Long vilified as a murderess, conspirator and partner to incest, Lucrezia Borgia was overdue for a reappraisal by a serious historian able to blast past the stereotypes. Sarah Bradford does exactly that by dint of meticulous research revealing the fascinating if turbulent life of the daughter of Pope Alexander VI. Used by her father to advance his political ambitions, Lucrezia endured an early marriage that was annulled under questionable circumstances, the brutal murder of her second husband, and the destruction of her own reputation at the hands of her family’s enemies. She emerged from all that as a woman of strength and grace, finding a degree of stability and even contentment in a third marriage that made her Duchess of Ferrera. Bradford brings Lucrezia and her world vividly to life, in the process raising provocative questions about the need to re-evaluate the role of women in general throughout history. ( )

Most interesting ( )

9-8-2008

I think the main thing I came away with after reading this is that Lucrezia Borgia, she of rampant rumors of poisoning, incest and other sins, was not nearly as interesting as historians have generally made her out to be! That’s actually a compliment to the author, in a way, thanks to her de-construction of the Borgia mythos. The legend around Lucrezia is that she went through three husbands, had incestuous relations with both her father, Pope Alexander VI, and her brother Cesare, and engaged in enough sexual exploits to earn her the tag of Rome’s ‘greatest whore’, but this has been mostly exaggerated dramatics typical of Renaissance Italy’s colorful and competitive historians.

Exaggerations are always tipped with truth, of course, which is what makes them so believable. Lucrezia did go through three husbands in a scandalously fast-paced fashion, but it was due more to her father’s and brother’s ambitions than her own. Her first husband was forced to falsely claim impotence in order to have their marriage annulled when Alexander felt he was no longer politically useful. The second husband, also once favored and then deemed to be a hindrance, was rather spectacularly murdered at the behest of Lucrezia's brother Cesare. Her third husband, Alfonso d’ Este, lasted the longest, knocked her up quite a bit, and even managed to outlive her. As for the incest speculations that have long swirled around the Borgias, most legitimate Renaissance scholars put no stock in them whatsoever. While it’s true that Alexander was close to his daughter and very carefully orchestrated her personal life, he did so purely out of personal ambition. Unpleasant, perhaps, but certainly the norm of that period. Daughters were little more than political tools and pawns. Turns out that accusing someone of incest in those days was one of the worst insults one could deliver about another, so Alexander’s and Cesare’s many enemies enjoyed flinging that one out there, much like a modern “yo momma!” epithet.

Bradford is meticulous in her description of this time of enormous upheaval in the region, with Venetians fighting Florentines and the French taking sides, and nobles and politicians rubbing each other out on a regular basis (hey, there’s a reason Italy is the birthplace of the Mafia!). Lucrezia’s life story is told primarily through her correspondence – to family, children, friends, and lovers – and while it’s a valuable and fascinating firsthand glimpse into her life, it tends to come off a little dry and dull. Still, for any collector of Renaissance history it’s a solid addition and I would recommend it for that reason. ( )

This is a well researched, interesting look at the life of one of history's most misunderstood women. The detail about the period adds richness and colour. The book ends a bit abruptly with Lucrezia's death, but it's still a good read for all that. ( )