The Borgias

Recently, I watched the first three episodes of Showtime’s hit series the Borgias. I first learned about this wonderfully Catholic family in Mario Puzo’s book; The Family. This is the historic family which produced two of my favorite Popes; Alexander VI and his son (Yes, you read that correctly) Julius II.

I’m not going to get into the madness that existed during the reign of these children of “god,” because the information is readily available. What I will do is give this series my stamp of approval. (Maybe I’m biased because I love religious history!)

Showtime gives a behind the scenes look at how Rodrigo Borgia used any means necessary to place his family in control of the Papal States. The scenes are shocking, but not as shocking as the tales which are depicted in Puzo’s book. (I can’t recommend reading The Family, enough!)

     Jeremy Irons plays Pope Alexander VI and to his right are two of his children, Cesare and Lucrezia. If their pose appears  to be inappropriate, you may not want to watch this series. Behind the Pope is his young mistress and his other son Juan is the gentleman to the Pope’s left. Unlike his brother, Juan is not a Cardinal; he is head of the Papal Army.

I can’t wait to see how the creators decide to reveal the rest of the tale. I would love to hear what a Catholic thinks of this series. (Your church doesn’t come out looking too good, but I’m sure all good Catholics already know the history!)

***To the great people at Showtime, this is not free advertisement; I’m expecting a check!***

@PeteTeix617