Borgia Bloodlines: Alexander VI and the Roman Papacy

We left behind the gladiators and the grain dole to enter a Rome that looked very different from the marble ruins we’ve studied. This episode explores the late fifteenth century, specifically the papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, who took the name Alexander VI. We examine how he transformed the Vatican into a center of Renaissance art and political intrigue, commissioning works from Pinturicchio while navigating the treacherous waters of Italian diplomacy. Luna and Lucas discuss his son Cesare Borgia’s military campaigns in the Romagna region and the complex alliances with the French king Louis XII. You will learn about the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal, and how papal authority was wielded as both spiritual guidance and geopolitical weapon. This is not just a story of scandal, but of how one family reshaped the map of Europe and the trajectory of global history through sheer force of will and strategic marriage. #AlexanderVI #RodrigoBorgia #CesareBorgia #RenaissanceRome #PapalStates #ItalianWars #TreatyOfTordesillas #Pinturicchio #VaticanLibrary #ValentinoDuke #LucreziaBorgia #FrenchInvasionItaly #LouisXII #IsabellaCastile #FerdinandAragon #BorgiaFamilyHistory #ChurchHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo