The Borgias

Away from the prosperity of Milan and Florence, an increasingly weak and dysfunctional Rome falls further into decay. Pope Innocent VIII lies dying. The struggle for succession will be a political chess match. Thus the door is opened to perhaps the most fascinating, politically adroit and ambitious family to ever lay claim to the Papacy - the Borgias.

While Pope Alexander installs his beloved new mistress Giulia in the late Cardinal Orsini's palace, his enemies are gathering against him. The powerful College of Cardinals, on whose votes his power depends, is split so he plans to rig the deck by creating new posts for his own allies, including Cesare.

The Inquisition is occurring in Spain and Queen Isabella has expelled the Jews. Sensing an opportunity to line his depleted coffers, Pope Alexander decides to offer them admittance into Rome...for a price.

Lucrezia asks Giulia to help her prepare for her wedding day. However, she is devastated when informed of her father's decision that Vanozza - her mother - is not allowed to attend the wedding. Cesare, keeping tabs on Della Rovere, sends a spy to follow him to Florence where the Cardinal is seeking cooperation from the powerful and staggeringly rich Medici family.

Lucrezia tries to come to terms with her relationship with her husband alternating between neglect and sexual violence. As an escape, she forms an attachment to handsome young stable boy Paolo. Pope Alexander, guilt-ridden for subjugating his daughter to a demeaning marriage in the political interest of the family, appeals to his son-in-law's cousin for assurance of his daughter's protection.

With Giovanni confined to bed, Lucrezia is free to enjoy a passionate relationship with Paolo. Meanwhile, Cesare's affair with Ursula crashes when she discovers that he killed her husband. Della Rovere has reached France and made an offer: invade Italy, depose Alexander, engineer my accession to Pope, and I'll support your claim to Naples. France's King Charles is poised to accept.

War is inevitable. The French army marches into Italy and, with its vastly superior artillery, besieges and sacks the town of Lucca. Appalled, Della Rovere begins to understand the horror of war that he has conjured on his beloved country. France's King Charles knows that one good, hard hit and everyone else will fold.

With the help of Paolo, Lucrezia and Giulia escape on horseback from Giovanni Szforza's estate - only to be captured by the French army as they advance towards Rome. In the Vatican, Alexander broods. Vainglorious Juan leads his army into the field to meet King Charles; it's plain to see by all but him that his forces will be crushed by the vastly superior French army.

With the current danger passed, the Borgias are back in the game; new alliances must be formed and the first order of business is to divorce Lucrezia from the Milanese Sforza family. Giovanni is humiliated into confessing that the marriage was never consummated owing to his impotence, but that's just the start. The House of Borgia's revenge on those who deserted it will be terrible.