It was the age of Da Vinci and Michelangelo,

of enlightened creativity and unparalleled

intellectual achievement. But it was also the

age of Machiavelli, of rampant lawlessness,

incessant war and unspeakable depravity. At

the heart of the world order was the Vatican,

the arbiter of conflicts between those kingdoms

and empires. And at the center of the Vatican

was a man whose quest for power would propel

him to seek the ultimate prize, the Chair of

Saint Peter. He was a man whose name would

become synonymous with ruthlessness, and

whose reign as pope would be remembered

as the most infamous chapter in the history of

the Catholic Church − Rodrigo Borgia.

His four children − Juan, the oldest, a prideful,

lazy, unscrupulous sexual predator; Cesare,

a young man torn between a faith that was

not his calling and his dark violent nature;

Lucrezia, a young girl discovering the secret

power that a woman’s sexuality holds; and

Goffredo, an innocent child who would come

of age in a family driven by conflict − would

provide Rodrigo with a challenge as great as

the political maneuvering of his secular and

religious rivals.

j u a n

b o r g i aR o d r i g o

b o r g i a

Later Pope Alexander

VI. A patriarch obsessed

with power, a man of

the church and father of

many children from many

women.

For him blood is always

thicker than water, even

if the water is holy.

g i u l i a

f a r n e s e

Rodrigo’s current mistress

and married to Orsino

Orsini Migliorati.

As the lover of the pope,

she is very powerful and

in constant competition

with Lucrezia to win his

favor.

l u c r e z i a

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As Rodrigo’s only daughter,

she is used to his power

schemes and constantly

engaged to someone

new until she becomes a

woman and learns how to

use her splendid beauty.

Rodrigo’s eldest son with

Vanozza.

His father has his future

laid out for him in spite

of his weaknesses.

c e s a r e

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The youngest and most

gifted son.

He is intelligent and char-

ming, and torn between

religious fanaticism and

an uncontrollable lust for

brutality.

V a n o z z a

C a t a n e i

Rodrigo’s long-time mistress

and mother of Lucrezia,

Juan and Cesare.

Although they don’t

share a bed anymore, she

is still his confidante.

t h e r e w e r e

t h e b o r g i a

b e f o r e t h e m a f i a