Copyright © 2013 by G J Meyer All rights reserved Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York BANTAM BOOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Meyer, G J The Borgias: the hidden history / G.J Meyer pages cm Includes bibliographical references eISBN: 978-0-345-52693-9 Borgia family Nobility—Italy—Biography Renaissance—Italy Italy—History—15th century Italy— History—1492–1559 I Title DG463.8.B7M49 2013 945′.060922—dc23 [B] 2012037777 www.bantamdell.com Jacket design by Susan Zucker Jacket image © Margie Hurwich / Archangel v3.1 Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Family Trees Timeline The Borgia Problem: An Introduction Prologue: One Whom All Did Fear PART ONE: Alonso From Out of Nowhere Chapter 1: A Most Improbable Pope Background: The Road to Rome Chapter 2: Surprises, Disappointments, Hope Background: Il Regno—The Kingdom Chapter 3: Pope and King, Friends No More Background: Amazing Italy Chapter 4: Family Matters Background: The Men in the Red Hats Chapter 5: The End of the Beginning PART TWO: Rodrigo A Long Apprenticeship Chapter 6: Surviving Background: The Eternal City, Eternally Reborn Chapter 7: Pius II: Troubles Rumored and Real Background: Il Papa Chapter 8: Paul II: The Poisoned Chalice Background: The Inextinguishable Evil-Heads Chapter 9: Sixtus IV: Disturbing the Peace Background: War, Italian Style Chapter 10: Innocent VIII: Plumbing the Depths PART THREE: Alexander Pope at Last Chapter 11: The Best Man for the Job Background: Madness and Milan Chapter 12: The Coming of the French Background: Florence: An Anti-Renaissance Chapter 13: The French Depart Background: The Paternity Question: An “Apology” Chapter 14: A Shattering Loss Background: The Young Ones Chapter 15: Valentino PART FOUR: Cesare Caesar or Nothing Chapter 16: The Landscape Changes Background: Venice, Serene No More Chapter 17: Conqueror Background: The Angel’s Castle Chapter 18: “Longing for Greatness and Renown” Background: The Newest Profession Chapter 19: Settling Scores Background: The Great Discoveries Chapter 20: Man of Destiny Background: Superstitions: Another Side of the Renaissance Chapter 21: Alone Aftermath Examining Old Assumptions Dedication Notes Bibliography Other Books by This Author Maps About the Author For a larger version of the following image, click here For a larger version of the following image, click here Chapter 18: “Longing for Greatness and Renown” Cesare is loved by his soldiers … : This translation of Machiavelli’s famous and variously translated words is in Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 105 Of the almost preternaturally … : Gregorovius, History of Rome, p 7:452 The historian Pandolfo Collenuccio … : Sabatini, Life of Cesare, p 241 In a flash of almost … : Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 90 The two talked all night … : Bellonci, Lucrezia Borgia, p 241 A retainer of Francesco Gonzaga … : Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 117 “I cannot conceal my fears …”: Prescott, Princes, p 175 On September 2, in bidding … : Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 119 He helped to hold her down … : Gregorovius, Lucretia Borgia, p 282 Background: Superstitions: Another Side of the Renaissance We want to think of it … : Purcell, Great Captain, p 183 The Gian Galeazzo Visconti … : The examples are all from Prescott’s Lords: Gian Galeazzo Visconti on p 322, Ludovico Sforza on p 146, and the complaint about the latter on p 208 Chapter 21: Alone As a priest at the Vatican … : Bellonci, Lucrezia Borgia, p 261 The Florentine authorities … : Villari, Machiavelli, p 357 “He spoke with words full of poison …”: Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 289 The duke had a plan … : The size of Cesare’s remaining military forces is in Villari, Machiavelli, p 361 He intended to “prevent …”: Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 293 Another newly minted cardinal … : Soderini’s words on Cesare are in Villari, Machiavelli, p 361 Cardinal Lloris … : Mallett, Borgias, p 249 and 251, Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 293 At one point … : Strathern, Artist, Philosopher, p 299 Evidently he remained … : Ibid., p 366 10 Now recovered from his injuries … : Quote is ibid., p 367 Aftermath The literature on Lucrezia Borgia is, for the most part, as credulous and unjusti ably sensational as it is extensive Bradford, Lucrezia Borgia, is the best biography and unquestionably superior to everything that precedes it Bradford does not, however, consider the paternity question or even acknowledge that such a question might exist, and neither De Roo nor Ferrara appears in her otherwise impressive bibliography Ferrara, Borgia Pope, is good on the Borgia family and its relations after the death of Lucrezia In almost all ways … : Gregorovius, Lucretia Borgia, p 159 But as the Borgia biographer … : Mallett, Borgias, p 262 Her descendants, like Lucrezia’s … : Ibid., p 260 When he fell sick …: Gonzaga’s account of the deathbed scene is in Bradford, Lucrezia Borgia, p 200 Considered by many … : Gregorovius, Lucretia Borgia, p 281 Examining Old Assumptions Because to let go … : Lucas-Dubreton, Borgias, p 57 As noted in the introduction … : Gregorovius, History of Rome, p 7:326 An English historian … : Robertson, Cesare Borgia, p 11 A more recent historian … : Mallett, Borgias, p 101 “All experience of psychology …”: Gregorovius, Lucretia Borgia, p 290 Did she become Rodrigo’s mistress … : Pastor’s opinion is in his History of Popes, p 5:361 “Shortly before 1470” is in Gregorovius, History of Rome, p 7:327 “We find,” he writes … : That “there must have been several” Vannozzas is in Ferrara, Borgia Pope, p 147 Ferrara concludes … : Ibid., p 152 He was several years older … : Conti’s assertion about pressure to make Farnese a cardinal is in Pastor, History of Popes, p 5:417 10 As Ferrara says … : Ferrara, Borgia Pope, p 154 11 Madonna Adriana and Giulia have arrived …: Ibid., p 158 12 W H Woodward … : Woodward, Cesare Borgia, p 125 13 Writing earlier, Ludwig Pastor … : Pastor, History of Popes, p 6:128 14 In her fourth chapter … : Bellonci, Lucrezia Borgia, p 108 15 When Bellonci returns … : Ibid., p 180 Bibliography Abulla a, David “The Crown and the Economy Under Ferrante I of Naples (1485–94).” In City and Countryside in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy Edited by Trevor Dean and Chris Wickham London: Hambledon Press, 1990 Ady, Cecilia M Pius II, The Humanist Pope London: Methuen, 1913 ——— The Bentivoglio of Bologna: A Study in Despotism London: Oxford University Press, 1937 Arnaldi, Girolamo Italy and Its Invaders Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2005 Aston, Margaret The Fifteenth Century: The Prospect of Europe London: Thames & Hudson, 1968 Barraclough, Geoffrey The Medieval Papacy London: Thames & Hudson, 1975 Bellonci, Maria Lucrezia Borgia Translated by Bernard and Barbara Wall London: Phoenix Press, 2000 Binns, L Elliott The 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Charles Cesare Borgia London: Francis Aldor, 1947 Also by G J Meyer The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914–1918 For a larger version of the following image, click here For a larger version of the following image, click here For a larger version of the following image, click here About the Author G J MEYER is the author of four previous books, including two works of history: A World Undone: The Story of the Great War and The Tudors He has degrees in English from St Louis University, which he attended on a National Merit Scholarship, and the University of Minnesota, where he was a Woodrow Wilson fellow While working as a sta writer at the St Louis Post-Dispatch he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard University He has taught literature and writing at colleges and universities in Des Moines, St Louis, and New York, and now lives in Wiltshire, England ... should be in view of the extraordinary personalities of the family’s leading members, the high drama of their lives, and above all the light their story casts on the world of the Renaissance But... in consecrated ground, the bishop had a hole dug at the foot of the stone staircase leading down from the church to the busy road below He then had the body deposited in the hole and paved over... Lucrezia The Borgia Problem: An Introduction This is not the book I set out to write My expectation, at the start, was simple: that by digging more deeply into the story of the Borgias than other