The Borgias

Showtime has a new series based on the infamous Borgia crime family. It is beautifully costumed, with lush sets and a terrific cast. So far it has been very enjoyable. I love these kind of historical dramas. I like that it can bring interest to history and may spark some to seek out more information for themselves. I have read a few books about the Borgias and this period but I don't know enough about it to have any inaccuracies suck my enjoyment out. That was my main issue with The Tudors. I wanted to watch and love that show so badly as it is my favorite historical era but it was just so inaccurate that I was unable to get past it. For the Borgias what amazes me is the absolute corruption of the church at this time. These were the keepers of men's soul, whether they wanted it or not . They held knowledge hostage and could take your life with impunity while the supposed face of God on earth fathered legions of bastard children, lived ostentatiously off the money taken from the poor all over Christendom used to enrich themselves and lived lives that were far from holy. It was all image with no substance. Rodrigo was the patriarch of the family, picture him like Marlon Brando in the Godfather. He sat like a loathsome spider spinning his webs. He would stop at nothing to increase his wealth and power, usually using his eldest son Cesare as the muscle, who was smart but ruthless. But the most famous of course is the infamous Lucrezia. Married for the first time at 13 she spent her life being used as a pawn in her families machinations. Victim or whore? You decide.