The Borgias and Their Enemies 1431 - 1519

A narrative history of the infamous Borgia family, focusing on their rise and influence in Renaissance Italy, particularly from the birth of Rodrigo Borgia (1431) to the death of Lucrezia Borgia (1519). Hibbert, a respected British historian known for his engaging style, portrays the Borgias as a Spanish family that ascended to power through strategic marriages, bribery, and ruthless politics, challenging the exaggerated myths of their depravity while acknowledging their controversial actions.

The book centers on Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI in 1492, leveraging his position to enrich his family. His children, Cesare and Lucrezia, are key figures: Cesare, a military leader whose ambitions inspired Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Lucrezia, often vilified as a poisoner but later shown as a cultured duchess of Ferrara. Hibbert traces their ascent from obscurity in Spain, aided by Rodrigo’s uncle Pope Callixtus III (1455–1458), to dominating Rome, using nepotism and alliances to secure wealth and titles. Notable events include Cesare’s alleged murder of his brother Juan and the orchestrated deaths of Lucrezia’s husbands to shift political alliances.

The “enemies” include powerful Italian families like the Medici, Sforza, Orsini, and Della Rovere, as well as figures like Savonarola, who opposed Borgia corruption and was executed in 1498. Hibbert suggests much of the family’s notorious reputation—incest, orgies like the alleged “Banquet of Chestnuts”