Tag: Lucrezia Borgia

Guest Post: “The Rivalry Behind Renaissance Rivals by Karen Essex”

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I am pleased to welcome Karen Essex to my blog today to share a guest post to promote her novel, “Renaissance Rivals.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Karen Essex for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Some historical figures refuse to remain inside the books we write about them. For me, Isabella d’Este was one of those figures. 

I first encountered Isabella while researching Leonardo’s Swans, my novel about her and her younger sister, Beatrice d’Este. The novel is the prequel to Renaissance Rivals. Both women were princesses born into the ruling family of Ferrara and married into powerful courts in northern Italy. Beatrice became Duchess of Milan, while Isabella became Marchesa of Mantua and, eventually, one of the most celebrated women of the Renaissance, known in her own time as “First Lady of the World.” 

She fascinated me from the beginning. Isabella was intelligent, ambitious, politically astute, artistically discerning, and acutely conscious of her place in the world. She collected antiquities and commissioned works from the greatest artists of her age: Leonardo, Titian, Raphael, and others. She cultivated writers, musicians, diplomats, and rulers. Her clothing was imitated across Europe. In fact, she was so popular that Venetian dollmakers created Isabella dolls that circulated around the European courts so that women could see what she’d been wearing.  

We could think of her as the first Barbie, but her letters reveal a woman who understood that image, taste, ceremony, and access could function as instruments of power. 

Like most aristocratic women of her time, Isabella had been married for political reasons. Her authority depended upon her husband, her children, her birth family, and the alliances she could maintain among Italy’s frequently warring states. She had to negotiate with men who possessed formal power while finding ways to exercise power of her own, which she did. She could flatter, maneuver, charm, command, plead, and threaten, sometimes within the same conversation or letter. 

When I finished Leonardo’s Swans, I could not let her go. I continued traveling to Italy, returning to Mantua and following Isabella’s path through Milan, Venice, Ferrara, and Rome. I kept reading her correspondence and remained in touch with the Italian art historians and Renaissance scholars I had met while researching the novel, especially after Leonardo’s Swans became a bestseller in Italy. 

Then another woman began to appear in her letters. Lucrezia Borgia. Of course, I already knew the name. Almost everyone does. 

For centuries, Lucrezia had been depicted as one of history’s great villains: the depraved daughter of a corrupt pope, the sister and supposed accomplice of the dreaded Cesare Borgia, a seductress, an adulteress, an incestuous monster, and a poisoner who allegedly dispatched her enemies with a mysterious substance concealed inside a ring. 

The accusations were irresistible. They were also suspiciously familiar. 

While researching my first novel, Kleopatra, I had learned how thoroughly history can malign powerful women. Women who threaten political, sexual, or cultural expectations are often transformed into monsters. Their intelligence becomes cunning. Their sensuality becomes depravity. Their ambition becomes proof of moral corruption. Their influence over men becomes evidence of manipulation. 

A successful man gains authority. A successful woman must have bewitched, seduced, or poisoned someone. Knowing this, I could not simply accept the traditional portrait of Lucrezia Borgia. I needed to know who she really was. 

The historical Lucrezia was born into one of the most notorious families in Renaissance Europe. Her father, Rodrigo Borgia, became Pope Alexander VI. Her brother Cesare was a cardinal, military commander, and political strategist whose ruthlessness helped inspire Machiavelli’s The Prince. (Yes, Machiavelli is a character in the novel!) 

Lucrezia grew up at the center of papal wealth, political ambition, scandal, and danger. Her marriages were arranged and dissolved according to her family’s needs. Her first marriage was annulled when the alliance ceased to be useful. Her second husband was murdered, almost certainly as a result of Borgia political calculations. Lucrezia herself had little control over either event, yet later chroniclers often treated her as though she had orchestrated them. 

She was used as a political instrument, but her third marriage changed everything. In 1502, Lucrezia married Alfonso d’Este, heir to the duchy of Ferrara and Isabella d’Este’s brother. The marriage brought the infamous Borgia daughter into one of Italy’s oldest and proudest ruling families. 

It also brought her directly into Isabella’s world. From the beginning, the relationship between the two women was complicated. Isabella was the revered daughter of the Este dynasty. Lucrezia was the outsider marrying into it. Isabella possessed lineage, refinement, and an established reputation as a cultural leader. Lucrezia arrived carrying the weight of Borgia scandal and the dazzling wealth of the papal court. 

Isabella had every reason to look down upon her new sister-in-law, but she also had reason to fear her. Lucrezia was younger, beautiful, politically valuable, and capable of winning affection. She brought jewels, clothing, servants, money, and papal influence to Ferrara. Once installed there, she became a patron of artists and poets, a capable administrator, a charitable duchess, and a woman trusted to govern Ferrara during her husband’s absences. She managed property, handled petitions, corresponded with political figures, and gained the loyalty of many who had initially opposed her marriage. 

The supposed monster proved alarmingly competent, every bit as competent as Isabella herself.   

The rivalry between Isabella and Lucrezia was therefore about far more than personal dislike. They competed for precedence within the hugely powerful Este family. They competed for influence over Alfonso and other powerful men. They competed in fashion, ceremony, patronage, reputation, and access. Each woman understood that status had to be performed publicly and defended constantly. 

A jewel was never merely a jewel. A gown could announce wealth, rank, fertility, or allegiance. The order in which two women entered a room could become a political statement. An invitation withheld, a gift delayed, or a style copied might communicate rivalry as clearly as any formal declaration. 

Their conflict also arose from their similarities. Both women had been shaped by dynastic ambition. Both had endured marriages arranged for political advantage. Both understood the vulnerability of women whose security depended upon producing heirs. Both learned to communicate through letters and intermediaries. Both used art, fashion, family, and personal relationships to exercise and extend their authority. 

Lucrezia also possessed something Isabella could not easily forgive: the ability to fascinate the men around her. 

One of the most sensitive elements in their rivalry involved Isabella’s husband, Francesco Gonzaga. The surviving correspondence between Francesco and Lucrezia reveals an intimacy and emotional charge that is hard to deny. For Isabella, this was not simply a romantic betrayal. It threatened her dignity, her marriage, and her public authority. 

I did not want to write a story with one virtuous heroine and one wicked rival. History had already committed that injustice, particularly against Lucrezia. I wanted to place two intelligent, ambitious women opposite each other and allow each to see the other as a threat. Isabella believes she has earned her position through discipline, lineage, learning, and relentless effort. Lucrezia arrives bearing beauty, notoriety, papal wealth, and an instinct for survival. 

Their struggle unfolds amid war, papal intrigue, dynastic marriage, artistic brilliance, and the spectacular courts of Renaissance Italy. Their weapons include letters, jewels, clothing, gossip, pregnancy, patronage, political alliances, and the dangerous affections of men. 

Yet beneath the rivalry lies another story: two women attempting to create power in a world determined to use them for its own purposes. 

The historical record taught me to question the neat division between admired woman and notorious woman, between princess and poisoner, between cultural icon and scandalous intruder. 

Isabella d’Este led me back into the Renaissance. Lucrezia Borgia made me question everything I thought I knew about it. 

Blurb:  

Renaissance Rivals, the long-awaited sequel to the global bestseller Leonardo’s Swans, tells the story of the brutal rivalry between two of history’s most fascinating power women: Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, celebrated in her own lifetime as “The First Lady of the World,” and Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of the infamous Pope Alexander VI and one of the most maligned women in history. 

Before Maggie O’Farrell’s doomed duchess in The Marriage Portrait, there were the women who built the courts, forged alliances, and commanded works of artistic genius. In both Renaissance Rivals and Leonardo’s Swans, Essex invites readers to step back one generation into the glittering courts of Renaissance Italy, where beauty, intellect, marriage, and ambition could determine the fate of nations. 

Buy Links: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mdpO2E  

For paperback orders: https://shop.karenessex.com   

This book is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio:  

Karen Essex is the national and international bestselling author of RUN, DARLING, KLEOPATRA, PHARAOH, LEONARDO’S SWANS, STEALING ATHENA, DRACULA IN LOVE, AND BETTIE PAGE: LIFE OF A PINUP LEGEND. All feature iconic women—powerful women that seduced the world and ruled it. 

Essex is also an active screenwriter and speaker, and an award-winning journalist. She divides her time between Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Europe. Her novels are published in twenty-nine languages. 

Leonardo’s Swans, the prequel to Renaissance Rivals, was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for Foreign Fiction. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.karenessex.com  

Twitter / X: https://x.com/KarenEssex  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenEssexAuthor/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenessex/  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/karenessex/  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-essex 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karenessexwrites 

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/44OrSh5 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22528.Karen_Essex 

Follow Karen’s Substack newsletter, History. Sex. Power: https://substack.com/@karenessex  

Book Review: “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519” by Christopher Hibbert

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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.

Book Review: “The Lost Diary of Lucrezia Borgia” by Johnny Teague

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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.”

I would like to thank Histria Fiction and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have been interested in Lucrezia Borgia’s story since reading “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia” by Samantha Morris, so I wanted to see how her story would translate into a historical fiction novel.

Since this book is actually a novella, I will try to keep this review short. We begin with Giuseppe Campise as he begins his search for the tomb of Alexander the Great. Along the way, he gets lost and finds the tomb of Pope Leo X. By the tomb, he finds a diary that was written by Lucrezia Borgia, so he begins to read.

Lucrezia’s diary begins with her reflecting on her life as she is ill with her final pregnancy. This diary is really her autobiography, beginning in her childhood, when her father was Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, before he became Pope Alexander VI. We also get to see how close Lucrezia was to her brother Cesare and how it changes over time. Since they are the illegitimate children of a Pope, they are expected to make alliances through marriages and military might. Lucrezia was married three times. Her first marriage was to Giovanni Sforza, but it was quickly dissolved by her father, Pope Alexander VI. Her second marriage, to Alfonso of Aragon, resulted in a son, Rodrigo, before Alfonso died young. Lucrezia’s final husband was Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. We get to see how Lucrezia’s life was changed through the chaotic politics of the Italian states, the constant wars, and the schemes of her father and her brother Cesare. Lucrezia was not just a one-dimensional character, but is well developed, and you feel sympathy for what she is going through.

Personally, I think this was a decent novella, but the subplot with Giuseppe did not feel necessary for me. The story of Lucrezia Borgia could stand on its own without the modern bits cutting in. Overall, I enjoyed this novella. If you enjoy reading about Lucrezia Borgia, her life and times, you might enjoy “The Lost Diary of Lucrezia Borgia” by Johnny Teague.

Book Review: “The Most Maligned Women in History” by Samantha Morris

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Throughout history, women have been seen as pious mothers, wives, or daughters who stayed in their lane or vile manipulators who wanted power and were willing to do anything to maintain their status. While the former group of women would be an interesting study, as the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. So why did certain women receive a villainess lens when we look at their lives and what do the historical records tell us about them? Samantha Morris has chosen to take the stories of these misunderstood maidens and tell them in her latest book, “The Most Maligned Women in History.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the previous books that I have read by Samantha Morris which covered Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia and Girolamo Savonrola When I heard that she was writing a book about maligned women in history, it caught my attention immediately as I wanted to see which women would be discussed in this book.

As Morris states in her introduction, there are numerous women who she could have chosen for this book she could make a second book, but in the end, she selected eleven women from different countries and centuries to highlight. The eleven women in this book are Cleopatra VII, Empress Wu, Joan of Arc, Lucrezia Borgia, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Bathory, Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette, Lizzie Borden, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Iva Toguri the “Tokyo Rose.” Morris takes the time to tell their stories succinctly while explaining why they are considered maligned.

I do appreciate the fact that she included women from different walks of life and different centuries to show how women have been vilified throughout history. We had women who were born queens, those who were mistresses or concubines and became rulers, and average women who did extraordinary things to the ire of those in charge. While I knew some of these stories like Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, and Lucrezia Borgia, others were completely new to me, such as Empress Wu, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Iva Toguri. The other women in this book were names that I had heard mentioned and knew some elements of their tales, but I didn’t know their full stories.

I found this book such a fun read full of vivacious women who were not afraid to go beyond the status quo. I do hope Morris will write a sequel book and include even more women from the past who have been viewed as maligned and maybe include women from Africa, Australia, and South America to show women from even more diverse backgrounds. If you want a delightful and insightful book about women who had some bad reputations, I highly suggest you read, “The Most Maligned Women in History” by Samantha Morris.

Book Review: “Princes of the Renaissance: The Hidden Power Behind an Artistic Revolution” by Mary Hollingsworth

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51601860The 15th and 16th centuries were full of dynamic political and religious reforms, but they were also known for cultural changes throughout Europe. The medieval foundations started to crumble, and the early modern age emerged. One of the centers of change was Italy, a series of states with their rulers vying for power and prestige. These rulers would help finance masterpieces in art, literature, and architecture, but it was their rivals that threatened to tear the Renaissance society apart. In “Princes of the Renaissance: The Hidden Power Behind an Artistic Revolution,” Mary Hollingsworth explores the lives of the men and women who helped shape the Renaissance.

I want to thank Pegasus Books for sending me a copy of this book. This title was intriguing to me, and I wanted to learn more about Italian history. The Italian Renaissance has been an area in history that I have been interested in studying more, but I was unsure where to begin.

Hollingsworth takes the tales of some of the most famous families in Italy to tell the story of the Renaissance. Each chapter focuses on two or three dynamic figures that shaped the era. Men like Cosimo de’ Medici, Alfonso of Aragon, Francesco Sforza, Leonello d’Este, Ferrante I of Naples, and Doge Andrea Gritti knew how to change the political landscape of Italy while acting as patrons for the artists that would define this era. The artists that they would employ were masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian. We also saw powerful women like Lucrezia Borgia and Isabella d’Este, who impacted the Renaissance.

Although Hollingsworth mentions the works that the princes helped fund and did include stunning images of the masterpieces of art and architecture, the bulk of this book is looking at the drama behind the art. We see a complex political landscape of lords fighting each other, family members, and even papal authority for land and prestige. Things were bound to be complicated with famous families like the Estes, the Medicis, the Sforzas, and the Borgias. Still, it created a beautiful mosaic of different influences of colorful figures.

One thing that I wish Hollingsworth would have included would be family trees of the prominent families. As someone who is not that familiar with the significant Italian families and the individual states, I think it would have helped those who are not that familiar with Italian history.

Overall, I found this book an enjoyable and fascinating read. I think it provides gorgeous images of new aspects of the Renaissance with thrilling stories of love, jealously, and the desire for power. Suppose you want a great introduction to the Italian Renaissance and those who funded these masterpieces. In that case, you should check out “Princes of the Renaissance: The Hidden Power Behind an Artistic Revolution” by Mary Hollingsworth.

Guest Post: “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” Q & A with Samantha Morris

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Today, I am pleased to host the final stop in the “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia” book blog tour. I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Samantha Morris for allowing me to finish this delightful tour with a Q and A discussion with Samantha Morris.

Why did you want to explore the lives of the Borgia family?
I first discovered the Borgia family while I was at University – I was supposed to be working on a piece of work for my archaeology degree but found myself wandering the library instead. It was there that I first found Sarah Bradford’s wonderful biography on Cesare – something just clicked in me at that moment. Who was this handsome guy (please don’t judge me) on the cover with the strange name? After reading Bradford’s biography I was hooked – I read everything I could get my hands on about them, watched everything I could but I wanted to know more. In particular, a lot of the books and sources that I read on them were quite dry, full of dry politics (which of course does have an important part in their story) – why wasn’t there much out there that was approachable? Why wasn’t there something out there that could tell their fascinating, yet complicated, story in a way that would suit everyone? That’s when I decided that I wanted to tell their story, starting out by writing a very small introductory biography on Cesare himself. After writing that I knew that they needed more, the siblings in particular.

Why did you combine the stories of Cesare and Lucrezia into one book
instead of two separate biographies?
Quite simply, there was nothing out there that concentrated on the both of them together. There were biographies of them separately, that dipped briefly into the other siblings part of the story but never something that was just about them. Their lives were so intertwined and I wanted to tell their story.

Why do you think the myths about these siblings still exist centuries
after their deaths?
Because people love scandal. And let’s be real, the myths really are scandalous. People love a good story and the more scandal within it, the better. The idea that they were incestuous, that Lucrezia poisoned her enemies etc really is the stuff of great fiction and it’s something that people both back then, and now, love to get their claws into. This is a real shame, and I hope I’ve shown this in the book, their real story is much more exciting.

What was the hardest part of writing this biography?
I’d like to say that this work was a breeze from start to finish but honestly that would be a lie. In total, I think it took me 4 years from start to finish with this one, from coming up with the idea of getting it started to get a publisher interested in it. There were times during that initial process where I thought that it would never happen – I was approaching publishers and getting rejected time after time so when the fabulous guys at Pen & Sword said they would commission it I was over the moon.
The research and writing part of it was relatively easy but I think it was the editing that I found the hardest. Going through what you’ve written time and time again to make sure it’s perfect is actually really hard work, and I would put off doing it because I hated doing it. Still, the pain was worth it because now the biography is out there and there really is no better feeling in the world than seeing people reading and appreciating your work.

If you can talk about it, what is your next project?
I’m currently editing a biography on Girolamo Savonarola which is due out at some point next year. I’ve also started the research for a biography on Gualdim Pais, Templar master of Portugal during the twelfth century. It’s certainly a bit different from what I usually concentrate on, and it’s going to be very hard work but totally worth it.

Where can people find you on social media?
I’m on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/theborgiabull

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/smorrisauthor/

and Twitter – https://twitter.com/SMorrisAuthor

Book Review: “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” by Samantha Morris

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51351927A family mired in myths and rumors of incest, murder, and intrigue for centuries. A brother and sister caught in the middle, attracting the attention of gossips and historians alike. No, I am not referring to a royal family in England. In fact, this story starts in Spain with Alonso de Borja, who moved to Italy and helped create the infamous Borgia family. Caught in the middle were the son and daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, Alonso’s nephew, and his mistress Vanozza Cattanei; Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. How close were these famous siblings? What were their lives really like? In Samantha Morris’ latest biography, “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Vilified Family”, she dives deep into the archives to find out the truth about the legendary Borgia family.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I will be honest and say that I did not know much about this family before I started reading this book. I knew about the rumors and that they had to do with the papacy, but that was it. I was excited to learn more about them and to understand why so many people are so fascinated with the Borgia siblings.

To understand how the Borgias rose to power, Morris takes her readers on a journey through papal history and the many different councils that occurred in the 14th and 15th centuries. This was familiar to me as I took a class in college on Church History, in which we did discuss these councils, but for those who are not familiar with them, Morris takes the time to explain the significance of each event. We see how Alonso de Borja rose through the ranks to become Pope Calixtus III and how his nephew, Rodrigo Borgia, was the complete opposite of his uncle. Rodrigo, later Pope Alexander VI, was a ladies man, and his children by his mistress, Vanozza Cattanei, were all illegitimate, including Cesare and Lucrezia.

It is the lives of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia that historians, including Morris, tend to focus on. These siblings created so many enemies that rumors were bound to be associated with them. From incest between them to murder using poison, and numerous affairs, Cesare and Lucrezia endured scandals that made the Tudors look like a normal family. Morris takes on each myth and rumor head on to explore the truth about these siblings, which is of course more complex than the fictional tales of their lives.

I found myself enthralled in the true-life tales of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. Like most historical tales, the truth is much more compelling than the fictitious tales. The trials, triumphs, and tribulations of the siblings are so compelling and to realize that they lived when the Renaissance in Italy and the Tudor dynasty was still new in England is remarkable.

This book made me fall in love with the Borgia family. The story of their rise to greatness and what Cesare and Lucrezia had to endure to protect their family and its name was nothing short of extraordinary. Samantha Morris’s writing style is easy to understand but you can tell how much care she took in researching these simply sensational siblings. I want to study the Borgia family even more because of this book. If you want an engrossing nonfiction book about the Borgia family, I would highly suggest you read, “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” by Samantha Morris. A fabulous introduction to the Borgias and their tumultuous times.