The Borgias Villainizes The Infamous Borgia Family — But The Rest Of Renaissance-Era Italy Wasn’t So Moral Either
ShowtimeJeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia, Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia, and Francois Arnaud as Cesare Borgia.
In Showtime’s The Borgias, the titular family is shown to be ruthless, cunning, and cruel, especially when it comes to actions taken against cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, who is often portrayed as a “good guy.”
But perhaps the series is a bit harsh in its depiction of the Borgia family.
In an interview with blogger Marian L. Thorpe, historical novelist Anthony R. Wildman pointed out an important fact to keep in mind: “Renaissance Italy was by our standards extraordinary cruel, violent, and cynical.”
“Assassination, whether by the knife or poison, was a routine tool of statecraft; power was everything, and those who possessed it could do the most outrageous things with impunity,” Wildman said.
He added, “The Borgias were perhaps a little more extreme than their rivals and enemies, but only a little more; indeed, much of their reputation for depravity was manufactured by their successors in power, who were themselves just as guilty of the sins of simony and treachery.”
And as History Today reports, the Borgias, while cunning and vicious in their time, may have a slightly undeserved reputation in modern portrayals.
Claims of incest within the family, for example, have never been factually proven. The same goes for the allegations that Lucrezia Borgia was a notorious poisoner who attacked multiple men. In fact, the latter accusation was likely spread by one of Lucrezia’s embittered exes.
And though nepotism and bribery became firmly attached to the Borgia name, many prominent families in Renaissance-era Italy engaged in similar activities. Even the popes of the era weren’t above bad behavior, as Callixtus III and Alexander VI both bribed their way into the papacy.
Popes also became entangled in other scandals. Alexander VI was a lusty pope who fathered several children with his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei and later began an affair with Giulia Farnese, a woman who was widely considered to have been one of the most attractive people of her time.
Still, much of the Borgias’ history has been vilified, leading modern interpretations of the family to portray them in a similar manner. But perhaps there is more nuance to the family than one might expect.
After this deep dive into the historical inaccuracies of modern TV shows, read up on these 33 history myths that are commonly taken as fact. Then, learn about some of the terribly inaccurate science in six popular films.
