More on Lucrezia . . .

An excellent, and very readable resource on the life of Lucrezia Borgia. is the book of that name by Sarah Bradford.  When I read an historical novel I look for those with named resources, dense with facts, but woven together in a readable style.  No need to enhance the plot with the Borgias, so I am puzzled as to why the Showtime series is embellishing Lucrezia's role in the negotiations with Charles VIII of France.

First of all, Renaissance women of the rank of Lucrezia and Guilia Farnese (the Pope's mistress) wouldn't have been a party of two traveling between the Adriatic coast and Rome.  They would have been accompanied by their servants and various other household members.  Historical records do show that Guilia Farnese, along with 20 or 30 others, was indeed taken hostage by Charles VIII, and that the Pope paid 3000 ducats to the French king to have Guilia returned to him.  Then several months elapsed before Charles and the French army went on to Naples.

In spite of various criticisms I have of the Showtime series, I plan to continue to watch, for the spectacle it is.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the costumes alone are worth the viewing.  Note the sumptuous fabrics, the empire waistline (practical in an era when pregnancy was a continuous state), and the tie-on sleeves through which the undergarment, the camicia (chemise, fr. or shift, eng), is pulled and then puffed.