L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE SIMONE SCHIAVINATO T oday, Borgia is almost synonym with debauchery. Say it out loud and images of political conspiracies, lascivi- ousness, murder and even incest come to mind, all in name of one thing: power. Without a doubt, the Borgias were an incredibly ambitious family; without a doubt some of their actions involved at least some of the many crimes they have been accused of. Yet, as it often hap- pens in history with controversial figures or events, a lot of thresh- ing needs to be done to separate wheat from chaff. When it comes to the Borgias, popular represen- tations of the family - from 1981's BBC tv rendition, to more recent takes on their story for Showtime in 2011-2013 and SkyItalia and Canal+ in the same period - always focused on excesses and deviations, rather than historical facts. Then again, historical blackmailing is far from being a modern issue when it comes to them: modern screen- writers didn't invent anything that others in earlier times hadn't come out with. Fear not, though: the history of the Borgia family is far from being boring, even if part of the sauciest anecdotes may have been fabricated. They remain one of the most powerful and influential families in the history of the Italian Renaissance, epito- me of the very history of those years. From their Spanish ori- gins, to their rise to power in Rome and the intricacies of their political and sentimental plots, the lives of the Borgias make for a great, entertaining read. The most Italian of all places, Rome, became the Borgias' playground, but the family was not originally from the capital. In fact, they hailed from the beauti- ful lands around Valencia,in Spain, more precisely from the town of Gandìa. Today known for its beaches and for the beau- ties of its historical centre, Gandìa used to be an important commercial and cultural hub in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. In the 15th century, it even had a university. It is here that the Borgias, known as the Dukes of Gandìa, have their roots. The first of the Borgias to come to our attention is certainly Alfons de Borja, or Alfonso Borgia, to say it the Italian way. De Borja was the original Spanish and Valencian diction of the name, which was then italian- ized, once the family gained power in Rome. Funnily enough, in spite of being Spanish, the Italian spelling of their name, Borgia, is today used in Spain, too. Alfonso graduated with a doctorate in law, both canon and civilm and became a professor in his Alma Mater of Lleida. In those years, the late 1300s, he also embraced the diplomatic career for the kings of Aragon. Alfonso was however to be known mostly for his own elec- tion, at a very old age, to the pontifical see and for being the uncle of the infamous Rodrigo. But Alfonso was a much differ- ent figure from his nephew: his- torically considered a sound, pious pope, he wasn't moved by the same unconditional ambition as Rodrigo, and very much fails to fit into the Borgia stereotype most of us are used to. It is also true that Alfonso Borgia is, so to speak, an early representative of the family in Italy: it was, indeed,only after Rodrigo and his offspring took over the social and political game in the capital, that the name Borgia started being associated with lewdness and political trickery. Roderic, Rodrigo in Italian, Borgia, the most infamous of the whole family, was originally from the town of Xativa, where this native home still stands and vestiges of Borgia's dominance can be found also in the colle- giate basilica. Not familiar with the name? You may know him better as Pope Alexander VI, father of Cesare and Lucrezia, among others. Let's not rush, though, as Pope Alexader and his life will be central to our next written encounter with the fami- ly. Rodrigo moved to Italy young, not before having served as abbot in the Simat monastery, in Valldigna, and completed his studies between Bologna and Rome. While in the Emilia-Romagna capital, the Spaniard graduated in Law and was considered one of the brightest students of his course. Smart and a great orator, Rodrigo had all the right cards to succeed. Callixtus III - made him cardinal at the very early age of 25. Thanks to his protection, young Rodrigo obtained increas- ing power in the Roman Curia, but this form of nepotism wasn't unheard of in those time; consid- ering Rodrigo was an intelligent and well spoken individual made it even more normal. However, it became quite clear that the young Borgia could become a liability to the Holy See because of his penchant for material pleasure and his libertine attitude, yet his uncle protected him and lovingly closed one -or both- eyes in front of his misbehavior. He was hand- some, charming and powerful, the chronicles of the time tell us, a combination that made him incredibly desirable and certainly envied. These are the first paragraphs of the Borgia's "dark legend," the one created and embodied by Rodrigo, his lovers and his chil- dren, Lucretia and Cesare above the others. These are the first moments of a family saga that inspired literature to the point the fictitious became better known than history. From the first infa- mous modern biopic of Lucrezia, written by otherwise reputable historian Ferdinand Gregorovius in the 19th century, to the more recent Mario Puzo's novel dedi- cated to the family, which he defines the first organized crime family in Italy, the Borgias have filled millions of pages. But how much of what we have commonly learned about their antics is actually true? How much of the Borgia's infamous "dark legend"corresponds to reality? There is always a grain of truth in things, yet, the most incredible secret of the Borgias may well be they were not as bad as popular culture throughout the decades wanted us to believe. The Borgias, Italy's most infamous family. Part One: the Spanish origins Rodrigo Borgia: thanks to his uncle Alfons, he became cardinal at the tender age of 25

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