The saga of a crime family in 1492 Italy.
1. The Poisoned Chalice
On the death of Pope Innocent VIII in 1492, Cardinals meet in conclave to elect his successor. Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia has waited all of his life for this opportunity and he is not going to let it pass. With no successful candidate on the first and several successive ballots, he secretly communicates with his son Cesare, advising him on which Cardinals to bribe in order to get their votes. Successfully elected, he moves quickly to establish hi control over the Church. As Pope Alexander VI, he also decides that the Pope must not be chaste but be seen to be chaste and …3. The Moor
Sultan Cem of the Ottoman Empire arrives at Rome. Cesare declines his brothers request of using Michelotto. The Pope tries to decide who is to marry his daughter.4. Lucrezia's Wedding
Rodrigo betroths his daughter Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza. In order not to bring a perception of disrepute to his daughter's lineage, he forbids the girl's mother from attending the wedding, much to the chagrin of both Lucrezia and Cesare. Cardinal Della Rovere courts Napolese and French authorities, promising to fulfill France's claim to Naples if he gets their aid in deposing Pope Alexander VI. The wedding proceeds as planned, without Vannozza. After the ceremony, however, Cesare brings her to the reception, to the shock of many of the guests. It quickly causes the …5. The Borgias in Love
Cesare Borgia takes an interest in the beautiful but married Ursula Bornadeo. Her husband had insulted him and his mother at Lucrezia's wedding and Cesare has every intention of seeking satisfaction. Lucrezia suffers at the hands of her brutish husband but takes an interest in a young stable boy, Paulo, a gentle lad who soon plots with her to get rid of his master. Cardinal Della Rovere visits the Duke of Milan to seek safe passage for an invading French army. The Pope dispatches his son to to speak to the Medicis about any plans they may have made with Della Rovere. …6. The French King
Lucrezia tends to her husband's injuries and with him unable to rise from his bed, spends more time with the stable boy Paulo, who becomes her lover. The King of Naples proposes a political between his daughter and Juan Borgia, who is not keen on the idea but suggests the younger Gioffre as a more suitable candidate. Upon seeing her he reconsiders but soon becomes he lover. Cesare meanwhile continues to pursue Ursula, whose husband has disappeared. When she learns of her husband's death, she knows Cesare is responsible and refuses to be with him. In France, Cardinal …7. Death, on a Pale Horse
The King of France invades Italy but Cardinal Della Rovere is appalled at the violence and destruction the first battle brings. He obtains the King's permission to try and negotiate a peace with the Florentines, who quickly agree to all of their demands. Realizing that everything they have worked for is at risk, the Pope contacts the Spanish envoy. Cesare meanwhile traces Ursula to a nunnery but she refuses to renounce her vows and leave. Despite Sancia's marriage to his younger brother Gioffre, Juan continues his affair with her in secret. The Pope's mistress, Giula …8. The Art of War
Lucrezia and Giulia Farnese leave Sforza's castle for Rome but Paulo the groom pays a heavy price for helping them get away. The two women soon encounter a French patrol but Lucrezia manages to charm the French King. The Pope meets with the Spanish ambassador but doesn't get the help he was expecting. Despite the advice of his Cardinals that they decamp and leave Rome, he refuses to do so. Juan does come up with a plan to meet the French forces long before they reach Rome. They find themselves just a bit outnumbered however. It's Lucrezia who comes up with a solution.9. Nessuno (Nobody)
The French army enters Rome but the Pope has a particular way of welcoming the King. Della Rovere's plan to depose the Pope faces a problem given that virtually all of the Cardinals have fled and only the College of Cardinals can remove him. The Pope's promise to recognize French sovereignty over the Kingdom of Naples seals a pact between the two. The King wants Cesare to accompany his army to Naples, effectively giving him a hostage. The Pope searches for a way of punishing the Cardinals who fled, wanting them to appear in sackcloth and ashes. He also makes them pay …
1. The Borgia Bull
With the King of France in Naples and a peace of sorts arrived at, Rodrigo swears revenge against those who plotted against him. Cardinal Della Rovere is poisoned, though he survives the attempt on his life. Cesare and Juan continue to fight despite Rodrigo's pleas to unite with him against their enemies. Rodrigo also decides to hold a celebration for the people of Rome on a pagan feast day featuring a horse race and a large effigy of a bull. He also discovers a beautiful young woman, Vittoria, who is posing as a boy so that she can be an artists apprentice. The …2. Paolo
The Pope decides to go out on the streets of Rome to see what he can learn about the people. Dressed in simple clothes and accompanied by his mistress Giulia Farnese and artist Vittoria, they wander about the city. The Pope is appalled at the poverty he sees around him (and the disgusting number of pigeons) and takes Cardinal Versucci, responsible for distributing money to the poor, to task. The Pope notes the number of beautiful villas he's constructed for himself in recent years. He's ordered to do better by the poor. Paolo, the father of Lucrezia Borgia's child, …3. The Beautiful Deception
Lucrezia is devastated when Paolo is found hanging and his death is ruled a suicide. It leads the Pope to refuse him a Christian burial and Lucrezia goes on a hunger strike to get him to change his mind. Her protest also means her baby is not being fed. Lucrezia accuses Juan of killing the boy and has proof that Paolo did not take his own life. The Pope decides to send Juan to Spain to find a bride but Lucrezia has her own plans for him. Caterina Sforza and her cousin Giovanni, Lucrezia's husband, offer their support to King Charles VIII of France should he decide to …4. Stray Dogs
The Pope salutes Vittoria's clever deception of the French and Cesare urges him to build real cannons for the next time. Cesare races to the convent when he learns that Ursula Bonadeo has died after an attack by the French. Cardinal Sforza suggests that his cousin, Ludovico of Milan, may have a plan to defeat the French. Ludovico proposes that the combined armies of Rome, Venice and Milan meets the French in battle on the field of honor, led by the Duke of Mantua. The Pope agrees but Cesare believes he has a different way of fighting the French. He organizes a small …5. The Choice
With the French armies defeated and returning to France, the Pope sends Cesare to Forli Palace to deal with Catherina Sforza and Lucrezia's husband Giovanni Sforza, who sided with the French. On the way, they stop at Micheletto's home where Cesare meets his mother. Cesare invites Catherina to kneel before the Pope and kiss his ring but she delays her answer. She doesn't delay seducing him however. The Pope has another problem and travels to Florence where Friar Savarona is preaching to enthusiastic crowds about the decadence of the Church and the urgent need for …6. Day of Ashes
The Pope has not yet come to terms with the lightning strike and his new-found piety is to some just an act. Prior Savonarola's excesses continue as do his rants against the De Medicis. The Pope has a plan to deal with him. Cardinal Della Rovere's plot to poison the Pope continues with a young monk preparing to be the assassin. Cesare returns from his visit to the Sforzas and confesses his sins to his father. Cesare wants to take an army north to finish what he started but the Pope admits they do not have the resources. Now that Lucrezia is again free to marry, a new …7. The Siege at Forli
Juan returns from Spain with gifts: a panther from the New World for Lucrezia, which promptly bites her and something new for his father, a box of cigars. Juan is married but his pregnant wife has stayed behind in Spain. The Pope is pleased with the way his son's life has taken shape. Juan is suffering from syphilis however and seeks treatment from a doctor. The Pope puts Juan in command of the Papal army and sends him to lay siege to Forli Castle with authority to eliminate Catherina Sforza if she refuse to come to Rome. At Forli, Juan makes it clear what lies in …8. Truth and Lies
Juan Borgia returns from the siege the Catherina Sforza's Forli castle with a tale of his bravery and of standing by his men. Cesare learns the truth from Hernando de Caballos and also that Sforza's son is being kept in the dungeons. Rumors however begin to circulate about what really happened but Juan denies it all. The Pope's doubts are proven correct when Benito Sforza is released from his prison cell and tells the Pope what truly happened. The Pope orders Cesare to return the boy to his mother. Cardinal della Rovere's plan to poison the Pope is moving forward with…9. World of Wonders
The Pope has decided once and for all to rid himself of Brother Savonarola by excommunicating him. Cesare travels to Florence to give him one last chance to present himself to the Pope but to no avail. He challenges Savonarola to prove he is right, a challenge the Brother foolishly accepts. In Rome, the Duke of Genoa withdraws his marriage proposal in favor of his brother who is in love with Lucrezia. Juan Borgia's health continues to deteriorate. When he threatens Lucrezia's recently baptized son, she wishes him dead. It is Cesare however who takes action. Meanwhile,…10. The Confession
The Pope is increasingly worried about the welfare of his son Juan, who has vanished and orders Cesare to find him. Cardinal Sforza tells his men to start looking in the city's morgues. When his body is found, the Pope is grief-stricken and orders that his son will not be buried until his killer is found. Cesare is also tasked with getting a confession from Brother Savonarola but that is also proving to be a difficult task. In the end, Cesare follows Machiavelli's advice. Lucrezia has a new suitor but toys with him pretending to be one of Lucrezia's servants. When the…
1. The Face of Death
With Pope Alexander poisoned but still alive, Cesare takes charge of the situation. It takes him little time to learn that Della Rovere was behind the assassination attempt but his mother suggests he think of what they will do if Alexander die. He seeks Cardinal Sforza's assistance in learning who aspires to being Pope. Della Rovere is arrested but manages to escape. He also learns that there is a second plot, this one concocted by Caterina Sforza and her new henchman. She means to kill all of the Borgias. After Alexander recovers he doesn't understand why, on the …2. The Purge
Having failed to eliminate the Borgias, Caterina Sforza moves on to a new plan - uniting several warring families into a confederacy of hatred directed to removing the Borgia Pope. Pope Alexander knows who his enemies are - Cardinals from the same families that Caterina Sforza is approaching - and he decides to purge the Vatican's nest of vipers - the College of Cardinals. Cardinal De Luca, fearing he will find himself on the torturer's rack, accuses the heads of those same great families of plotting against the Pope. One among them however has a plan to get rid of …3. Siblings
The purge of the College of Cardinals continues, it's latest victim being Cardinal Versucci. He accuses the Pope of lining his own pockets and proceeds to set the Vatican treasury on fire.Cesare travels to Naples to negotiate Lucrezia's marriage contract and also to see if they might be of help against Caterina Sforza. He finds people starving and is not impressed with his allies. The King of Naples claims to have an army of 10,000 but Cesare is not so easily duped. The contract is successfully negotiated but the King refuses to accept Lucrezia's child. The new French…4. The Banquet of Chestnuts
The Pope consecrates new Cardinals including Giula Farnese's brother. He's put in charge of the Vatican's financial records and finds that the treasury has been emptied. The Pope orders that former Cardinal Versucci, who is traveling the countryside, be found and taught the error of his way. Giula proposes a way to assure the future loyalty of the consistory. Alfonso admits to his cousin King Ferdinand that he and Lucrezia did not spend their wedding night together. When he does get into her bed, she proposes a different kind of relationship. Ferdinand raises the …5. The Wolf and the Lamb
Lucrezia will soon have to leave for Naples with her new husband and is upset at having to leave her child behind. She soon develops a plan to rid herself of her principal opponent but Micheletto proposes patience. He finds a solution to her dilemma. At Forli castle, Caterina Sforza formally proposes a union of the five powerful families against Pope Alexander. In Avignon, Cesare meets King Louis XII of France who his marriage annulled. Also in Avignon is Machiavelli who advises Cesare that the King can be bought. Cesare wants an army most of all but he is also also …6. Relics
With the King of Naples dead, Lucrezia sends for her son. The year 1500 is approaching and Pope Alexander has declared it to be a year of jubilation. Expecting large numbers of pilgrims in Rome, he wants the Church to provide the spectacle they will expect. He wants the cardinals to come up with money-making ideas. He also puts pressure on Rome's Jews to contribute to the holy crusade against the Turks. Yhey have a different contribution in mind. The plague has returned and Caterina Sforza looks to use it as a weapon against the Pope. Cesare returns with his own army …7. Lucrezia's Gambit
Cesare and his French army have taken control of a defenseless Milan but he is upset that the Duke, Ludovico Sforza, is nowhere is nowhere to be found. The King of France arrives displeased that someone else still has a claim to the city. The Pope orders Cesare to bring the Duke of Milan to him in chains. Arrangements are soon made not only deal with Ludovico but with his charge, Caterina Sforza's son Venito. Micheletto visits the absent Leonardo da Vinci's studio and finds a new lover who is more than he appears. In Rome, the Pope learns that Giulia Farnese has a new…8. Tears of Blood
Micheletto discovers that his new lover is spying on him. Caterina Sforza grieves over the loss of her dead son and plots her revenge. She puts the Shroud of Constantinople on display and arranges for a fake miracle to draw the crowds. When she learns from her spy that Cesare will be checking into this new holy site, she plans to kill him. The Pope has decided to officiate at the investiture of King Alfonso of Naples. In return the King asks that he name an ambassador from the Vatican and specifically requests that he name Lucrezia. He agrees and she is quite pleased …9. The Gunpowder Plot
Both Pope Alexander and Cesare realize that Lucrezia is now being held hostage in Naple and that King has allied himself with Caterina Sforza. As such, any attack on Caterina's Forli castle will result in Lucretia's death. Cesare leaves to rescue her. He does so without Micheletto who has eliminated his lover but has now disappeared. In Naples meanwhile, the court celebrates the festival of Bacchus and Lucrezia has made plans for her escape by spiking the wine with a sleeping potion. Once safely in Rome, Alfonso begins to suspect that Lucrezia and Cesare's feelings …10. The Prince
Comments "The Borgias" with subtitle 0
There are no reviews and comments.
- Rating "The Borgias": 7.90
- Genres: History, Crime, Drama
- Year of issue: 2011
- Countries: Canada, Hungary, Ireland, United States
- Duration: 50 minutes