of his papacy was the excommunication and execution of the friar Savonarola. Despite the allegations of corruption Rodrigo strengthened the military might of the Papal States during his time. He died in 1503 at the age of 72 due to malaria, which nearly killed his son Cesare as well. There are some theories that it was Cesare who killed his father by poisoning however this is mostly conspiracy. Following the death of Pope Alexander the Borgia family's influence did not last much longer in Italy.
Borgia's Role in the Italian Wars (1494-1498)
Perhaps the most defining event of his papacy was the start of the Italian Wars with France in 1494. This conflict was essentially a territory dispute within the Italian Peninsula in which King Charles VIII of France intended to cease on a dynasty claim. The war is a very complicated one and I intend to right about it further in detail. At the time Italy was divided into various republics such as the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Florence, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Papal States.
France was easily able to conquer Naples however they were by no means finished with their conquest over Italy. Meanwhile in 1495 Pope Alexander had managed to coordinate the first ever European super alliance known as the Holy League. The primary members were all against the French invasion and included the Papal States, the Kingdom of Spain, Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, and various other smaller Italian states.
The alliance achieved a crucial victory at the Battle of Fornovo which essentially expelled the French advance. At this point King Charles VIII grew sick and had to return to France, and died a couple years later in 1498. His territory acquired in Naples was quickly regained by Spanish Aragon forces under King Ferdinand, thus making the entire conquest for nothing. However this was only the beginning stage of the French-Italian Wars, a conflict that would go on until 1559.
The Inquisition of Giarolmo Savonarola (1497)
Perhaps the 2nd most defining event of Pope Alexander's papacy was his dealings with the friar Giarolmo Savonarola. By the 1490s Savonarola had become one of the most prominent figures in the booming city of Florence. This was due to his outspoken preaching which ultimately condemned the corruption of the Borgia papacy. He had established many followers during the time and intended to transform the city of Florence into the "New Jerusalem".
By 1494 Savonarla had become one of the most significant figures in the city of Florence, outside of Machiavelli. In 1495 he refused to join Pope Alexander's Holy See which proved the be the final insult to the Borgia's. Furthermore Savonarla began to conduct an intensive campaign for reform. Using orphan children as his disciples he conducted processions, bonfires of vanities, and various other theatrics in the streets of Florence. Seeing Savonarla as a major threat the Borgia pope had him excommunicated in 1497 for heresy. He was arrested a year later by the city and declared a heretic by a tribunal of clerics. Shortly after his trial Savonarla was burnt at the stake in the center Piazza della Signoria of Florence.After Savonarla's death his movement in Florence slowly withered away however would later pave the way for the Protestant Reformation. The famous reformer Martin Luther praised Savonarla as a martyr of the Christian faith. Savonarla's legacy can no doubt be disputed, as to whether he was a sincere prophet of Christ or simply a madman out for power seeking to establish his own church. The wise Machiavelli dubbed Savonarla as incompetent in his prophetic movement, and simply ill-prepared for the recourse of his actions.
Cesare Borgia
He was Rodrigo's second son and perhaps the family's most effective lieutenant. By age 17 Cesare was made cardinal by his father by which he was able to have a larger influence over political matters. However Cesare favored military matters over religious matters and often served as the true commander of the papal army. As military commander he was able to seize various Italian regions for his father to strengthen the Papal States.Cesare also later served as "condottiero" for the French King Louis XII in 1500 as they began their 2nd push into Italy. Cesare helped the French armies re-capture the regions of Milan and Naples all while strengthening his father's control. Cesare had ambitious plans of his own to conquer central Italy most notably the region of Bologna. However after the death of his father in 1503, Cesare's influence began to dwindle.
He was able to setup a puppet pope to replace his father in Pope Pius III, however Pius died after only 26 days into his papacy. The next pope chosen was a stern enemy of the Borgia family from the up-and-coming influential family the Della Rovere's. Pope Julius II was able to exile the Borgia family back to Spain. Cesare was able to build a fortification in Viana Spain where he hoped to rebuild his forces. However in 1507 he was stabbed by a spear during a conflict with Spanish knights, and died at the young age of 31.
Lucrezia Borgia
She was the beautiful daughter of Rodrigo who was arranged in various political marriages throughout her life. Her first marriage was at the young age of 13 with Giovanni Sforza. The Sforza's were a very influential family at this period and the pope needed their alliance. However by 1497 unhappy in her marriage, Lucrezia was able to appeal to her father to end the marriage. No longer needing the support of the Sforza family the pope arranged to have her daughter's marriage annulled by charging Giovanni as impotent.During the annulment of her marriage Lucrezia had a scandalous affair with a Spanish stable-boy named Perotto. Together it is believed they gave birth to a child, named Giovanni, however kept it secret. The child is often referred to as the "Roman Child" and his parentage remained a mystery. Her lover of Perotto was mysteriously killed, most likely by a member of her family who considered him below her.
Lucrezia's father did not waste any time to arrange another marriage for her daughter to strengthen their political power. In 1498 she was married off to Alfonso d'Aragon of Naples and together they had a child. This marriage did not last long however and he was mysteriously murdered in the year 1500, also likely by members of the Borgia family. Lucrezia's third and final marriage was with Alfonso I D'este of Ferrara of which they had 8 children together. However they were no in love and both had affairs on the side. Lucrezia died in 1519 from childbirth at the young age of 39. She was the last significant Borgia to die, thus ending the powerful house of Borgia.
Giovanni Borgia
He was the eldest son of Rodrigo and assumed the role of commander of the papal armies and duke of the province of Gandia in Spain. However his greatest claim to fame was the mysterious way by which he was murdered. In 1497 at the young age of 23, he was found dead in the Tiber River in the ghetto of Rome. While his exact murderer was never confirmed speculations often point to his younger brother Gioffre, committing the act over a woman. Giovanni's sudden death brought much grief to his father Pope Alexander. Gioffri Borgia
He was the youngest son of Pope Alexander and often considered as the weakest by his cruel father. Gioffri was uninterested in politics like his other two brothers, yet was still arranged in a marriage for political affluence. At the young age of 12 he was married off to Sancha of Aragon, however she was very unfaithful to him. It is believed that she had affairs with both of Gioffri's older brothers Cesare and Giovanni, and is speculated as the reason as to why Giovanni was mysteriously murdered. He lived a fairly uneventful life as prince of Squillance and died in 1517 at the young age of 35.
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