Summary of Paul Strathern's The Borgias

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The Borja family, which originated from the remote hill town of Borja, Spain, had royal blood. They believed that the Borgias were the descendants of kings and were destined to become kings once more.

#2 Alonso de Borja was the king’s secretary, and was in charge of overseeing his affairs and duties. He was also required to undertake diplomatic missions, which he did with great skill. By 1442, he had also become King of Naples, which included King of Sicily and Jerusalem.

#3 The city of Rome was a shadow of its former glory by the fifteenth century. The population had dwindled to less than 20,000, and they lived amongst the crumbling ruins of the eternal city.

#4 The end of the Avignon Schism marked the return of Rome to the fold of civilized Italy. The Pope began to build up an extensive collection of ancient books, manuscripts, and paintings. The aristocratic families began to flourish, adorning their palazzi with treasures and works of art.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822518896

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Paul Strathern's The Borgias

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 18

Insights from Chapter 19

Insights from Chapter 20

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The Borja family, which originated from the remote hill town of Borja, Spain, had royal blood. They believed that the Borgias were the descendants of kings and were destined to become kings once more.

#2

Alonso de Borja was the king’s secretary, and was in charge of overseeing his affairs and duties. He was also required to undertake diplomatic missions, which he did with great skill. By 1442, he had also become King of Naples, which included King of Sicily and Jerusalem.

#3

The city of Rome was a shadow of its former glory by the fifteenth century. The population had dwindled to less than 20,000, and they lived amongst the crumbling ruins of the eternal city.

#4

The end of the Avignon Schism marked the return of Rome to the fold of civilized Italy. The Pope began to build up an extensive collection of ancient books, manuscripts, and paintings. The aristocratic families began to flourish, adorning their palazzi with treasures and works of art.

#5

In 1455, Pope Nicholas V died, and a conclave was held to choose his successor. The obvious choice was Cardinal Basilios Bessarion, who had once been a metropolitan bishop of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople. However, many thought his election might suggest that the Catholic cardinals considered the Orthodox Church to be superior.

#6

The main part of the celebrations involved the new pope and his entourage of cardinals, dignitaries, and protective soldiers making their way down the long route through the center of Rome. The ceremony of the Pope’s official enthronement took place at the Lateran Basilica close to the western city wall.

#7

Callixtus III was the fourth pope elected during the Great Schism. He was a man of great spiritual refinement, but he had little regard for art. He enforced austerity in the papal court, even cutting out public extravagances.

#8

Callixtus III was the first Spanish pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and as such was deeply resented by the leading aristocratic families of Rome. He had remained faithful to his vow of chastity, and thus had no immediate family to rely on. He turned to his cousins, nephews, and other Spanish relatives he knew he could trust.

#9

Callixtus III, the Pope, was determined to set the Church back on the path to recovery. He gathered 70,000 ducats, which allowed him to assemble a fleet of twenty-seven galleys, manned by 1,000 sailors and 5,000 soldiers, armed with 300 canons. He placed Cardinal Trevisano in charge of the fleet.

#10

The Ottomans were not invincible, and it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that one day the combined forces of western Christianity