The Borgias (2011 TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Borgias is a 2011 historical fiction
television series created by Neil Jordan
.
The series is based on the Borgia family, an Italian
dynasty of Spanish origin, and stars Jeremy Irons
as Pope Alexander VI
with David Oakes
, François Arnaud
, Holliday Grainger
and Aidan Alexander
as Juan
, Cesare
, Lucrezia
and Gioffre Borgia
, respectively. Derek Jacobi
and Colm Feore
also star as Cardinals Orsini and della Rovere.
It premiered on April 3, 2011, at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime in the United States
and 10 p.m. Eastern
(UTC−04:00) on Bravo! in Canada
., and received its first major television network premiere on June 21, 2011 on Canada's CTV Television Network
.
On April 25, 2011, Showtime ordered a second season of The Borgias.
and their struggles to maintain their grip on power. The beginning of the first season depicts the election of Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy through simony
and bribery with the help of his son, Cesare
. The triumph of Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI, in the papal conclave enrages his rivals in the College of Cardinals
, some of whom decided to plot against him. With the help of his family, Alexander takes on his enemies while striking alliances with other European powers to strengthen his position.
Meanwhile, Alexander's great rival, Cardinal Della Rovere travels across Italy and France
to seek allies to depose the pope. He manages to persuade King Charles of France
to assist him in removing Pope Alexander in exchange for supporting the King's claim to the throne of Naples
, an ally of the Borgias through marriage. Season one culminates with Charles and his army, accompanied by Della Rovere, marching to Rome
and finally coming to a head with the Borgias.
in Etyek
, just west of Budapest
.
Neil Jordan
was trying to direct a film about the Borgia reign for over a decade and the project had many times come close to fruition, with stars such as Colin Farrell
and Scarlett Johansson
attached to it. In 2010, Steven Spielberg
, the head of DreamWorks Pictures (now a producer of The Borgias), suggested the film turned into a cable drama and Neil Jordan took the idea over to Showtime executives who, wanting to fill the void historical series The Tudors
was going to leave after its final season, commissioned the series. Neil Jordan has stated that the ideal would be a series of four seasons so he can span at least the period of Rodrigo Borgia's papacy (1492-1503).
For the role of Rodrigo Borgia, Neil Jordan turned to Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons
, known for roles of villains and antiheros. The actor initially had second thoughts about his being suitable for the role who is in history described as a tall, obese, dark complexioned Spaniard, but the creator wanted him to focus on the aspects of the character’s obsession with power and life, which the actor could play to the hilt.
Episode 1 & 2
Plot Summary: The Poisoned Chalice / The Assassin
The episode opens in August 1492, on the deathbed of Pope Innocent VIII
who reflects on his reign and accuses all the cardinals present of sullying the name of the Catholic Church. Rodrigo Borgia, the Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, whose Spanish descent has often been cause for slander and abuse, intervenes to calm the dying pontiff and his act is soon imitated by all the other cardinals.
After Innocent dies, turmoil spreads through Rome, whose populace eagerly await the emergence of the new Vicar of Christ
. Cardinal Borgia, a father of four illegitimate children, Cesare
, Juan, Lucrezia
and Joffre, who live under their mother Vanozza dei Cattanei's
roof, a former courtesan and Rodrigo’s aging mistress, is hell-bent on grabbing the throne of St Peter’s, the goal of his lifetime. While he and the entire conclave is sealed inside the Sistine Chapel
to elect the new Pope, Cardinal Borgia enlists his sons’ help from outside in order to amass support.
As the conclave is deliberating cut off from the rest of Rome, Juan Borgia duels with a Colonna
kinsman and is saved at the last minute by his more agile elder brother, Cesare. Meanwhile, within the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere warns Borgia not to make a grab for the papal throne, which requires moral integrity and offers him an administrative post instead which requires using every means necessary, something Borgia has proven to be capable at. Rodrigo kindly denies and the first ballot produces no results.
During one of the cardinals’ lunch, Rodrigo takes advantage of the fact that the cardinal’s food is prepared outside the Chapel and subsequently brought in and manipulates the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Johannes Burchard, to divulge to him what is the contents of Cardinal Piccolomini's and Versucci’s dinner. Rodrigo informs his sons by means of a dove to write down the titles and benefices he intends to bribe the two cardinals with and then hide the parchments inside the roasted animals.
The second ballot proceeds with Borgia gaining more votes but still short of the necessary majority. Borgia urges his sons to double their efforts and use gold from his family controlled churches and abbeys to buy more votes. The third ballot produces no result and then Borgia has no choice but to make a deal with Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
, who after realizing he can’t really win asks for the post of Vice-Chancellor in return for giving Borgia all of his votes. At the fourth ballot, Rodrigo Borgia acquires the required majority and is elected Pope, much to the changrin of Roman Cardinal Orsini and Della Rovere who vocally protest but are then silenced when the new Pope threatens not to consider for the second most significant and profitable post in the Holy See, that of Vice-Chancellor.
Rodrigo Borgia, now Pope Alexander VI
, has to set his clever and calculating son Cesare’s soul at ease, who doubts that the Borgias can remain in the Vatican for long because they are Spaniards hated by the Roman people and nobility. Alexander is furthermore obliged by his new status to alienate his mistress, Vanozza, much to her displeasure, but he vows to protect and dote on his children with her and remain celibate.
During the consistory of the college of cardinals
dealing with the dispensation of duties and posts, Cardinal Orsini is enraged to learn that he has been double-crossed when the Pope appoints Cardinal Sforza as his new Vice-Chancellor, but the cunning Orsini soon apologizes and invites the Pope and the entire college to his palace for a banquet.
Alexander and Cesare arrive at Orsini’s Palace carrying a monkey useful as a tool to taste the wine and food served in case they are poisoned. The banquet flows smoothly until Cesare uses the monkey’s ill behavior to follow a suspicious member of Orsini’s staff, only to find him preparing to poison the Borgias. Cesare fights with the servant, Micheletto
, who is revealed to be an exceptionally skilled assassin, ready to betray his current masters if he is to work for God’s representative on Earth.
Cesare orders Micheletto to poison Orsini’s glass of wine and the scheming cardinal soon drops dead in front of the whole college while chaos ensues. Pope Alexander VI is enraged and offended to hear that the poison was meant for them and especially for him as the Vicar of Christ and leaves vowing revenge. Micheletto informs Cesare that the cardinals planned to wipe out the entire Borgia clan and that assassins are already on the way to annihilate Vanozza’s household. Cesare and the assassin decimate Orsini’s bravi and afterwards the cleric enquires about the level of Della Rovere’s implication in Orsini’s plot. Micheletto is unsure and is then ordered to dispose of the bodies and hide outside the gates of Vatican, waiting for Cesare to meet him.
Cesare returns to the Apostolitic Palace only to find Cardinal Della Rovere by the shocked Pope’s side sharing his dismay at the evening’s events. Before Cesare has a chance to interrogate the cardinal, Juan Borgia, now Gonfaloniere
of the Papal forces, arrives with Micheletto in irons. Alexander recognizes him as the servant who poured the wine at the banquet and orders him tortured for information. Cesare convinces Juan that he can acquire the information needed by savagely beating the assassin and after his brother leaves, Cesare asks the assassin to pose as a Borgia enemy and befriend Della Rovere to work as a spy. The assassin offers himself to be whipped because he thinks that only if he appears tormented in Borgia hands will the cardinal seriously consider hiring him.
The next morning, Pope Alexander VI is called to confess a beautiful noblewoman, Giulia Farnese
, who admits that hate for her abusive husband, who’s now retired at his country fortress in Bassano
, has driven her to abort her pregnancy. The Pope is clearly taken with the young woman and after imposing a light punishment on her, offer hers a way out of destitution by installing her at the deceased Orsini’s palace. Giulia in return is willing to give in to the Pope’s affection and invites him to use the secret tunnel connecting Orsini’s palace to the Vatican as often as he wishes.
Meanwhile, Micheletto presents himself before Della Rovere who appears to be in the dark about the late Orsini’s machinations and is determined to undermine Borgia by all means. Micheletto’s first assignment is to secretly gather most anti-Borgia cardinals of the college so that Della Rovere can unite them in a plot to depose the iniquitous Pope. Della Rovere consults the Papal Master of Ceremonies and expert in Canon law
, Johannes Burchard, on the matter and learns that the only cause for a Pope’s dethronement is his public and notorious lechery.
Alexander pays a night visit to Giulia Farnese who instantly offers herself to him. Afterwards, the Pope commissions artist Pinturicchio
to paint the beauty’s portrait and Giulia is introduced to Lucrezia, whom the other woman befriends by giving her a seahorse jewel. Tucking her in at night, Lucrezia’s mother Vanozza spots the jewel and learns about Giulia’s status as the Pope’s mistress.
The next morning, unable to hide her chagrin anymore, Vanozza storms the Pope’s apartments asking for explanation, which he can’t provide and unintentionally alerts Della Rovere and some other cardinals of the Pope’s sins. Della Rovere sees this as the golden opportunity to get rid of the Borgia Pope so he assigns Micheletto the task of finding a maid at the Orsini Palace who will be willing to testify that the Pope has committed transgressions of lechery.
The plot reaches the ears of Cesare and Rodrigo, who realize that they have to ensure their safe position within the college of cardinal and then deal with Della Rovere’s determination to oust them. Alexander orders Burchard to find a legal basis so he can create 13 new cardinals, a number unprecedentedly large and Cesare orders Micheletto to discreetly silence Giulia’s maid, Maria. While Della Rovere is away, Micheletto orders the household staff to depart and then has sex with Maria.
When Rodrigo appears before the college to announce the appointment of 13 new servants of God, among them his son, Cesare, who is just as shocked as all the other members of the consistory, Della Rovere proclaims that he has firm evidence of the Pope’s iniquity, which he is willing to present as soon as possible. Storming out of the Chapel, he returns to his palace only to find it empty of servants and signs of life. Reaching his bedroom and asking for God’s sign to campaign against the Borgias, he witnesses the abominable sight of Maria’s mangled body, lying in a pool of blood. Della Rovere flees Rome in panic.
The next morning, Cesare is heading the investigation into the murder and listens to Micheletto’s testimony in front of papal guards, who frames the cardinal for killing the maid after fornicating with her. Cesare opts to cover this artificial scandal and solidifies his bond of trust with the assassin.
Ratings:
On its original airing at 9 p.m. (subsequent episodes aired at 10 p.m.) The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin garnered 1.062 million viewers, the best premiere numbers in seven years for the network. The premiere enjoyed the same success in Canada (airing on Bravo!) and the U.K. (airing on SkyAtlantic).
Episode 3
The Moor
The Moor is the third episode of Showtime historical-crime drama The Borgias. The episode was written by the show’s creator-executive producer Neil Jordan
and directed by Simon Cellan-Jones
. The episode deals with the aftermath of Cardinal Della Rovere’s escape from Rome and the Borgias’ efforts to replenish their coffers and provide a dowry for Lucrezia after Rodrigo’s expensive ascendance to the papal throne. The episode first aired in the United States on April 10, 2011.
Plot Summary for "The Moor"
The episode opens in Naples, where Della Rovere has fled in order to enlist the Neapolitan royal family’s help to depose the Borgias. King Ferrante of Naples
is old senile and throne Prince Alfonso is peculiarly obnoxious, especially when the independence of Naples is called into question. To convince Della Rovere of Naples’ determination not to tolerate any pretenders, Alfonso shows the cardinal a chamber full of his father’s enemies’ stuffed corpses sitting in a macabre recreation of the Last Supper. The shocked cardinal receives an invitation to enjoy the sulfur baths Naples is famous for, while Alfonso and his advisors will consider his proposal to ally themselves against the Borgias in return for the papal investiture of their reign.
Back in Rome, even after looting Della Rovere’s palace and stripping all the ecclesiastical estates of gold and silver ornaments, the Borgias are still short of funds due to Rodrigo’s expensive election, so they agree to give refuge to the Marrano Jews exiled from Spain by Isabella of Castille for a price. Rodrigo, worried that Della Rovere is out to get him, hints to Cesare that they should dispose of the fugitive cardinal quickly. Cesare sends Micheletto to Naples to kill Della Rovere, while he awaits his cardinality ceremony in Rome.
In Naples, Micheletto disguises himself to quietly murder Della Rovere in a public bathhouse but soon his cover is blown and Della Rovere escapes danger. Micheletto is nearly caught and even though the attempt on Della Rovere’s life failed, he is expelled from Naples for compromising Prince Alfonso’s safety.
In Rome, Rodrigo is concerned with Lucrezia’s worth as a match due to the Borgia inability to provide a significant dowry. Just as he is receiving suitors from all powerful houses of Italy, the Borgias play host to Djem
, the brother of Sultan Bayezid II, who is willing to pay the Holy See
40,000 ducats per year so that his brother’s threat to the Ottoman
succession will be diminished. As Djem is familiarizing himself with all the Borgias, especially Juan and Lucrezia, Rodrigo informs Cesare that should they opt to kill Djem, Bayezid will donate the Vatican the astounding sum of 400,000 ducats.
Rodrigo meets with Ascanio
and Caterina Sforza
and brokers a strategic alliance with the Milanese dynasty, promising to marry his daughter to the Lord of Pesaro, Giovanni Sforza
, but the match is jeopardized when the Pope notices that Lucrezia is smitten with Djem and that the Borgias lack the money the Sforzas are demanding. Both problems seem to have only one solution: kill Djem and accept Bayezid’s gift to give as Lucrezia’s dowry.
Rodrigo tasks Juan and Cesare to carry out the mission, but the latter refuses to participate due to his fondness towards Djem, who admits he is so charmed by the Christian heart and charity that he wants to convert.
Juan uses an amateur kitchen servant to poison Djem, after Cesare denies him the use of Micheletto, and the attempt is botched due to the use of an unsuitable substance. Djem survives but remains in excruciating agony and Cesare’s only choice is to take part in his father’s scheme. He urges Juan to finish Djem off, which he does, suffocating him with a pillow, after severe hesitation.
The Borgias receive Bayezid’s payment as Djem’s corpse is delivered to the Turkish ambassador and Rodrigo prays that all of his controversial decisions will prove to be in the best interest of his children, especially Lucrezia who is going to leave the Vatican after she’s married.
Ratings:
On its original airing at 10 p.m. The Moor garnered 680,000 viewers.
. Robert Bianco of USA Today
said: "... seen from a safe distance, captured by a sterling cast led in marvelous high style by Jeremy Irons, and presented with all the brio, flair and sumptuous design TV can muster, the infamous family is almost addictively entertaining." Linda Stasi of the New York Post
gave the season a 3.5/4 rating, remarking "'The Borgias' (the series) makes 'The Tudors
' look like a bunch of amateurs with bigger lips."
However, it was panned in the United Kingdom. Rachel Ray of The Daily Telegraph
called Irons' performance "disappointingly undiabolical." She added that the show is "for history buffs, not for viewers looking for another Godfather." Sarah Dempster of The Guardian
mocked the show's dialogue and visual style: "The ridiculousness mounts. The opening double bill features impromptu palazzo brawls between priapic gadabouts in bejewelled codpieces ("Back to Spain, Borgia!") and flocks of miffed cardinals gliding along darkened corridors like motorised pepperpots." The Independent
s Holly Williams praised Irons, but said elsewhere, "the acting and script feel about as substantial as a communion wafer. With power struggles, sex, assassinations and sibling rivalries, it should, at least, be racy and fun. Yet the storyline often feels curiously ungripping."
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
television series created by Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
.
The series is based on the Borgia family, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
dynasty of Spanish origin, and stars Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
as Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
with David Oakes
David Oakes
David Oakes is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Fordingbridge, New Forest, England, the son of a Church of England canon and a professional musician....
, François Arnaud
François Arnaud (actor)
François Arnaud is a French Canadian stage and film actor, trained at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in 2007...
, Holliday Grainger
Holliday Grainger
Clark Holliday Grainger is an English actress primarily active in television. Over the past couple of years, she has moved into films...
and Aidan Alexander
Aidan Alexander
Aidan Alexander is an English actor.He plays Gioffre Borgia, a younger illegitimate son of Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, in Showtime's The Borgias...
as Juan
Giovanni Borgia (1474)
Giovanni Borgia, 2nd duke of Gandía was the son of Pope Alexander VI and the brother of Cesare Borgia, Gioffre Borgia, and Lucrezia Borgia. Giovanni, also known as Juan or Joan, was the second of the Pope's four children by Vanozza de' Catanei...
, Cesare
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
, Lucrezia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
and Gioffre Borgia
Gioffre Borgia
Gioffre de Candia Borgia, in Italian, or Jofré Borja in Valencian, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei, sibling to Lucrezia Borgia, Cesare Borgia and Giovanni Borgia....
, respectively. Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
and Colm Feore
Colm Feore
Colm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
also star as Cardinals Orsini and della Rovere.
It premiered on April 3, 2011, at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 10 p.m. Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
(UTC−04:00) on Bravo! in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
., and received its first major television network premiere on June 21, 2011 on Canada's CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
.
On April 25, 2011, Showtime ordered a second season of The Borgias.
Plot overview
The series follows the rise of the Borgia family to the pinnacle of the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and their struggles to maintain their grip on power. The beginning of the first season depicts the election of Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy through simony
Simony
Simony is the act of paying for sacraments and consequently for holy offices or for positions in the hierarchy of a church, named after Simon Magus , who appears in the Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24...
and bribery with the help of his son, Cesare
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
. The triumph of Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI, in the papal conclave enrages his rivals in the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
, some of whom decided to plot against him. With the help of his family, Alexander takes on his enemies while striking alliances with other European powers to strengthen his position.
Meanwhile, Alexander's great rival, Cardinal Della Rovere travels across Italy and France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
to seek allies to depose the pope. He manages to persuade King Charles of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
to assist him in removing Pope Alexander in exchange for supporting the King's claim to the throne of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, an ally of the Borgias through marriage. Season one culminates with Charles and his army, accompanied by Della Rovere, marching to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and finally coming to a head with the Borgias.
Main cast
- Jeremy IronsJeremy IronsJeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
as Rodrigo Borgia/Pope Alexander VIPope Alexander VIPope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
: An ambitious clergyman and head of the Borgia family. He uses his position to acquire power and influence. Shrewd and scheming, he is utterly devoted to his family, but also enjoys the company of beautiful women. - François ArnaudFrançois Arnaud (actor)François Arnaud is a French Canadian stage and film actor, trained at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in 2007...
as Cesare BorgiaCesare BorgiaCesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
: Son of Rodrigo, he is his father's consigliereConsigliereConsigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
in the church. However, he desires to leave the priesthood, preferring warfare to the clergy. He has a violent streak, killing anyone to help the family's cause or eliminate romantic rivals. His devotion to his sister Lucrezia is his one weak spot. - Holliday GraingerHolliday GraingerClark Holliday Grainger is an English actress primarily active in television. Over the past couple of years, she has moved into films...
as Lucrezia BorgiaLucrezia BorgiaLucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
: Daughter of Rodrigo, and the apple of her father's eye. From its onset, the series hints at the rumors of an incestuous relationship between her and her brother Cesare. Beautiful and wise, she is betrothed at a young age to the cold Giovanni SforzaGiovanni SforzaGiovanni Sforza d'Aragona was an Italian condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara from 1483 until his death. He is best known as the first husband of Lucrezia Borgia...
, and suffered from an unhappy marriage. She uses her wit and charm to save her father from being deposed. - Joanne WhalleyJoanne Whalley-Early life:Whalley was born in Salford but brought up in Stockport where she studied at the Braeside School of Speech and Drama, Marple.Whalley first appeared as a child in How We Used To Live and bit parts in soap operas, especially Coronation Street and Emmerdale...
as Vannozza dei CattaneiVannozza dei CattaneiVannozza dei Cattanei was an Italian noblewoman from the House of Candia, who was one of the many mistresses of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, future Pope Alexander VI. Among them, she was the one whose relationship with him lasted the longest...
: A courtesan and the aging mother of the pope's children. Her position as the matriarch of the family is threatened by the Borgias newly acquired powers and the pope's new mistress. - Lotte VerbeekLotte VerbeekLotte Verbeek is a Dutch actress born in Venlo, the Netherlands. She won the Leopard for the best actress at the Locarno International Film Festival 2009 for her role in Nothing Personal...
as Giulia FarneseGiulia FarneseGiulia Farnese was mistress to Pope Alexander VI. She was known as Giulia la bella, meaning "Julia the beautiful", in Italian. Lorenzo Pucci described her as "most lovely to behold"...
: The beautiful mistress of the pope. An independent and wise woman herself, she earns the trust of Pope Alexander and becomes a close friend and mentor to Lucrezia. - David OakesDavid OakesDavid Oakes is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Fordingbridge, New Forest, England, the son of a Church of England canon and a professional musician....
as Juan Borgia: Son of Rodrigo and Gonfalonier of the Papal ArmiesGonfalonier of the ChurchThe Gonfalonier of the Church or Papal Gonfalonier was a military and political office of the Papal States. Originating from the use of the Papal banner during combat, the office later became largely ceremonial and political...
. He behaves recklessly and arrogantly but is an inept coward. - Sean HarrisSean HarrisSean Harris is a British actor, who is best known for his performance as Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in the film 24 Hour Party People. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk, where he lived until he was 23....
as Michelotto CorellaMichelotto CorellaMichelotto Corella was a valencian condottiero born on an unknown date in València. He was killed in Milan in January 1508.- Biography :...
: The condottiero of Cesare Borgia. He carries out ruthless killings under the order of Cesare to keep the Borgia family in power. - Aidan AlexanderAidan AlexanderAidan Alexander is an English actor.He plays Gioffre Borgia, a younger illegitimate son of Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, in Showtime's The Borgias...
as Joffre BorgiaGioffre BorgiaGioffre de Candia Borgia, in Italian, or Jofré Borja in Valencian, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei, sibling to Lucrezia Borgia, Cesare Borgia and Giovanni Borgia....
: The barely pubescent youngest son of the pope. He is married to Sancia of Naples by the pope to secure an alliance with the kingdom to consolidate his papacy. - Colm FeoreColm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
as Giuliano della Rovere: A powerful cardinal in the church. After losing the papal election to Rodrigo Borgia, he devotes himself to deposing the new pope, whom he sees as lewd and blasphemous. After Alexander VI's death, he will become Pope Julius II and engineer the death of Cesare Borgia
Supporting cast
- Ronan VibertRonan VibertRonan Vibert is a British actor, known for his appearances on British television.-Early life:The son of Dilys and David Vibert, both artists. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1983 to 1986. He has a brother named Cevn....
as Giovanni SforzaGiovanni SforzaGiovanni Sforza d'Aragona was an Italian condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara from 1483 until his death. He is best known as the first husband of Lucrezia Borgia...
: The Lord of Pesaro, picked as the husband of Lucrezia by the pope in exchange for support from the Sforza clan. The cold and brutish man, he raped Lucrezia repeatedly at the beginning of the marriage, but broke his leg after falling off a horse thanks to a scheme by Lucrezia. He betrays the alliance with the Borgias by refusing to support them against the impending French invasion. He was later humiliated by the Borgias, and his marriage was annulled on the grounds of impotence. - Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
as Girolamo SavonarolaGirolamo SavonarolaGirolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar, Scholastic, and an influential contributor to the politics of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for his book burning, destruction of what he considered immoral art, and what he thought the Renaissance—which began in his...
: An influential priest in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
who preaches against the corruption in the church. - Simon McBurneySimon McBurneySimon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...
as Johannes Burchard: A scholar in Rome whom the pope turns to for advice on canon lawCanon lawCanon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. - Augustus PrewAugustus PrewAugustus Art Prew is an English film and television actor.Prew was born in Hammersmith, London, England, where he later attended Latymer Upper School...
as Alfonso II of NaplesAlfonso II of NaplesAlfonso II of Naples , also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, was King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 22 February 1495 with the title King of Naples and Jerusalem...
: The eldest son of King Ferdinand I of NaplesFerdinand I of NaplesFerdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
. His father was old and senile, leaving himself as the effective ruler of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. - Derek JacobiDerek JacobiSir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
as Cardinal Orsini (fictional character): One of the cardinals who plotted against Pope Alexander. Poisoned to death at the instruction of Cesare Borgia. - Ruta GedmintasRuta GedmintasRuta Gedmintas is an English actress known for her work on British television, primarily in Spooks: Code 9, The Tudors and Lip Service.-Biography:...
as Ursula Bonadeo/Sister Martha: A noblewoman who engaged in a passionate extra-marital affair with Cesare Borgia. After Cesare murdered her husband, she rejected his love out of guilt and joined the nunhood, receiving the new name of Sister Martha. - Elyes GabelElyes GabelElyes Gabel is a British Asian actor who played Dr Gupreet "Guppy" Sandhu in the BBC medical drama, Casualty. He starred as PE teacher Rob Cleaver in BBC drama, Waterloo Road and appeared in the ITV Drama Identity...
as Prince CemCemPrince Cem , December 22, 1459 – February 25, 1495) was a pretender to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century. He was a son of Mehmed II the Conqueror and younger brother of Sultan Bayezid II. He was banished to Europe, first under the protection of the Knights Hospitaller of St...
(Djem or Jem): A rival to the OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
throne, who was banished by his brother, the Sultan. Pope Alexander accepted the Sultan's offer to host Cem in exchange for financial reward. Cem was eventually killed by the Borgias, who used the much more substantial reward to pay for Lucrezia's dowry. - Montserrat LombardMontserrat LombardMontserrat Lombard is a British actress best known for playing WPC Sharon 'Shaz' Granger in the BBC Drama series Ashes to Ashes.Lombard was born in London. She is half Spanish and half Italian...
as Maria, a maid in the Orsini Palace during Giulia Farnese's stay there who is willing to testify on her indiscretions with the Pope and pays the price for it. - Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
as Sancha of AragonSancha of AragonDonna Sancha of Aragon , or Sancia of Aragon, was an illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples and his mistress Trogia Gazzela. In 1494, she was married to Gioffre Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI. Upon her marriage she and her new husband were created Prince and Princess of Squillace,...
: The illegitimate daughter of the King of Naples. When a marriage to the Borgias was proposed, Juan refused to marry her due to her illegitimacy. She was married instead to Joffre, but Juan became struck by her beauty and began an affair with her. - Vernon DobtcheffVernon DobtcheffVernon Dobtcheff is a French and British actor.Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, to a family of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Preparatory School in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, in the 1940s, where he won the Acting Cup...
as Cardinal Julius Verscucci (fictional character) - Bosco HoganBosco HoganBosco Hogan is an Irish actor of stage, screen and television.He is best known as Dr. Michael Ryan on Ballykissangel. He appeared in a minor role as convicted felon George Saden in John Boorman's film Zardoz , but his first major film role was as Stephen Dedalus in the 1977 Joseph Strick film...
as Cardinal PiccolominiPope Pius IIIPope Pius III , born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, was Pope from September 22 to October 18, 1503.-Career:... - Luke PasqualinoLuke PasqualinoLuke Pasqualino is an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Freddie Mclair in the television series Skins.-Early life:...
as Paolo: The young servant of Giovanni Sforza. Charmed by Lucrezia, he is outraged by his master's treatment of her and sabotages Sforza's saddle, causing his master to suffer a serious injury. He and Lucrezia later have an affair, and he fathers a child with her. After this discovery, he helped her escape from the Sforza household, at the cost of a violent whipping from his master for it. - Gina MckeeGina McKeeGeorgina "Gina" McKee is an English actor known for her television roles in Our Friends in the North , The Lost Prince and The Forsyte Saga ; and her portrayal of Bella in the film Notting Hill ....
as Caterina SforzaCaterina SforzaCaterina Sforza, Countess of Forlì was an Italian noblewoman, the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan and Lucrezia Landriani, the wife of the courtier Gian Piero Landriani, a close friend of the Duke...
: Cousin of Giovanni Sforza and well-known military leader. Like the rest of the Sforzas, she refused to support the pope against the impending invasion by the French. - Peter SullivanPete SullivanPeter Sullivan is a British theatre, film and television actor known mainly for new work with theatre companies and writers from both Europe and the United States.- Biography :...
as Ascanio SforzaAscanio SforzaAscanio Maria Sforza Visconti was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI.-Early years:...
: A powerful cardinal who becomes chancellor in a deal with Rodrigo Borgia to elect Borgia as pope. Sforza arranged the marriage between Lucrezia Borgia and his cousin, Giovanni. - Julian BleachJulian BleachJulian Bleach is an English actor who is best known as co-creator and "M. C." of Shockheaded Peter, a musical entertainment based on the works of Heinrich Hoffmann, which won the 2002 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.Bleach trained at LAMDA...
as Niccolò MachiavelliNiccolò MachiavelliNiccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
: A senior official in the Republic of FlorenceRepublic of FlorenceThe Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
, he carefully considered the offers of alliance by Cardinal Della Rovere and Cesare Borgia. Della Rovere pushes for Florence to give free passage of the French army on their way to Rome. He was upset when the Medicis yield hopelessly to the demands of the King of France in the face of total destruction of Florence by the French armies. - Ivan KayeIvan KayeIvan Kaye is a British actor. He previously played Dr. Johnathon Leroy in a recurrent role in EastEnders, and he played Bryan in The Green Green Grass...
as Ludovico SforzaLudovico SforzaLudovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
: The brutish Duke of Milan who seized the throne and imprisoned his own nephew in the process. Despite an alliance of the Sforzas and the pope, he allowed the French army free passage through Milan on the way to Rome. - Michel MullerMichel MullerMichel Muller is a French actor, screenwriter and director. He is most recently known for playing Charles VIII of France in the television series The Borgias.-Biography:...
as Charles VIIICharles VIII of FranceCharles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
: King of FranceKingdom of FranceThe Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
and commander of one of the most feared armies in Europe. He claimed the throne of Naples, and was enticed by Cardinal Della Rovere to pursue those claims, in return for deposing Pope Alexander. Insecure about his height, looks and faith, he was charmed by Lucrezia Borgia on his way to seizing Rome, and later talked into an alliance by the pope, who agreed to recognize him as King of Naples. - David Lowe as the French Ambassador to Rome.
Production
The series is an international co-production, directed by an Irishman, filmed in Hungary, and produced in Canada. Filming in Hungary mainly took place at the Korda StudiosKorda Studios
Korda Studios. Hungary . is a new film studio complex 26 km west of Budapest in the wine-making village of Etyek; hence the media nickname Etyekwood. It is built on the site of a former barracks. with six studios. The studio is named after Sir Alexander Korda. There was a former Korda Studios...
in Etyek
Etyek
Etyek is a village in Fejér county, Hungary, approximately 30km from Budapest. The area is surrounded by vineyards and is known for its wine-production...
, just west of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
was trying to direct a film about the Borgia reign for over a decade and the project had many times come close to fruition, with stars such as Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
and Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
attached to it. In 2010, Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, the head of DreamWorks Pictures (now a producer of The Borgias), suggested the film turned into a cable drama and Neil Jordan took the idea over to Showtime executives who, wanting to fill the void historical series The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
was going to leave after its final season, commissioned the series. Neil Jordan has stated that the ideal would be a series of four seasons so he can span at least the period of Rodrigo Borgia's papacy (1492-1503).
For the role of Rodrigo Borgia, Neil Jordan turned to Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
, known for roles of villains and antiheros. The actor initially had second thoughts about his being suitable for the role who is in history described as a tall, obese, dark complexioned Spaniard, but the creator wanted him to focus on the aspects of the character’s obsession with power and life, which the actor could play to the hilt.
Episodes
The series has nine episodes; the premiere encompassed two episodes, with the remaining seven episodes being first-aired each week following.Episode 1 & 2
Plot Summary: The Poisoned Chalice / The Assassin
The episode opens in August 1492, on the deathbed of Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
who reflects on his reign and accuses all the cardinals present of sullying the name of the Catholic Church. Rodrigo Borgia, the Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, whose Spanish descent has often been cause for slander and abuse, intervenes to calm the dying pontiff and his act is soon imitated by all the other cardinals.
After Innocent dies, turmoil spreads through Rome, whose populace eagerly await the emergence of the new Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ is a term used in different ways, with different theological connotations throughout history...
. Cardinal Borgia, a father of four illegitimate children, Cesare
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
, Juan, Lucrezia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
and Joffre, who live under their mother Vanozza dei Cattanei's
Vannozza dei Cattanei
Vannozza dei Cattanei was an Italian noblewoman from the House of Candia, who was one of the many mistresses of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, future Pope Alexander VI. Among them, she was the one whose relationship with him lasted the longest...
roof, a former courtesan and Rodrigo’s aging mistress, is hell-bent on grabbing the throne of St Peter’s, the goal of his lifetime. While he and the entire conclave is sealed inside the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
to elect the new Pope, Cardinal Borgia enlists his sons’ help from outside in order to amass support.
As the conclave is deliberating cut off from the rest of Rome, Juan Borgia duels with a Colonna
Colonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
kinsman and is saved at the last minute by his more agile elder brother, Cesare. Meanwhile, within the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere warns Borgia not to make a grab for the papal throne, which requires moral integrity and offers him an administrative post instead which requires using every means necessary, something Borgia has proven to be capable at. Rodrigo kindly denies and the first ballot produces no results.
During one of the cardinals’ lunch, Rodrigo takes advantage of the fact that the cardinal’s food is prepared outside the Chapel and subsequently brought in and manipulates the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Johannes Burchard, to divulge to him what is the contents of Cardinal Piccolomini's and Versucci’s dinner. Rodrigo informs his sons by means of a dove to write down the titles and benefices he intends to bribe the two cardinals with and then hide the parchments inside the roasted animals.
The second ballot proceeds with Borgia gaining more votes but still short of the necessary majority. Borgia urges his sons to double their efforts and use gold from his family controlled churches and abbeys to buy more votes. The third ballot produces no result and then Borgia has no choice but to make a deal with Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI.-Early years:...
, who after realizing he can’t really win asks for the post of Vice-Chancellor in return for giving Borgia all of his votes. At the fourth ballot, Rodrigo Borgia acquires the required majority and is elected Pope, much to the changrin of Roman Cardinal Orsini and Della Rovere who vocally protest but are then silenced when the new Pope threatens not to consider for the second most significant and profitable post in the Holy See, that of Vice-Chancellor.
Rodrigo Borgia, now Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
, has to set his clever and calculating son Cesare’s soul at ease, who doubts that the Borgias can remain in the Vatican for long because they are Spaniards hated by the Roman people and nobility. Alexander is furthermore obliged by his new status to alienate his mistress, Vanozza, much to her displeasure, but he vows to protect and dote on his children with her and remain celibate.
During the consistory of the college of cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
dealing with the dispensation of duties and posts, Cardinal Orsini is enraged to learn that he has been double-crossed when the Pope appoints Cardinal Sforza as his new Vice-Chancellor, but the cunning Orsini soon apologizes and invites the Pope and the entire college to his palace for a banquet.
Alexander and Cesare arrive at Orsini’s Palace carrying a monkey useful as a tool to taste the wine and food served in case they are poisoned. The banquet flows smoothly until Cesare uses the monkey’s ill behavior to follow a suspicious member of Orsini’s staff, only to find him preparing to poison the Borgias. Cesare fights with the servant, Micheletto
Michelotto Corella
Michelotto Corella was a valencian condottiero born on an unknown date in València. He was killed in Milan in January 1508.- Biography :...
, who is revealed to be an exceptionally skilled assassin, ready to betray his current masters if he is to work for God’s representative on Earth.
Cesare orders Micheletto to poison Orsini’s glass of wine and the scheming cardinal soon drops dead in front of the whole college while chaos ensues. Pope Alexander VI is enraged and offended to hear that the poison was meant for them and especially for him as the Vicar of Christ and leaves vowing revenge. Micheletto informs Cesare that the cardinals planned to wipe out the entire Borgia clan and that assassins are already on the way to annihilate Vanozza’s household. Cesare and the assassin decimate Orsini’s bravi and afterwards the cleric enquires about the level of Della Rovere’s implication in Orsini’s plot. Micheletto is unsure and is then ordered to dispose of the bodies and hide outside the gates of Vatican, waiting for Cesare to meet him.
Cesare returns to the Apostolitic Palace only to find Cardinal Della Rovere by the shocked Pope’s side sharing his dismay at the evening’s events. Before Cesare has a chance to interrogate the cardinal, Juan Borgia, now Gonfaloniere
Gonfaloniere
The Gonfaloniere was a highly prestigious communal post in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States. The name derives from gonfalone, the term used for the banners of such communes....
of the Papal forces, arrives with Micheletto in irons. Alexander recognizes him as the servant who poured the wine at the banquet and orders him tortured for information. Cesare convinces Juan that he can acquire the information needed by savagely beating the assassin and after his brother leaves, Cesare asks the assassin to pose as a Borgia enemy and befriend Della Rovere to work as a spy. The assassin offers himself to be whipped because he thinks that only if he appears tormented in Borgia hands will the cardinal seriously consider hiring him.
The next morning, Pope Alexander VI is called to confess a beautiful noblewoman, Giulia Farnese
Giulia Farnese
Giulia Farnese was mistress to Pope Alexander VI. She was known as Giulia la bella, meaning "Julia the beautiful", in Italian. Lorenzo Pucci described her as "most lovely to behold"...
, who admits that hate for her abusive husband, who’s now retired at his country fortress in Bassano
Bassano
-Places:*Communes in Italy:**Bassano Bresciano, in the Province of Brescia**Bassano del Grappa, in the Province of Vicenza**Bassano in Teverina, in the Province of Viterbo**Bassano Romano, in the Province of Viterbo**San Bassano, in the Province of Cremona...
, has driven her to abort her pregnancy. The Pope is clearly taken with the young woman and after imposing a light punishment on her, offer hers a way out of destitution by installing her at the deceased Orsini’s palace. Giulia in return is willing to give in to the Pope’s affection and invites him to use the secret tunnel connecting Orsini’s palace to the Vatican as often as he wishes.
Meanwhile, Micheletto presents himself before Della Rovere who appears to be in the dark about the late Orsini’s machinations and is determined to undermine Borgia by all means. Micheletto’s first assignment is to secretly gather most anti-Borgia cardinals of the college so that Della Rovere can unite them in a plot to depose the iniquitous Pope. Della Rovere consults the Papal Master of Ceremonies and expert in Canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, Johannes Burchard, on the matter and learns that the only cause for a Pope’s dethronement is his public and notorious lechery.
Alexander pays a night visit to Giulia Farnese who instantly offers herself to him. Afterwards, the Pope commissions artist Pinturicchio
Pinturicchio
Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname, Pintoricchio , because of his small stature, and he used it to sign some of his works....
to paint the beauty’s portrait and Giulia is introduced to Lucrezia, whom the other woman befriends by giving her a seahorse jewel. Tucking her in at night, Lucrezia’s mother Vanozza spots the jewel and learns about Giulia’s status as the Pope’s mistress.
The next morning, unable to hide her chagrin anymore, Vanozza storms the Pope’s apartments asking for explanation, which he can’t provide and unintentionally alerts Della Rovere and some other cardinals of the Pope’s sins. Della Rovere sees this as the golden opportunity to get rid of the Borgia Pope so he assigns Micheletto the task of finding a maid at the Orsini Palace who will be willing to testify that the Pope has committed transgressions of lechery.
The plot reaches the ears of Cesare and Rodrigo, who realize that they have to ensure their safe position within the college of cardinal and then deal with Della Rovere’s determination to oust them. Alexander orders Burchard to find a legal basis so he can create 13 new cardinals, a number unprecedentedly large and Cesare orders Micheletto to discreetly silence Giulia’s maid, Maria. While Della Rovere is away, Micheletto orders the household staff to depart and then has sex with Maria.
When Rodrigo appears before the college to announce the appointment of 13 new servants of God, among them his son, Cesare, who is just as shocked as all the other members of the consistory, Della Rovere proclaims that he has firm evidence of the Pope’s iniquity, which he is willing to present as soon as possible. Storming out of the Chapel, he returns to his palace only to find it empty of servants and signs of life. Reaching his bedroom and asking for God’s sign to campaign against the Borgias, he witnesses the abominable sight of Maria’s mangled body, lying in a pool of blood. Della Rovere flees Rome in panic.
The next morning, Cesare is heading the investigation into the murder and listens to Micheletto’s testimony in front of papal guards, who frames the cardinal for killing the maid after fornicating with her. Cesare opts to cover this artificial scandal and solidifies his bond of trust with the assassin.
Ratings:
On its original airing at 9 p.m. (subsequent episodes aired at 10 p.m.) The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin garnered 1.062 million viewers, the best premiere numbers in seven years for the network. The premiere enjoyed the same success in Canada (airing on Bravo!) and the U.K. (airing on SkyAtlantic).
Episode 3
The Moor
The Moor is the third episode of Showtime historical-crime drama The Borgias. The episode was written by the show’s creator-executive producer Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
and directed by Simon Cellan-Jones
Simon Cellan-Jones
Simon Cellan-Jones is a Welsh television director and film director, who began his career as a production assistant in the mid-1980s, working on series such as Edge of Darkness. By the late 1980s he had worked his way up to become a director, and he gained credits on some of the most acclaimed...
. The episode deals with the aftermath of Cardinal Della Rovere’s escape from Rome and the Borgias’ efforts to replenish their coffers and provide a dowry for Lucrezia after Rodrigo’s expensive ascendance to the papal throne. The episode first aired in the United States on April 10, 2011.
Plot Summary for "The Moor"
The episode opens in Naples, where Della Rovere has fled in order to enlist the Neapolitan royal family’s help to depose the Borgias. King Ferrante of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
is old senile and throne Prince Alfonso is peculiarly obnoxious, especially when the independence of Naples is called into question. To convince Della Rovere of Naples’ determination not to tolerate any pretenders, Alfonso shows the cardinal a chamber full of his father’s enemies’ stuffed corpses sitting in a macabre recreation of the Last Supper. The shocked cardinal receives an invitation to enjoy the sulfur baths Naples is famous for, while Alfonso and his advisors will consider his proposal to ally themselves against the Borgias in return for the papal investiture of their reign.
Back in Rome, even after looting Della Rovere’s palace and stripping all the ecclesiastical estates of gold and silver ornaments, the Borgias are still short of funds due to Rodrigo’s expensive election, so they agree to give refuge to the Marrano Jews exiled from Spain by Isabella of Castille for a price. Rodrigo, worried that Della Rovere is out to get him, hints to Cesare that they should dispose of the fugitive cardinal quickly. Cesare sends Micheletto to Naples to kill Della Rovere, while he awaits his cardinality ceremony in Rome.
In Naples, Micheletto disguises himself to quietly murder Della Rovere in a public bathhouse but soon his cover is blown and Della Rovere escapes danger. Micheletto is nearly caught and even though the attempt on Della Rovere’s life failed, he is expelled from Naples for compromising Prince Alfonso’s safety.
In Rome, Rodrigo is concerned with Lucrezia’s worth as a match due to the Borgia inability to provide a significant dowry. Just as he is receiving suitors from all powerful houses of Italy, the Borgias play host to Djem
Cem
Prince Cem , December 22, 1459 – February 25, 1495) was a pretender to the Ottoman throne in the 15th century. He was a son of Mehmed II the Conqueror and younger brother of Sultan Bayezid II. He was banished to Europe, first under the protection of the Knights Hospitaller of St...
, the brother of Sultan Bayezid II, who is willing to pay the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
40,000 ducats per year so that his brother’s threat to the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
succession will be diminished. As Djem is familiarizing himself with all the Borgias, especially Juan and Lucrezia, Rodrigo informs Cesare that should they opt to kill Djem, Bayezid will donate the Vatican the astounding sum of 400,000 ducats.
Rodrigo meets with Ascanio
Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI.-Early years:...
and Caterina Sforza
Caterina Sforza
Caterina Sforza, Countess of Forlì was an Italian noblewoman, the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan and Lucrezia Landriani, the wife of the courtier Gian Piero Landriani, a close friend of the Duke...
and brokers a strategic alliance with the Milanese dynasty, promising to marry his daughter to the Lord of Pesaro, Giovanni Sforza
Giovanni Sforza
Giovanni Sforza d'Aragona was an Italian condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara from 1483 until his death. He is best known as the first husband of Lucrezia Borgia...
, but the match is jeopardized when the Pope notices that Lucrezia is smitten with Djem and that the Borgias lack the money the Sforzas are demanding. Both problems seem to have only one solution: kill Djem and accept Bayezid’s gift to give as Lucrezia’s dowry.
Rodrigo tasks Juan and Cesare to carry out the mission, but the latter refuses to participate due to his fondness towards Djem, who admits he is so charmed by the Christian heart and charity that he wants to convert.
Juan uses an amateur kitchen servant to poison Djem, after Cesare denies him the use of Micheletto, and the attempt is botched due to the use of an unsuitable substance. Djem survives but remains in excruciating agony and Cesare’s only choice is to take part in his father’s scheme. He urges Juan to finish Djem off, which he does, suffocating him with a pillow, after severe hesitation.
The Borgias receive Bayezid’s payment as Djem’s corpse is delivered to the Turkish ambassador and Rodrigo prays that all of his controversial decisions will prove to be in the best interest of his children, especially Lucrezia who is going to leave the Vatican after she’s married.
Ratings:
On its original airing at 10 p.m. The Moor garnered 680,000 viewers.
Reception
The show's first season received generally favorable reviews in the United States, scoring 66 out of 100 based on 25 critics on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Robert Bianco of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said: "... seen from a safe distance, captured by a sterling cast led in marvelous high style by Jeremy Irons, and presented with all the brio, flair and sumptuous design TV can muster, the infamous family is almost addictively entertaining." Linda Stasi of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
gave the season a 3.5/4 rating, remarking "'The Borgias' (the series) makes 'The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
' look like a bunch of amateurs with bigger lips."
However, it was panned in the United Kingdom. Rachel Ray of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
called Irons' performance "disappointingly undiabolical." She added that the show is "for history buffs, not for viewers looking for another Godfather." Sarah Dempster of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
mocked the show's dialogue and visual style: "The ridiculousness mounts. The opening double bill features impromptu palazzo brawls between priapic gadabouts in bejewelled codpieces ("Back to Spain, Borgia!") and flocks of miffed cardinals gliding along darkened corridors like motorised pepperpots." The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
s Holly Williams praised Irons, but said elsewhere, "the acting and script feel about as substantial as a communion wafer. With power struggles, sex, assassinations and sibling rivalries, it should, at least, be racy and fun. Yet the storyline often feels curiously ungripping."
External links
- borgias.bravo.ca, Official website at Bravo!
- sho.com/borgias, Official website at Showtime