TV series "Borgia": actors and roles. The Borgias (2011–2013): the plot of the film

David Oakes plays Juan Borgia. Photo 2015

The undeniable advantages of the scandalous series “The Borgias” include an intriguing plot, excellent acting, realistic costumes and scenery, but critics consider the disadvantages to be excessive cruelty, cynicism and violence. But how could it be otherwise? we're talking about O real family, which served the church, but became famous for far from holy deeds, the creators tried to convey that spirit of the struggle for power, with all its cruelty and unprincipledness.

David Oakes and Juan Borgia - two in one

Pope Rodrigo Borgia was famous for his love for the female sex, and managed to produce quite a few heirs, however, all of his officially recognized children were born from one woman - Vannozzi Dei Cattanei, with whom he had the longest relationship, more than 15 years. The eldest son and commander of the papal army, Juan Borgia, he is proud and arrogant, behaves defiantly and is not always reasonable. The English actor David Oakes, who embodied this hero on the screen, did an excellent job; he conveyed the image of this arrogant man, not burdened with any talents. At first he captivates with his pretty appearance, but when his bad character is revealed in all its glory, all sympathy immediately disappears.

Gioffre Borgia and Sancia of Aragon - a loveless marriage

Gioffre Borgia was the youngest of the Pope's children; at the age of thirteen, Sancha of Aragon, the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples, who was three years older than her husband, became his wife. The marriage was for political reasons and helped strengthen the relationship between the pontiff and the king of Naples. The role of young Joffre was played by the aspiring American actor Aidan Alexander, but the role of his wife went to the already famous film star Emmanuelle Chriqui, known for her work in the films “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”, “Wrong Turn” and several dozen other films and television series. It is noteworthy that, unlike the plot, where the age difference between the spouses was no more than three years, in real life the actress is 20 years older than her serial husband, but this difference was not so obvious to the viewer, because Emmanuelle looks surprisingly young and fresh and has more than once been among the most beautiful and desirable women on the planet.

Although the Borgias series is no longer new, it continues to hold a leading position in popularity and is considered one of the most downloaded films. After all, it tells not only about the papal family, but also about the most troubled period in the history of Europe and the Catholic Church.

The Borgia family came to personify the ruthless, unprincipled politics and sexual unscrupulousness supposedly characteristic of the Renaissance papacy. Lucretia has been described as femme fatale in many works of art, novels and films.

In Melbourne, (National Gallery of Victoria Art School) there is a portrait of a young woman by the artist Dosso Dossi. It has been proven that this painting is a lifetime portrait image Lucrezia Borgia. However, there are doubts about this statement. Some other paintings, such as the portrait by Bartolomeo Veneziano, are currently not recognized as an official and valid depiction of Lucrezia.

In most portraits she is depicted as a young girl with blond hair, falling to the chest, with a beautiful complexion, light brown eyes, full, high chest, and natural beauty and sophistication. These external features were highly valued in Italy during the Renaissance.

On at the moment, there are no reliable sources confirming Lucretia’s participation in the crimes of Alexander VI and Cesare Borgia.

Brother and father manipulated Lucretia, marrying her off to representatives of the most influential families and families of Renaissance Europe. These marriages were the political ambitions of the Borgia family. Lucrezia was married three times: Giovanni Sforza (Duke of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie) and Alfonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara). It is believed that the most happy marriage Lucrezia was with Alfonso of Aragon, the illegitimate son of the King of Naples. It is believed that Alfonso was killed on the orders of Cesare, after he ceased to be useful to the Borgia family.

First marriage: Giovanni Sforza

By the age of 13, Lucretia had been engaged twice, but these two engagements were not consummated by the wedding due to the decisions of Alexander VI. After Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI, he married Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza, a representative of the Sforza dynasty, in order to create a strong political alliance with the most powerful and rich family in Milan. The wedding had an extravagant character, typical of the Renaissance, and was currently regarded only as a shocking event.

Soon the political alliance with the Sforza family became unfavorable for the Borgia family. The Pope needed new political alliances, more beneficial, to strengthen his position. Perhaps this was the reason for eliminating Giovanni. The generally accepted version is that Lucrezia warned Giovanni that they wanted to kill him. Giovanni left Rome in a hurry.

Perhaps the order to kill Giovanni was just a rumor - the purpose of which was to force Giovanni to flee. A new contender had already been selected and the situation required the elimination of Giovanni Sforza.

Alexander VI convinced Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, of the need for Giovanni's consent to the divorce. Giovanni refused the divorce and accused Lucrezia of paternal and brotherly incest. According to Alexander VI, he was not consummated (there was no sexual relationship between the spouses), which, according to medieval law, was a sufficient reason for divorce. Otherwise, the Pope had the right to dissolve the marriage with his authority, and then the Borgia family would demand Lucretia's dowry back. The Sforza family set conditions for Giovanni, either he accepts the proposals of Alexander VI, or they deprive him of his protectorate.

Having no choice, Giovanni Sforza signed documents declaring his impotence in front of witnesses and the marriage officially ceased to be valid. The possible appearance of rumors of incest is attributed to the first husband, Giovanni Sforza. He claimed that the Pope dissolved the marriage of his beautiful daughter because he intended to keep her for himself. After which rumors about this began to spread around the world, acquiring unimaginable details.

Intimate relationship with Perotto

During the period of a protracted divorce from Giovanni, as well as numerous discussions, gossip and rumors on this topic, Lucrezia may have had intimate relationships with the pope's chamberlain, Pedro Calderon, nicknamed Perotto, who served as a messenger between father and daughter. The result of this relationship was pregnancy. Lucrezia testified under oath to the papal commission that not a single man touched her. The funny thing is, she said this while she was pregnant. She appeared before the cardinals as such an innocent lamb that no one suspected anything, or, more likely, pretended to. “Virgin,” read the commission’s conclusion.

This pregnancy provided an opportunity to once again reproach Lucretia for indecent behavior. The child, named Giovanni, was born in secret in 1498 before his marriage to Alfonso of Aragon. It is known that this child was later named a Roman infante.

It is believed that this child was the result of a relationship between Cesare and Lucrezia. Perotto, having romantic feelings for Lucrezia, named himself the father of this child. To know about pregnancy as much as possible fewer people, Lucrezia left Rome and remained in the monastery of San Sisto throughout her pregnancy.

In 1501, two papal bulls were issued against the child born, Giovanni Borgia. To hide the fact of the lack of virginity, the first bull named the father of the child as Cesare, before his marriage. The second bull called Alexander VI himself the father. The two bulls contradict each other. Lucretia was not mentioned anywhere, and it was never proven that she was the mother of this child.

The second bull was kept secret for a long time. In 1502, Giovanni Borgia became Duke of Camerino, territories conquered by Cisano and passed on by inheritance. However, some time after the death of Alexander VI, Giovanni moved to Lucrezia in Ferrara, where he was accepted as a half-brother.

Indeed, contemporaries told more than piquant stories about relations in the papal family: as if Lucrezia presided over papal orgies, covering her nakedness with only a piece of transparent fabric, as if once a herd of stallions and mares was driven into the courtyard in front of the papal palace, father and daughter looked out of the window at the riotous horse mating, and then retired for a long time in the papal bedchamber.

Historical chronicles claim that Cesare stabbed Perotto to death right in the papal chambers. He learned about their connection and, drawing his sword, chased Perotto through the halls of the palace. When the unfortunate man reached the Pope and he opened his arms to protect his servant, Cesare lunged - and Alexander VI's robe became stained with blood.

Second marriage: Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisaglia)

Lucrezia is given in marriage to Alfonso, Duke of Bisaglia and Prince of Salerno - the illegitimate son of Alfonso II, King of Naples. Lucretia becomes the mistress of a fortune that could be the envy of half the princesses of Europe.

At first, Alfonso’s appearance and character made the most favorable impression on Cesare, but then they aroused envy and hatred in him, especially since Cesare’s own appearance was disfigured by syphilis. Later, jealousy is added to this, since Lucrezia, happily married, devotes more and more time and attention to her husband, which gradually alienates her from her brother and father. But here political interests they again demand Lucretia's freedom. Moreover, Cesare's dislike is becoming increasingly difficult to hide.

During a visit to Rome, on the night of January 2, 1500, in St. Peter's Square, the Duke is attacked by four disguised assassins, who stab him five times with a dagger. Alfonso is wounded in the neck, arm and thigh, but still remains alive - he is saved by the guards who arrive in time. Lucretia faithfully nurses and protects her wounded husband for a whole month. Those close to Alfonso, having learned that Cesare was the culprit of the assassination attempt, decide to take revenge on him by shooting him with a crossbow, but this attempt is unsuccessful. In the end, unknown people still manage to strangle the Duke in his own bed. He is buried secretly, without mass or funeral service. In memory of the late Duke Bisaglia, Lucrezia has a son, Rodrigo of Aragon. However, this child died in 1512 at the age of 13, leaving no noticeable mark on his mother’s life.

Third marriage: Alfonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara)

After the death of her second husband, Lucretia's father, Alexander VI, arranges a third marriage for political reasons. She marries Alfonso d'Este, Prince of Ferrara. In her third marriage, she gave birth to several children and turned out to be a completely respectable princess. It is known that, after leaving Rome, Lucrezia led a rather modest lifestyle in Ferrara. As if as a punishment, last husband He turned out to be a terrible jealous person and constantly conducted open surveillance of his wife: in the ducal palace she lived constantly, as if in honorable captivity. And although rumor again attributes several crimes to “bloody Lucretia,” this is most likely a legend. It is reliably known that she was indifferent to her new husband. And that it retained its former beauty.

It is also known that Lucretia did not lose interest in life - the castle of the Duke d'Este quickly became one of the most brilliant courts in Europe. She continued to generously encourage artists, especially artists, giving preference to those who painted paintings on religious themes. And it seems that the terrible glory that hovered over the Borgia clan and Lucretia herself frightened few - the great Italian Renaissance painter Lorenzo Lotto (by the way, who created a beautiful portrait of the hostess), famous poets of that time Niccolo de Correggio and Pietro Bembo (with with which, in all likelihood, she was having an affair). A great poet Ludovico Ariosto devotes an octave of praise to her in his “Furious Roland”. She managed to stay on the Italian political Olympus even after the fall of her family and the death of her father and brother. Alfonso's sister Isabella d'Este was very cool towards Lucrezia due to the latter's long-term romantic relationship with her bisexual husband, Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua. Numerous correspondence between Lucrezia and Francesco confirms the passion of their relationship. But this romance was interrupted when Francesco fell ill with syphilis.

Children

Lucretia was the mother of seven or eight children:

Giovanni Borgia, "infans Romanus" ("child from Rome", C. 1498-1548). Paternity is recognized by Perotto, however Alexander and Caesar were also identified as the father. It is also possible that this child (defined in more late period life as stepbrother Lucrezia) is the result of a relationship between Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father), and an unknown woman, stated in a Papal Bull, and he was not Lucrezia's child.

Ippolito II d'Este (August 25, 1509 - December 1, 1572). Archbishop of Milan and then cardinal.

Alessandro d'Este (1514-1516).

Maria Isabella d'Este (born and died June 14, 1519). Complications during childbirth led to Lucrezia's death ten days later.

Death

Shortly before her death, Lucretia became very devout. Instead of luxurious outfits, she wore a redemptive hair shirt and spent a lot of time in the temple. She made a thorough inventory of property and jewelry - there were 3,770 pieces of jewelry alone - and, in order to move away from the bustle of life, she took monastic vows as a nun of the Franciscan brotherhood, making extensive gifts to numerous churches and monasteries. Before her death, Lucrezia herself asked for only one thing - so that they would not forget about her flower garden of amaranths, which she grew in memory of all the murdered men of her life. The ancients considered amaranth a symbol of immortality.

In the spring of 1519, she almost did not get out of bed: another pregnancy exhausted her last strength. Doctors decided to induce early labor, but the woman in labor suddenly began to have spontaneous contractions and a premature baby girl was born, who died on the same day. Due to childbed fever, the mother could not be saved: on June 24, 1519, Lucrezia Borgia died at the age of 39. The funeral service for Lucrezia was performed by the court cardinal of her husband, Duke Alfonso d'Este.

Rumors

Some rumors have persisted for centuries, primarily speculating on the nature of the extravagant relationships between members of the Borgia family. Many of them concern allegations of incest, poisoning, murder. No real confirmation of these rumors was found, apart from the statements of Borgia's competitors. There are also rumors that Lucretia had a set of hollow rings where poison was stored in order to quietly poison food.

Opinions

“The Borgias were victims of distorted ideas based on malicious rumors,” said Learco Andalo, one of the world’s leading experts on the Borgia family. “Lucrezia did not poison a single person. She herself fell victim to the pen of historians.”

"Lucrezia was talented statesman, Andalo emphasized. “She even ran the Vatican in her father’s absence.”

“Contrary to popular belief, Lucretia did not poison anyone, although this was very common in those days. She killed only with a sword."

“The allegations that she had sexual contact with her own father are also probably not reliable. Her first marriage to Giovanni Sforza was dissolved because her husband was impotent. It is quite possible that in order to protect his reputation, he began to spread rumors of incest.”

“Poisoner and ruthless killer. Incestuous, adulteress, fiend of hell and spawn of a rattlesnake, daughter of a jackal and a hyena,” as the rebellious Savonarola called her!

Victor Hugo wrote the play Lucrezia Borgia, which describes the life of Giovanni, Lucrezia's son. His father was Lucrezia's brother Giovanni, who was killed by Cesare out of jealousy, and Lucrezia, fearing that the latter would also deal with his illegitimate nephew, ordered that the child be raised away from society. Years later, life brings mother and son together, and the latter, unaware of his blood ties with the Duchess of Ferrara, perceives her attention as falling in love. Giovanni's friends become an obstacle to their relationship, and then Lucrezia tricks them into attending a feast, where she treats them to poisoned dishes. By an absurd accident, Giovanni, who was among the guests, also becomes a victim of poisoning. After learning the truth, he refuses to take the antidote and kills his mother before dying. According to Hugo, Lucrezia, like her father and brothers, used the unique family poison Catanea, the name of which came from the name of their mother, the Spanish courtesan Vanozzi dei Catanea, who presented this poison to the pope.

The plot revolves around the person of the main character - Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia. His role is played by the famous Hollywood actor Jeremy Irons.

Juan Borgia born in 1474 in Rome in the family of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress, the courtesan Vannotza dei Cattanei (Joanne Whalley).

Commander-in-Chief of the Papal Army Juan Borgia full of bravado, but in reality he is a hopeless coward. He is much more busy spending his leisure time in taverns and brothels in Rome than thinking about the fate of his family. Juan Borgia deep down in his soul he is afraid of being unnecessary at this celebration of life and sees in his younger brother Cesare Borgia (François Arnault) is a serious competitor for his father's love.

Juan Borgia loves women too much and is ready to while away the night with any beauty - from an Italian courtesan to a person of royal blood. He meticulously chooses his wife, but at the same time does not miss the opportunity to reproach sister Lucrezia Borgia (Holly Granger) in an affair with an unknown groom Paulo(Luke Pasqualino)

When Paulo comes to Rome to visit his beloved woman and their newborn son, Juan Borgia fakes his suicide with a sad suicide note. But Lucretia is well aware that her lover cannot write, and draws the appropriate conclusions.

When Juan Borgia and his next mistress do not allow little Giovanni to sleep, Lucrezia rises to them and leaves a lit candle right under the rope that holds the colorful and very heavy candelabra above the bed.

The girl falls asleep only after she hears a wild scream in her brother’s bedroom, and Juan Borgia leaves Rome in a hurry, puzzled by such an unexpected transformation of his innocent sister into a fatal and vengeful woman worthy of a representative of the Borgia family.

Spouse Juana Borgia becomes the Spaniard Maria Enriquez de Luna, whose father was the brother of Queen Juana Enriquez. He returns to the Vatican a few months later with gifts: a black panther for his sister and cigars for his father. Both cause unprecedented excitement within the sacred walls.

But also myself Juan Borgia was not left without a “present”: the doctor discovered that he had syphilis, which makes the young warrior’s life simply unbearable. Moreover, the campaign against the army Catherine Sforza(Gina McKee) turns into a disaster: Juan Borgia secretly flees the battlefield, but his brother Cesare easily finds out the truth about this battle. Cornered and wounded Juan Borgia finds no other way out than to console himself with opium, which was then a curiosity in Rome.

The last straw is his insult to his sister, and Cesare comes to Lucrezia’s defense: he kills his brother and throws his body into the Tiber. All members of the Borgia family rejoice deep down, since the presence in the house Juana Borgia always creates a lot of problems. But Pope Alexander VI cannot come to terms with the death of his son.

The series “The Borgias” embodies the licentiousness and freedom of morals of that time precisely in the hero Juan Borgia: the director paid special attention to the love affair of the commander with the wife of his young brother Joffre. Sancha (Emmanuel Chriqui) illegitimate daughter Alfonso of Calabria, gave herself to Juan Borgia right on the table, behind which sat the embalmed corpses of King Ferrante’s enemies.

Interesting facts about Juan Borgia / Huan Bordzhia

Events described in the series "Borgia", do not always coincide with real historical facts. In fact Juan Borgia was the middle son in the family, but still bore the title of commander of the Papal State. In addition, historians know nothing about his enmity with Lucretia - on the contrary, it was Cesare who stabbed the father of her first-born, unable to hide his jealousy.

However Juan Borgia was actually killed in the summer of 1497 in Rome. Eyewitnesses were inclined to two versions: either Cesare ordered the murder of his brother, because he dreamed of quickly getting rid of the cardinal's cassock and taking the place of a commander, or Juan too insistently shouted at every corner that he had dishonored the fourteen-year-old daughter of a representative ancient family Pico della Mirandola.

Of the later representatives of the Borgia family, mention should be made of Giovanni Borgia, who was called the “Roman infante,” and Francis Borgia, general of the Jesuit order , who became famous as Saint Francis Borgius.

Giovanni

Giovanni was born in Rome in 1498. Its origin is unknown. He could be the son of Alexander VI or Cesare. The Pope himself issued contradictory statements on this matter. official documents. It is curious that in both cases the unknown mother of the infanta was rumored to be Giulia Farnese, an aristocrat who was both the mistress of both Alexander VI and Cesare. She herself was never interested in Giovanni, unlike Lucrezia Borgia. This was the basis for gossip that the Roman infante was the son of Lucretia, conceived by the papal valet Perotto Calderon. He was killed by Cesare at the beginning of 1498, and the reason was allegedly just an affair with Lucrezia, which opened due to her obvious pregnancy.

Having received the title of Duke of Nepia and Camerino from the pope, Giovanni, after the collapse of the Borgia, lost it when he was several years old. Despite the patronage of Lucretia, he did not make a career either in Florence, or in France, or in Rome, everywhere showing the typical character of Borgia - angry and hot-tempered. Giovanni died, forgotten by everyone, between 1547 and 1549.

Francis

On the contrary, a truly extraordinary personality was Francis Borgia, the great-grandson of Alexander VI and the grandson of Giovanni (Juan), Duke of Gandia, who was killed in 1497. Francis made a secular career, but after the death of his wife (who bore him eight children) he renounced his property and career, joining the then new order of the Jesuits. The reason for this step was probably the shock experienced in connection with the death of the Roman ruler and Queen of Spain, Isabella, a funeral procession in honor of which he organized in 1539. The changes that occurred to the beautiful body during the life of the ruler probably reminded him of the transience of earthly affairs.

A far-sighted politician who dreamed of uniting the scattered kingdoms of Italy, a brilliant commander who won many resounding victories, a cruel political intriguer who stained the banner of glory that he inherited with blood, a handsome and stately hero-lover whose adventures are endless. Admiring Julius Caesar, during his lifetime he set himself an ambitious goal: “Aut Caesar, aut nihil” (“Either Caesar or nothing”). Victoriously rushing to the very heights of glory, Cesare Borgia just as quickly fell from the golden pedestal. Poisoned, betrayed, imprisoned, escaped, but became an outcast in society, he died under unclear circumstances.

Many attribute most of Cesare's achievements to the influence of his equally famous father, the “great poisoner.” Rodrigo Borgia, better known as Pope Alexander VI. Cesare was born when he was still only a cardinal. He was an illegitimate son from Vannozza dei Cattanei, but through the efforts of his father, his birth was legalized by a special papal decree in 1480. The father tried to give all his children a brilliant aristocratic education of a wide profile, both primary and higher. Thus, Cesare studied law and theology at the universities of Perugia and Pisa, and his final dissertation on jurisprudence was considered one of the best. In addition, taking advantage of his high official position, the elder Borgia constantly gave and little son the same ranks and titles, starting almost from the age of 7. And in 1492, when Rodrigo Borgia became pontiff, 17-year-old Cesare was elevated to cardinal. The father predicted a career in the clergy for his youngest son, seeing him in the future as a replacement for himself at the head of the Roman Church. Catholic Church, however, he was not very interested in such a prospect, he longed for military campaigns, for big politics, he longed to become a gonfaloniere, or the supreme commander of all the troops of the Holy Papal Throne. According to the tradition of the rulers of those years, the head of the throne was the eldest son, and the youngest was the priest. The eldest son was Juan, or in Italian Giovanni, Borgia. However, he did not understand very well big politics and was not very successful in military campaigns, while Cesare studied combat tactics from childhood and was very interested in it. And then the time was extremely difficult: the Italian kingdoms were scattered, Spain and France played on these contradictions, seeking to establish their control there, and the Borgias themselves were the object of widespread hatred; too many did not want their strengthening. Under these conditions, Cesare passionately longed to restore order and strengthen the position of Italy, first of all by unifying it. But his older brother stood in his way.

MYSTERY No. 1. "The Masked Killer" Death of Juan Borgia.

In 1497, Juan Borgia dies under mysterious circumstances. Many aspects of his death still remain a mystery. That day, after having dinner with his family, he went to watch the sunset with his brother Cesare and the servants. But soon Giovanni disappeared, heading in an unknown direction, accompanied by a groom and an unknown man in a festival mask. No one saw him alive again. The search yielded no results until a peasant reported that he saw two people throw a body into the Tiber. Having “strained” the river up and down, Juan’s body was finally found - in a smart suit, with an untouched purse of gold, but with a slit throat.

The killer was never found. The person in the mask, which was worn by so many people back then, could have been anyone. Moreover, undoubtedly, Juan Borgia had too many personal enemies, even if we do not take into account only family enemies. As Duke of Gandia, Juan attributed all the merits of condottieri in military campaigns exclusively to himself. He seduced more than one woman, leaving many insulted husbands and fathers. According to rumors, shortly before his death, Juan seduced the fourteen-year-old daughter of Count Mirandella, which he boasted about at every opportunity. Of course, we can assume that one of these people decided to take revenge on him.

However, the question arises: why did Juan follow the man so trustingly? Didn't this mean that this person was well known to him, that he trusted him? Naturally, speculation immediately began to spread. They began to look askance at Cesare Borgia. He, of course, denied everything.
Be that as it may, the death of Juan turned out to be very beneficial for Cesare. He convinced his father that the Church needed a talented and successful commander, capable of leading the campaign for the unification of Italy with a strong hand. Cesare became a Gonfaloniere. This responsible post came to him, one might say, on time. At this time, the enemy of the Papal throne, the French king Charles VIII, died, and Louis XII came to power, who immediately declared his rights to Milan and Naples. However, he did not want to quarrel with Pope Alexander VI and, moreover, wanted from him to obtain the right to divorce his crippled wife. It was great opportunity for the Papal State to improve relations with France. Cesare goes to France with permission, and at the same time with the intention of making a profitable political marriage. He marries, though not the one he was going to first. He marries the French princess, sister of the King of Navarre, Charlotte d'Albret. However, their marriage was not characterized by happiness: politician a couple of months later he left his wife, going to war, and she waited for him until his death, and then wore mourning for another 7 years until her death, never getting married. And he, of course, was not so faithful when apart.

With the support of the French army, Cesare Borgia began to realize his long-standing dream - the creation of a strong, unified Italian state - and made significant progress along this path, controlling Romagna, Urbino, Florence, and other areas. By 1503, Cesare had significantly expanded the Papal States, establishing complete control over it. It was clear to everyone: he would soon become the ruler of a united Italy. However, this was not destined to come true.

SECRET No. 2. "Poisoned Vessel" The death of Alexander VI and the illness of Cesare Borgia.

To this day, no one knows exactly what happened that summer day. Cesare Borgia came to visit his father, Pope Alexander VI in Rome. They had a family dinner in the garden, where over a bottle of wine they discussed plans to conquer the remaining Italian lands, happy and full of ambitious plans. But a couple of days after the dinner, on August 18, 1503, Alexander VI suddenly dies. Cesare in in serious condition is also practically at the point of death, locking himself up with people loyal to him in the Roman Castel Sant'Angelo, where he stubbornly fights the disease for several months. We must not allow power to pass into the hands of opponents of the Borgia family in his absence!

The luck of the loyal, newly elected Pope Pius III was temporary. The Pope died 27 days later for unclear reasons, and then he ascended the throne worst enemy family from which the elder Borgia once took away the papal post, Giuliano della Rovere, or Pope Julius II. This is exactly the Pope under whom Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and with whom he constantly quarreled. He was not going to stand on ceremony with Borgia. Meanwhile, the reason for the poisoning of Alexander and Cesare Borgia remains unclear to this day. On the one hand, it is clear that they had more than enough enemies. After all, the idea of ​​​​unifying Italy (like any other state, like the Russian one under Ivan the Terrible) meant selected lands and the power of local princes. This could not but arouse hatred and a desire to return everything to its place. On the other hand, there is an opinion that such a major historical turn could have occurred simply because of an oversight. The elder Borgia's fame as a poisoner is widely known. " White powder Pope Alexander was feared by many; there were legends about him. It is likely that the bottle of poisoned wine was intended for the traitorous cardinals, but due to a fatal mistake, and possibly due to the bribery of enemies, the bottles were mixed up.
One way or another, this was fatal for the Borgia family. During Cesare's illness, his enemies became more active. The princes tried to regain their lands by uniting against him. New dad Julius II ordered the arrest of Cesare, who fled to his old friend Gonsalvo de Cordoba in Naples, which was under the once loyal Spanish crown, but he, guided by new guidelines, trying to preserve good relationship with Pope della Rovere, Cesare was taken into custody.

SECRET No. 3. "Alone on the battlefield." Death of Cesare Borgia.

The once hero has become an outcast. Two years of imprisonment in the castle of La Mota, escape, misadventures and persecution, finally here it is, the goal - Navarre, with the ruler King Jean, the brother of his wife Charlotte. Welcomed by a relative and placed at the head of the army of the kingdom, Cesare still carried within himself great ambitions and plans, not destroyed by persecution. The first task of the commander Borgia was to recapture Viana from the supporters of the rebellious Count of Lerins. A whole team of faithful people was formed. However, in the very first battle, the experienced, successful commander Caesar Borgia was suddenly killed. How is this possible if before this there were only victories in much more complex and larger battles? Isn't the answer that 26 wounds were found on the body of the murdered Borgia, 25 of which were fatal? Or that his loyal people were somehow left behind when he rushed into battle against the enemy, practically alone, practically committing suicide?

One can only guess whether the death of a talented and cruel politician was an accident or part of a calculated conspiracy, which was a completely common reality in that difficult time of the Renaissance. Be that as it may, this is a new page in the history of the Italian lands.

If we talk about historical significance personality of Cesare Borgia, it is usually customary to scold him for his debauchery and to be horrified by the cruelty and bloody reprisals against his competitors. However, we forget that for that time such behavior was largely the norm. It was not shocking to contemporaries. Therefore belittle historical figure It would be simply incorrect to reduce Caesar Borgia to nothing more than a villain, a poisoner and a lewd man. Politically, Borgia was a far-sighted and intelligent politician; he understood very well the complex processes of the state machine. It is not for nothing that such talented people as Leonardo da Vinci, the chief engineer under Borgia, or Niccolò Machiavelli, who admired his person and his statesmanship and vision, were around him political processes. After all, the ruler had a great long-term goal - he had to prevent the death of Italy, the ark of the unique culture of the Renaissance, under numerous blows that were difficult to repel due to political disunity. Not everyone understood this, and, unfortunately, for the sake of big goal sometimes a firm hand was needed to guide everything in the right direction. And this is where Machiavelli saw Borgiian humanism - serving the future interests of the people and the state. It was Cesare Borgia who became the prototype of the Prince in his famous treatise "The Prince".