The Borgias
“Flesh and Blood”
Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.
Details
First Aired: 4/3/2011
Languages: English
Created by: Neil Jordan
Type: Scripted
Production
ShowtimeCompanies: Take 5 Productions, Octagon Films, Showtime Networks, BellMedia, ImageMovers, Amblin Television, Myriad Pictures
Countries: Canada, United States of America, Hungary, Ireland
Where to watch · US
Videos
Seasons
Season 1
Pope Innocent VIII dies. Rodrigo Borgia wins election as Pope Alexander VI by bribing enough of the cardinals to vote for him in conclave. Alexander "packs" the College of Cardinals with 13 new members, including his son Cesare. He then tries to contract an alliance with the powerful family of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, one of his two original rivals for the Papacy. That alliance, ever fragile, breaks after Alexander's other rival, Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (the future Pope Julius II), contracts his own alliance with the King of France for an invasion of Italy.
Season 2
Having survived the French invasion with his Papacy intact (just barely), Alexander VI containues to advance his agenda. But the Sforza family continues to thwart him, leading him to make physical war upon them. Nor has Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere given up trying to rid the Vatican of Alexander. Having failed to depose the Pope legally, Cardinal della Rovere plots to assassinate him.
