For centuries, Italy has been a powerhouse of a nation, but it has been shaped by powerful families. There were the de Medicis, the Estes, the Sforzas, and the Orsinis. However, there is one family that lives in a bit of infamy. The father became a pope, and his illegitimate children would create their own legacies. They were the Borgias, mainly Lucrezia, Pope Alexander VI ( Rodrigo Borgia), and Cesare, and they have fascinated novices and history nerds alike for centuries. Christopher Hibbert tells their story in his nonfiction book, “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519.”
I found this book at a used book store. I have been interested in the Borgia family ever since I read “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” by Samantha Morris. I have wanted to read more about this family and see how other historians approach their lives.
Hibbert begins this joint biography of the Borgias with a quick overview of how the papacy moved from Avignon back to Rome and the countless popes who came before Rodrigo Borgia. Rodrigo was the nephew of Calixtus III and was a man known as a scholar, which came in handy as he climbed the ranks of the church, mostly thanks to his connections to the pope. Nepotism would be a common theme when it came to the Borgias. Rodrigo would eventually become a cardinal, but he enjoyed the finer things in life, including mistresses such as Vannozza dei Cattenei, the mother of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia.
Rodrigo Borgia would eventually become Pope Alexander VI, and his children would benefit greatly. Yet again, a case of nepotism. Cesare would become a strong military leader who depended on his Spanish allies and his father, but gained numerous enemies. Lucrezia would marry three times. Her first marriage was to Giovanni Sforza, but it was annulled. Her second husband, Alfonso of Aragon, was assassinated. And finally, she married Alfonso d’Este and was able to provide him with several children. The Borgias had to deal with assassinations and war while their legacies were dragged through the mud. Their rise was as quick as their fall after the death of Pope Alexander VI.
I thought this was an okay book. The pacing seemed rushed in places and slower in other while the information presented wasn’t really new to me. If you want a decent introduction to this infamous family, I recommend you give “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519” by Christopher Hibbert a try.
England was undergoing a shift during the reign of Henry VIII. The king was sick and tired of the pope not giving him the divorce he so desired so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, so he wanted to split from the papacy. Obviously, some opposed his break from Rome and used different methods to stop what they considered madness. Take, for example, Elizabeth Barton, known as the Holy Maid of Kent, for her prophecies tied to the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Many may not know her name, but centuries later, a book of her prophecies will change the course of Dr. Alison Sage’s life and those who attended a special Consortium. What secrets does this book hold, and can Alison survive the cutthroat world of academia? Jennifer N. Brown tells the tale of these two women, separated by centuries, and of a book that unites them in her first novel, “The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton.”
The year is 1527, and Rome is being attacked by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his army of Germans, Lutherans, and Spanish soldiers. The night the city was sacked, many fled or died at the hands of the soldiers, but there was a house who welcomes the incoming attackers, the house of the courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini and her dwarf companion Bucino. They decide to flee with their jewelry to Venice, but they soon learn that Venice is even more treacherous. Can Fiammetta and Bucino survive their new city, or will this new town destroy everything that they worked so hard to create? Sarah Dunant explores the world of a courtesan in her novel, “In the Company of the Courtesan.”
Being a fool in any royal court can be dangerous, but being a fool in the court in King Henry VIII’s court could be deadly. While you could enjoy performing for royalty, you could also learn secrets about those close to the throne, secrets that have deadly consequences. Kronos knows this all too well. Born disabled, Kronos must navigate his way through prejudice to find his place in society. How did Kronos become the fool to King Henry VIII, and what secret threatens his life? Mary Lawrence explores what life must have been like for a fool in the tumultuous court of Henry VIII in her novel, “Fool.”
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to discover a long-lost diary of a historical figure by accident? Archaeologist Giuseppe Campise has already found a diary of Mary Magdalene. Now, the Vatican wants Giuseppe to uncover the tomb of Alexander the Great. However, while on the search for the tomb, Giuseppe finds something even more precious, the diary of Lucrezia Borgia. What secrets does the diary hold? Johnny Teague tells the tale of Lucrezia Borgia through her diary in his latest novel, “The Lost Diary of Lucrezia Borgia.”
We all know the story of Anne Boleyn. The story of the English noblewoman who caught the eye of King Henry VIII, who decided to divorce his first wife, Katharine of Aragon, to marry Anne. He broke away from Rome and created the Church of England to do it, but marital bliss did not last long, as a few years later, Anne would leave their three-year-old daughter Elizabeth behind when she was executed by Henry over charges of adultery. We know this version of the story, but what if we look at Anne’s story from a continental European perspective? How does her story change when we view her life through a religious lens? Heather R. Darsie hopes to show her audience a different side of Anne Boleyn in her latest book, “‘If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause’: The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn.”