History Series / Borgia

In 1492 Italy is divided into warring states and at the centre lies Rome where the ageing Pope Innocent VIII rules. As Vice Chancellor of the College of Cardinals Rodrigo Borgia plans to use all his influence in order to become the next Pope and create a great dynasty. Following the death of his eldest son he summons his other children; Juan, Cesare and Lucrezia, back to the Rome. Soon all three are embroiled in the plotting of the noble families and the church and the series follows their development from pawns to skilled players of the game.

** The ''Art/LaocoonAndHisSons'' {{sculpture|s}} being discovered earlier than it really was so it can provide a metaphor of a father and his sons being dragged down by snakes. This doubles as SecretHistory as Rodrigo is so perturbed by the implication that he orders it reburied, presumably to be later rediscovered ([[FridgeBrilliance and put on public display]]) by Julius II.

-->'''Cesare:''' A son exists to glorify the life of his father--as meaningless and worthless and that life might be. But if a boy is to become a man, he must glorify himself… and make a name even greater than his father's. A name… that will shout throughout history. '''I am ''Cesare Borgia''!'''

** The Laocoon sculpture being discovered earlier than it really was so it can provide a metaphor of a father and his sons being dragged down by snakes. This doubles as SecretHistory as Rodrigo is so perturbed by the implication that he orders it reburied, presumably to be later rediscovered ([[FridgeBrilliance and put on public display]]) by Julius II.

** Giuila threatens Lucrezia's lady-in-waiting with expulsion to Tierra del Fuego, which would only be first explored by Europeans 27 years later.

* OedipusComplex: Cesare toward Rodrigo
-->'''Cesare:''' A son exists to glorify the life of his father--as meaningless and worthless and that life might be. But if a boy is to become a man, he must glorify himself… and make a name even greater than his father's. A name… that will shout throughout history. '''I am ''Cesare Borgia''!'''

->''I praise ''Borgia: Faith and Fear'' for what I call its “historicity” rather than its “accuracy.” It takes its fair share of liberties, as well it should if it wants a modern person to sit through it. But it also succeeds in making the characters feel un-modern in a way many period pieces don’t try to do. It is a bit alienating but much more powerful.''
-->-- '''[[Literature/TerraIgnota Ada Palmer]]''', [[https://www.exurbe.com/the-borgias-vs-borgia-faith-and-fear/ “The Borgias” vs. “Borgia: Faith and Fear”]]

** [[spoiler: Cesare Borgia probably didn't fake his death and escape to the New World.]]

%%* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: UpToEleven. ''Borgia'' is a complete exploration of this trope. ''Borgia'' could be renamed ''Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The Show''.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Have fun trying to keep all the cardinals straight, let alone their allegiances to the various states.

* CruelAndUnusualPunishment: Though most of the torture scenes may come off as barbaric and sometimes convoluted, they were true to the norms of the time.

* TheRenaissance: Despite their crimes, the Borgias end up abetting the spread of the Renaissance.

%%* NotSoDifferent: Rodrigo and della Rovere. Lampshaded repeated by many characters.

''Borgia'', also known as ''Borgia: Faith and Fear'', is a 2011 Channel+ and EOS Entertainment production based on the rise and fall of the Borgia family in renaissance Italy. The series had three seasons and aired in Italy, France, Austria, Germany and Belgium as well as US and UK Netflix.

** Subverted ({{Zigzagg|ingTrope}}ed?) in a very interesting way. Cesare and Lucrezia [[spoiler: never ''actually'' have sex--the definition of incest--but get very close to it multiple times. They have a romantic dynamic, and never have sex more due to ''circumstances'' rather than ''lack of interest''.]] The more-likely historical truth (that people made up rumors they were incestuous to hurt the Borgias) is also present in the story, and discussed. These rumors are an AccidentalTruth, [[spoiler:and predate their first kiss.]]

** Juan and Cesare. [[spoiler: {{Subverted|Trope}}, because just as it's really starting to look like he did, it's revealed that Cesare ''didn't'' kill Juan. And then {{Double Subver|sion}}ted, because Juan's other sibling--his unsuspected, seemingly innocent little sister Lucrezia--''did''.]]

%%* DistractedByTheLuxury: In the beginning, Rodrigo invokes this with both Giula and Lucrezia.

* EveryoneIsASuspect: At least half the cast has reason to want [[spoiler:Juan]] dead.

%%* ForegoneConclusion: The fates of many of the historical characters. [[spoiler: though the show suggests otherwise for Cesare Borgia, see above]].

* AddledAddict: Rodrigo and Giulia whilst taking vitriola (diethyl ether) in season two.
* AmicableExes: Rodrigo and Vannozza.

* ArrangedMarriage: Pretty much all the marriages in the show.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Juan Borgia]]

* BigBrotherBully: Juan to Cesare, Lucrezia, and Goffredo.

* BookBurning: By Savonarola's followers in Florence
* BrattyHalfPint: Goffredo

** [[spoiler: One time, [[AttemptedRape Juan briefly tries to rape Lucrezia, until she blackmails him into stopping.]]]] [[spoiler: In a later episode, Juan also claims that [[AllLoveIsUnrequited Lucrezia is]] [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove "the only one" he loves]]. Lucrezia responds by (repeatedly) stabbing him.]]

* CostumePorn
* CycleOfRevenge: Between Cesare and the Colonna in season one
* DistractedByTheLuxury: In the beginning, Rodrigo invokes this with both Giula and Lucrezia.

* EmotionalBruiser: Cesare is as rough and as emotional as they come.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: UpToEleven. ''Borgia'' is a complete exploration of this trope. ''Borgia'' could be renamed ''Even Evil Has Loved Ones: The Show''.
* EverybodyHasLotsOfSex[=/=]ReallyGetsAround[=/=]YourCheatingHeart: ''Everyone''. Seriously, ''everyone''.
* EveryoneIsASuspect: [[spoiler: At least half the cast has reason to want Juan dead]]

* {{Fanservice}}[=/=]FanDisservice: When someone gets naked on ''Borgia'', there's a 50/50 chance they're going to have sex, or be tortured to death in truly horrific ways.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Cesare Borgia]] in the final episode.
* ForegoneConclusion: The fates of many of the historical characters. [[spoiler: though the show suggests otherwise for Cesare Borgia, see above]].

* HandOrObjectUnderwear: A whole line of them parade through Rome, angry and humiliated.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Most characters
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (the future Pope Julius II), even in a series rife with GrayAndGrayMorality. Given that Pope Alexander and della Rovere were bitter rivals in real life, and this series isn't called ''Rovere'', this is understandable.

* HotBlooded[=/=]WorldOfHam: Good ''God'' where to start? Its a show set in Renaissance Italy, so pretty much everyone except ''maybe'' Lucrezia?
* HotConsort: Giulia Farnese to Rodrigo.

* IdenticalGrandson: [[spoiler: Francisco Borgia in Rodrigo's DyingDream looks identical to his grandfather, Juan (They are played by the same actor).]]
* InSeriesNickname
** Giulia--"la Bella"
** Cesare--"il Valentino"

* TheLoinsSleepTonight: Lucrezia and her first husband, Giovanni. She is not impressed, and he is later divorced for said failure.

* LoversLedge: Juan escapes on one once. The girl doesn't, she's killed.

* TheMistress: ''Everyone'' has mistresses.
* MoralityPet: To Cesare--Lucrezia, his children, his wife Charlotte when he remembers her, his mother Vannozza sometimes…

* NotSoDifferent: Rodrigo and della Rovere. Lampshaded repeated by many characters.
* OneSteveLimit: Very much averted with two regally appearing noblemen named Alfonso and '''''far''''' too many people called Giovanni.

* PervertDad: Rodrigo toward Lucrezia. He feels super guilty about it.
* PlotTriggeringDeath:
** Pedro Luis
** Pope Innocent
* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:Marcantonio Colonna rapes Cesare in "Prelude to an Apocalypse".]]

* RoyalWe: Rodrigo after becoming pope

* TakeThatKiss: Juan delivers one in 1.02. "We are a planet of Judases."
* TellMeAboutMyFather: Lucrezia to Vannozza in "1492"
* {{Tsundere}}: Giulia, of the ''tsun'' type.

* WellDoneSonGuy: Cesare shows signs of this towards the beginning

* WhamLine: 1.12:

* WhosYourDaddy[=/=]MamasBabyPapasMaybe: In a world where EverybodyHasLotsOfSex and there's no paternity testing, this is no surprise.

* JacobAndEsau: Rodrigo favors Juan to Cesare, while Vannozza favors Cesare to Juan. Juan laments that his mother let him be sent away to Spain when he was only 12.

* JacobAndEsau: Rodrigo favors Juan to Cesare, while Vannozza favors Ceare to Juan. Juan laments that his mother let him be sent away to Spain when he was only 12.

* ParentalFavoritism[=/=]TheUnFavourite:
** Rodrigo favors Juan to Cesare…
** …and Vannozza favors Ceare to Juan. Juan laments that she let him be sent away to Spain when he was only 12.
-->'''Vannozza:''' Thank God I have another son. Thank God I have Cesare.

[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Not to be confused]] with ''Series/{{The Borgias}}'' (note the ''"the"'' and plural ''"s"''), the 2011 Showtime series based on the the Borgia family in renaissance Italy. How anyone could possibly confuse them is a mystery.

Not to be confused with ''Series/{{The Borgias}}'' (note the ''"the"'' and plural ''"s"''), the 2011 Showtime series based on the the Borgia family in renaissance Italy. How anyone could possibly confuse them is a mystery.