Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance the Life and Legacy of Rodrigo Borgia written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2018-01-08 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Discusses the rumors and controversies surrounding Rodrigo and the Borgia family, including allegations of corruption, incest, and murder. *Includes pictures of Rodrigo and important people and places in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Alexander never did what he said.Cesare never said what he did." - Italian Proverb A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? When historians are asked to pick a point in history when Western civilization was transformed and guided down the path to modernity, most of them point to the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. There have been no shortage of controversial Popes who were accused by Catholics and other Christians of impropriety, but the most controversial of all was the Borgia Pope, Alexander VI. Born Rodrigo Borgia, the future Pope made his way up the ranks of the Catholic Church with an assist from nepotism, breaking his vows of chastity and fathering several illegitimate children along the way. The stories and legends attributed to Rodrigo and his children, particularly Cesare and Lucrezia, have made the Borgias one of the most notorious families in history. 500 years after Rodrigo's death, he and his family have come to be associated more with incest, political intrigue, murder and state-sponsored violence. While 21st century TV series have cast the Borgias as the first organized crime family, the rumors spread by the family's political opponents in the late 15th century have taken hold among a fascinated public. Did Rodrigo really have an incestuous relationship with daughter Lucrezia? Did he really throw lavish orgies? While Rodrigo may not have been as colorful or criminal as the enduring legends, there is no question he was manipulative, ruthless and, ultimately, effective. From an administrative standpoint, Rodrigo was a success as Pope Alexander VI, with a big assist from son Cesare. To the extent that the Borgias are still associated with murder and mayhem, it was the father and son whose actions can be credited with the lion's share of the perception. Not surprisingly, almost everything about Rodrigo's life is still up for debate. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Rodrigo Borgia chronicles the Borgia Pope's life and discusses the legends and myths surrounding him in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of important people in his life, you will learn about Rodrigo Borgia like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-01-08 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Analyzes Cesare's legacy and how it endured over the centuries. *Examines the legends and rumors surrounding Cesare's life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. *Includes pictures depicting Cesare and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; nonetheless, that cruelty united Romagna and brought it peace and stability. On careful reflection, he was more merciful than the Florentines, who, in order to avoid being seen as cruel, allowed Pistoia to be destroyed. Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies." - Machiavelli, The Prince The Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. But it also had its fair share of notorious villains and legendary characters, such as the Borgias. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. In one of the most famous political treatises in history, Niccolo Machiavelli famously advises those who hold power that it is better to be feared than loved. Though he uses Cesare as a cautionary tale about acquiring power through the good-will and powers of another person (his father, Pope Alexander VI), it is clear in The Prince that Machiavelli holds out Cesare as a skillful, effective ruler and administrator. In many ways, Cesare has been characterized as the "prince" Machiavelli tells his readers to be. As one translator of The Prince put it, Cesare is "cited as a type of the man who rises on the fortune of others, and falls with them; who takes every course that might be expected from a prudent man but the course which will save him; who is prepared for all eventualities but the one which happens; and who, when all his abilities fail to carry him through, exclaims that it was not his fault, but an extraordinary and unforeseen fatality." 500 years after Cesare's death, he and his family have come to be associated more with crime, specifically murder and state-sponsored violence. While 21st century TV series have cast the Borgias as the first organized crime family, the rumors spread by the family's political opponents in the late 15th century have taken hold among a fascinated public. Did Cesare really have an incestuous relationship with sister Lucrezia? Did he really kill his own brother Giovanni (Juan)? While Cesare may not have been as colorful or criminal as the enduring legends, there is no question he was manipulative, ruthless and, for a short time at least, effective. He helped make his father's papacy a success, but his rise was as dramatic as his fall. To the extent that the Borgias are still associated with murder and mayhem, Cesare's actions can be credited with the lion's share of the perception. Not surprisingly, almost everything about Cesare's life is still up for debate, even one long-held assertion by the likes of Alexandre Dumas that Cesare's likeness was used by Renaissance artists to paint images of Jesus Christ during and after his life. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Cesare Borgia chronicles Cesare's life and discusses the legends and myths about his life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of important people in his life, you will learn about Cesare like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-01-08 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Analyzes Lucrezia's legacy and how it endured over the centuries. *Examines the legends and rumors surrounding Lucrezia's life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. *Includes pictures depicting Lucrezia and other important people and places in her life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Lucrezia Borgia is the most unfortunate woman in modern history. Is this because she was guilty of the most hideous crimes, or is it simply because she has been unjustly condemned by the world to bear its curse? The question has never been answered...We possess the history of Alexander VI and Cesare, but of Lucrezia Borgia we have little more than a legend, according to which she is a fury, the poison in one hand, the poignard in the other; and yet this baneful personality possessed all the charms and graces." - Ferdinand Gregorovius A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? When historians are asked to pick a point in history when Western civilization was transformed and guided down the path to modernity, most of them point to the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. History remembers Lucrezia Borgia in unflattering terms. She has been portrayed as an incestuous adulteress and a murderer, but her contemporaries thought of her in very different terms. Lucrezia was a political pawn in her father and brother's plots and a political power in her own right. She was well-educated and well-respected during her lifetime. While she was, in all certainty, a part of multiple political plots, she was also considered to be pious, thoughtful, and mannerly. Of course, legends often overtake and overshadow reality. The world has always had a fascination with femme fatales, and few historical women have ever been portrayed as one quite like Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia is a baseless, immoral villain in Victor Hugo's Lucrezia Borgia, and she continues to be depicted as a schemer and manipulator on par with her famous brother and father in film and critically acclaimed television series. Indeed, it would be hard to find another woman in the historical record who is remembered in any way comparable to the legacy of Lucrezia that remains nearly 500 years after her death. The great irony is that Lucrezia's reputation seems to be wildly at odds with the actual woman herself. Though political opponents of the Borgias successfully portrayed Lucrezia as an incestuous schemer, Lucrezia was unusually moral for a powerful woman during the Renaissance. Aside from adultery, hardly unusual in that era, Lucrezia proved to be both an efficient and benevolent ruler when her husband was away from Ferrara, and the two of them had an unusually close and loving relationship in an era where political marriages were made out of convenience, not love. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Lucrezia Borgia chronicles Lucrezia's life and discusses the legends and myths about her life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in her life, you will learn about Lucrezia like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance the Life and Legacy of Cesare Borgia written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Analyzes Cesare's legacy and how it endured over the centuries. *Examines the legends and rumors surrounding Cesare's life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. *Includes pictures depicting Cesare and other important people in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; nonetheless, that cruelty united Romagna and brought it peace and stability. On careful reflection, he was more merciful than the Florentines, who, in order to avoid being seen as cruel, allowed Pistoia to be destroyed. Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies." - Machiavelli, The Prince The Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. But it also had its fair share of notorious villains and legendary characters, such as the Borgias. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. In one of the most famous political treatises in history, Niccolo Machiavelli famously advises those who hold power that it is better to be feared than loved. Though he uses Cesare as a cautionary tale about acquiring power through the good-will and powers of another person (his father, Pope Alexander VI), it is clear in The Prince that Machiavelli holds out Cesare as a skillful, effective ruler and administrator. In many ways, Cesare has been characterized as the "prince" Machiavelli tells his readers to be. As one translator of The Prince put it, Cesare is "cited as a type of the man who rises on the fortune of others, and falls with them; who takes every course that might be expected from a prudent man but the course which will save him; who is prepared for all eventualities but the one which happens; and who, when all his abilities fail to carry him through, exclaims that it was not his fault, but an extraordinary and unforeseen fatality." 500 years after Cesare's death, he and his family have come to be associated more with crime, specifically murder and state-sponsored violence. While 21st century TV series have cast the Borgias as the first organized crime family, the rumors spread by the family's political opponents in the late 15th century have taken hold among a fascinated public. Did Cesare really have an incestuous relationship with sister Lucrezia? Did he really kill his own brother Giovanni (Juan)? While Cesare may not have been as colorful or criminal as the enduring legends, there is no question he was manipulative, ruthless and, for a short time at least, effective. He helped make his father's papacy a success, but his rise was as dramatic as his fall. To the extent that the Borgias are still associated with murder and mayhem, Cesare's actions can be credited with the lion's share of the perception. Not surprisingly, almost everything about Cesare's life is still up for debate, even one long-held assertion by the likes of Alexandre Dumas that Cesare's likeness was used by Renaissance artists to paint images of Jesus Christ during and after his life. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Cesare Borgia chronicles Cesare's life and discusses the legends and myths about his life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of important people in his life, you will learn about Cesare like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance the Life and Legacy of Lucrezia Borgia written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by . This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Analyzes Lucrezia's legacy and how it endured over the centuries. *Examines the legends and rumors surrounding Lucrezia's life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. *Includes pictures depicting Lucrezia and other important people and places in her life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "Lucrezia Borgia is the most unfortunate woman in modern history. Is this because she was guilty of the most hideous crimes, or is it simply because she has been unjustly condemned by the world to bear its curse? The question has never been answered...We possess the history of Alexander VI and Cesare, but of Lucrezia Borgia we have little more than a legend, according to which she is a fury, the poison in one hand, the poignard in the other; and yet this baneful personality possessed all the charms and graces." - Ferdinand Gregorovius A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? When historians are asked to pick a point in history when Western civilization was transformed and guided down the path to modernity, most of them point to the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. History remembers Lucrezia Borgia in unflattering terms. She has been portrayed as an incestuous adulteress and a murderer, but her contemporaries thought of her in very different terms. Lucrezia was a political pawn in her father and brother's plots and a political power in her own right. She was well-educated and well-respected during her lifetime. While she was, in all certainty, a part of multiple political plots, she was also considered to be pious, thoughtful, and mannerly. Of course, legends often overtake and overshadow reality. The world has always had a fascination with femme fatales, and few historical women have ever been portrayed as one quite like Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia is a baseless, immoral villain in Victor Hugo's Lucrezia Borgia, and she continues to be depicted as a schemer and manipulator on par with her famous brother and father in film and critically acclaimed television series. Indeed, it would be hard to find another woman in the historical record who is remembered in any way comparable to the legacy of Lucrezia that remains nearly 500 years after her death. The great irony is that Lucrezia's reputation seems to be wildly at odds with the actual woman herself. Though political opponents of the Borgias successfully portrayed Lucrezia as an incestuous schemer, Lucrezia was unusually moral for a powerful woman during the Renaissance. Aside from adultery, hardly unusual in that era, Lucrezia proved to be both an efficient and benevolent ruler when her husband was away from Ferrara, and the two of them had an unusually close and loving relationship in an era where political marriages were made out of convenience, not love. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Lucrezia Borgia chronicles Lucrezia's life and discusses the legends and myths about her life in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in her life, you will learn about Lucrezia like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book The Borgias and Their Enemies 1431 1519 written by Christopher Hibbert and published by HMH. This book was released on 2009-09-16 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This colorful history of a powerful family brings the world they lived in—the glittering Rome of the Italian Renaissance—to life. The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame—Lucrezia Borgia, his daughter, whose husband was famously murdered by her brother, and that brother, Cesare, who inspired Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince. Notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder, the dynasty’s dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to its occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society forms a gripping tale. From the author of The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici and other acclaimed works, The Borgias and Their Enemies is “a fascinating read” (Library Journal).

Download or read book A Brief History of the Borgias written by Christopher Hibbert and published by Robinson Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame - Lucrezia Borgia, his daughter, whose husband was famously murdered by her brother, and that brother, Cesare, who served as the model for Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. Notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder, the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to its occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society forms a gripping tale.

Download or read book BORGIA Behind the Myth written by Danny Chaplin and published by . This book was released on 2018-08-23 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of possibly the most notorious dynasty in papal history is revealed in a new narrative from the author of "The Medici: Rise of a Parvenu Dynasty, 1360-1537", "Pietro Aretino: The First Modern", and "Sengoku Jidai. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of Japan". Danny Chaplin serves up a fresh history of the Borgia which neither flinches from their grisly deeds nor seeks to paint an unduly "revisionist" picture of what is without question one of history's most infamous papal dynasties.The Borgia were that quintessential Renaissance phenomenon, a parvenu family which emerged from relative priestly obscurity to soar to the heights of political and pontifical power in the colourful Italy of the 1400s. Established on the backs of the careers of two popes, Calixtus III and Alexander VI, the family held court initially as princes of the Church and arbiters of European clerical politics. From the abstemious, crusading Pope Calixtus to the venal, sensual and nepotistic Pope Alexander (Rodrigo Borgia), this Spanish house from Valencia quickly established itself as one of Rome's major players.Later, Cesare Borgia, the model for Niccolò Machiavelli's prototypical Renaissance prince, would be recognised as a secular lord in his own right. As "Il duco Valentino" he would blaze a trail of destruction and conquest across the length and breadth of central Italy. The Borgia brokered deals and dynastic alliances with kings, princes, and dukes, often at the point of a sword. They appropriated Church lands for their own aggrandisement. They also walked a delicate tightrope between France and Spain, two emerging superpowers which sought to enact their great rivalry on the Italian Peninsula. Their murders, assassinations, and poisonings have by now become legendary in the annals of European history.Five centuries later, the names of Rodrigo Borgia, Cesare Borgia, Juan Borgia, and their much-slandered sister Lucrezia Borgia are synonymous with everything regarded as being at fault with the Renaissance papal establishment. But is the received wisdom concerning the Borgia entirely accurate or indeed warranted? Cinematic in scope, this meticulously-researched new history of the House of Borgia re-examines their lives and their legacy with uncompromising candidness in the context of late fifteenth-century Italian power politics.

Download or read book Lucrezia Borgia written by Ferdinand Gregorovius and published by Vita Histria. This book was released on 2020-05-19 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lucrezia Borgia is among the most fascinating and controversial personalities of the Renaissance. The daughter of Pope Alexander VI, she was intensely involved in the political life of Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. While her marriage alliances helped advance the political objectives of the papacy, she also held the office of Governor of Spoleto, a role normally reserved for Cardinals, making her one of the most powerful and dynamic female figures of the Renaissance. Among the first books to employ historical method to move beyond myth and romance that had obscured the fascinating story of Lucrezia Borgia was this biography written by the noted German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius. Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) was one of the preeminent scholars of the Italian Renaissance. His biography of Lucrezia Borgia reveals the atmosphere of the Renaissance, painting a portrait of Lucrezia and her relationships with her father Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, her brother Cesare, her mother Vanozza, her father’s mistress, Giulia Farnese, her husband Duke Alfonso D’Este of Ferrara, and many others, including important artists and writers of the time. All are vividly portrayed against the colorful background of Renaissance Italy. Gregorovius separates myth from documented fact and his book remains a key reference work on the life and times of the Borgia princess. This new edition of Gregorovius’s classic work Lucrezia Borgia is enhanced with an introduction by Samantha Morris, a noted expert on the history of the Borgias. Samantha studied archaeology at the University of Winchester where her interest in the history of the Italian Renaissance began. She is the author of Cesare Borgia: In a Nutshell and Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher. She also runs the website theborgiabull.com.

Download or read book The Life of Cesare Borgia written by Rafael Sabatini and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-11-16 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Life of Cesare Borgia is a biographical account of Italian politician and mercenary leader whose fight for power was a major inspiration for The Prince by Machiavelli. Cesare Borgia was an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI and member of the Spanish-Aragonese House of Borgia, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. After initially entering the church and becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the Papacy, he became, after the death of his brother in 1498, the first person to resign a cardinalate. He served as a condottiero for the King of France Louis XII around 1500 and occupied Milan and Naples during the Italian Wars. At the same time he carved out a state for himself in Central Italy, but after his father's death he was unable to retain power for long. The author's goal was to, through the thorough research, present a faithful biography of Cesare Borgia leaving aside the bad reputation he and his family had. He used numerous primary sources to scrape away centuries of innuendo, hypotheses and reiterated falsehoods that have varnished the Borgias. The author criticizes much of the previous historical work that shines a dark light on the life of the 16th century Borgias. He goes to great lengths to provide proof for his history and dispels the myths and bad name the Borgias have had at the hands of historians over the centuries.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance written by Charles River Editors and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures of Lorenzo and important people and places in his life. *Discusses Lorenzo's relationships with other famous Renaissance legends, including Leonardo and Michelangelo. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "How beautiful is youth that is always slipping away." - Lorenzo de' Medici A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? When historians are asked to pick a point in history when Western civilization was transformed and guided down the path to modernity, most of them point to the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Most historians credit the city-state of Florence as the place that started and developed the Italian Renaissance, a process carried out through the patronage and commission of artists during the late 12th century. If Florence is receiving its due credit, much of it belongs to the Medicis, the family dynasty of Florence that ruled at the height of the Renaissance. The dynasty held such influence that some of its family members even became Pope. Among all of the Medicis, its most famous member ruled during the Golden Age of Florence at the apex of the Renaissance's artistic achievements. Lorenzo de Medici, commonly referred to as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was groomed both intellectually and politically to rule Venice, and he took the reins of power at just 20 years old. Of all the fields that were advanced during the Renaissance, the period's most famous works were art, with iconic paintings like Leonardo's Mona Lisa and timeless sculptures like Michelangelo's David. Thus it is fitting that both Leonardo and Michelangelo were at times members of Lorenzo's court, and the Florentian ruler, who also considered himself an artist and poet, became known for securing commissions for the most famous artists of the age, including the aforementioned legends, Piero and Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio, Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio. When Lorenzo died in April 1492, he was buried in a chapel designed by Michelangelo. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Lorenzo de' Medici chronicles the life and reign of Lorenzo the Magnificent, examines the relationships he had with other Renaissance legends, and analyzes his enduring legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Lorenzo de' Medici like you never have before, in no time at all.

Download or read book The Borgias written by Michael Edward Mallett and published by New York : Barnes & Noble. This book was released on 1969 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Borgias are one of the most notorious families in European history, not because of any lasting achievements nor for long occupation of positions of power and influence, but because of the moral outrages committed by members of two generations of the family at a time when Italy was at the centre of the European stage. The activities of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, and his children, Cesare and Lucrezia, have attracted the attention of poets, playwrights, novelists and musicians as well as contemporary pamphleteers and historians of all subsequent generations. Most of these have devoted themselves to describing the private lives of these members of the Borigia family, thus creating the impression that the only memorable things about them were their poisonings and their incest. What has rarely been attempted in any reasonably accessible form, and therefore with little impact on popular ideas, is an assessment of the social and political aims and achievements of the Borgia family as a whole. Who were the Borgias? What were they doing in the fifteenth century that made them so hated and feared in Italy? What were the wider implications of the two Borgia pontificates? What happened to the family after the death of Alexander VI? These are the questions which this book attempts to answer for the benefit of as wide an audience as possible. The main significance of the Borgias lies not in their crimes and immoralities but in the dramatic rise of the family from a position of relatively obscure Spanish nobility to the highest position in Renaissance society. It lies in the policies of Alexander VI as one of the leading Popes of the Renaissance: the extent to which these policies were designed for the continued advancement of the family, and the extent to which he succeeded in creating positions of influence and importance for his family in Italy, France, and Spain, which survived for over two centuries." -- Book jacket.

Download or read book Caesar Borgia A Study of the Renaissance written by John Leslie Garner and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-11-11 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Caesar Borgia: A Study of the Renaissance" by John Leslie Garner. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Download or read book The Borgia Family written by Jennifer Mara DeSilva and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-10-11 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Borgia Family: Rumor and Representation explores the historical and cultural structures that underpin the early modern Borgia family, their notoriety, and persistence and reinvention in the popular imagination. The book balances studies focusing on early modern observations of the Borgias and studies deconstructing later incarnations on the stage, on the page, on the street, and on the screen. It reveals how contemporary observers, later authors and artists, and generations of historians reinforced and perpetuated both rumor and reputation, ultimately contributing to the Borgia Black Legend and its representations. Focused on the deeds and posthumous reputations of Pope Alexander VI and his children, Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, the volume charts the choices made by the family and contextualizes them amid contemporary expectations and reactions. Extending beyond their deaths, it also investigates how the Borgias became emblems of anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish criticism in the later early modern period and their residing reputation as the best and worst of the Renaissance. Exploring a spectrum of traditional and modern media, The Borgia Family contextualizes both Borgia deeds and their modern representations to analyze the family’s continuing history and meaning in the twenty-first century. It will be of great interest to researchers and students working on interdisciplinary aspects of the Renaissance and early modern Italy.

Download or read book The Life of Cesare Borgia written by Rafael Sabatini and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-11-21 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rafael Sabatini presents a detailed biography of Cesare Borgia, one of the most intriguing figures of the Italian Renaissance. This book delves into Borgia's life, his ambitions, and the political landscape of Italy during his time. Sabatini's meticulous research and engaging narrative style bring to life the complexities and intrigues of Renaissance Italy.

Download or read book The Fall of the House of Borgia written by E R Chamberlin and published by Sapere Books. This book was released on 2022-02-14 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An enthralling history of the most notorious family of Renaissance Italy. Perfect for readers of Paul Strathern, Alexander Lee and Ross King. Did Rodrigo corruptly bribe his way to the papal throne to become Pope Alexander VI? Was Juan murdered by his brother Cesare in his pursuit for power? And was Lucrezia really involved in incestuous relationships? Legends surround the Borgia family, but what was the truth behind it all? E. R. Chamberlin's masterful portrait of these extraordinary people separates fact from fiction and shines a dazzling light on Renaissance Italy. Beginning with Rodrigo Borgia, Chamberlin charts this intelligent but ruthless man's passage to the top. He uncovers how, as Pope Alexander VI, he directed his family to carve out a Borgia kingdom in the heart of Italy. The chaotic intrigues, alliances, and wars that Cesare and Lucrezia became embroiled with are exposed in fascinating detail as competing dynasties and cities struggled for survival before the family's fortunes crumbled. "By isolating unsubstantiated rumor, by viewing the more unsavory Borgia activities in the light of political realities of the time, and quietly including contemporary accounts from the more reliable sources, Chamberlin is able to illuminate the extraordinary power of the Borgias." Kirkus Reviews The Fall of the House of Borgia reveals the astounding brilliance of the Renaissance as well as ugly reality of Papal Rome. It should be essential reading for all looking for insight into the shadowy world of sixteenth century Italy and interested in finding out the truth of this remarkable family.

Download or read book Legends of the Renaissance written by Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-01-08 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures of Michelangelo and some of his most famous art. *Explains how Michelangelo made some of his most famous works, including the Pieta, David, and the Sistine Chapel. *Includes contemporaneous accounts of Michelangelo's life and his relationship with famous contemporaries like Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all." - Michelangelo A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? When historians are asked to pick a point in history when Western civilization was transformed and guided down the path to modernity, most of them point to the Renaissance. Indeed, the Renaissance revolutionized art, philosophy, religion, sciences and math, with individuals like Galileo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Dante, and Petrarch bridging the past and modern society. In Charles River Editors' Legends of the Renaissance, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the most important men and women of the Renaissance in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. It's possible that Michelangelo is the most famous artist in history, but it's also possible that he's an underrated artist. The vast influence of his career is reflected by the fact that he is not only known for his own art but has also come to embody an entire epoch of Western art. Along with Leonardo da Vinci, there are no other artists who so fully capture the spirit of scientific and artistic discovery that characterized art during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Moreover, Michelangelo's career is distinguished from that of his peers through his seamless ability to work within different art forms, receiving acclaim regardless of the medium. After first rising to fame as a sculptor, he also painted and served as an architect, and since his death, Michelangelo has also become decorated for his prolific output as a poet. The diversity and high standard of his work, no matter the medium, make it difficult to even arrive at a most famous work. People can make a compelling argument for at least three works: the statue of David (1501-1504), the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), or the design for St. Peter's Basilica (worked on from 1546 through his death). That the same artist produced these canonical monuments of Western art is remarkable, but that each was made through a different medium defines Michelangelo as a sui generis talent. To top it off, Michelangelo's work came at the height of a period in Western civilization known for its scientific and artistic exploration. As Michelangelo biographer George Bull noted, this period carries many titles: "The period of Michelangelo's lifetime has been variously characterized as the age of printing, the age of humanism, the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, Catholic Reform, the waning of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the age of Discovery." The different titles reflect the sheer amount of activity that took place during this critical era of Western Civilization. Although the different labels can frustrate attempts to clearly define the era, each one of them is important to remember in the context of Michelangelo's career. Legends of the Renaissance: The Life and Legacy of Michelangelo chronicles the famous artist's life and work, as well as his lasting legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Michelangelo like you never have before, in no time at all.