Lucretia Borgia, by Ferdinand Gregorovius
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Lucretia Borgia, by Ferdinand Gregorovius
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“Lucrezia Borgia is the most unfortunate woman in modern history. Is this because she was guilty of the most hideous crimes, or is it simply because she has been unjustly condemned by the world to bear its curse? The question has never been answered…We possess the history of Alexander VI and Cesare, but of Lucrezia Borgia we have little more than a legend, according to which she is a fury, the poison in one hand, the poignard in the other; and yet this baneful personality possessed all the charms and graces.” – Ferdinand Gregorovius History remembers Lucrezia Borgia in unflattering terms. She has been portrayed as an incestuous adulteress and a murderer, but her contemporaries thought of her in very different terms. Lucrezia was a political pawn in her father and brother's plots and a political power in her own right. She was well-educated and well-respected during her lifetime. While she was, in all certainty, a part of multiple political plots, she was also considered to be pious, thoughtful, and mannerly. Of course, legends often overtake and overshadow reality. The world has always had a fascination with femme fatales, and few historical women have ever been portrayed as one quite like Lucrezia Borgia. Lucrezia is a baseless, immoral villain in Victor Hugo’s Lucrezia Borgia, and she continues to be depicted as a schemer and manipulator on par with her famous brother and father in film and critically acclaimed television series. Indeed, it would be hard to find another woman in the historical record who is remembered in any way comparable to the legacy of Lucrezia that remains nearly 500 years after her death. The great irony is that Lucrezia’s reputation seems to be wildly at odds with the actual woman herself. Though political opponents of the Borgias successfully portrayed Lucrezia as an incestuous schemer, Lucrezia was unusually moral for a powerful woman during the Renaissance. Aside from adultery, hardly unusual in that era, Lucrezia proved to be both an efficient and benevolent ruler when her husband was away from Ferrara, and the two of them had an unusually close and loving relationship in an era where political marriages were made out of convenience, not love.
Lucretia Borgia, by Ferdinand Gregorovius - Amazon Sales Rank: #883689 in Books
- Published on: 2015-11-26
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .49" w x 6.00" l,
- Binding: Paperback
- 214 pages
Lucretia Borgia, by Ferdinand Gregorovius About the Author Ferdinand Gregorovius (January 19, 1821 – May 1, 1891) was a German historian who specialized in the medieval history of Rome. He is best known for Wanderjahre in Italien, his account of the walks he took through Italy in the 1850s, and the monumental Die Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter (History of Rome in the Middle Ages), a classic for Medieval and early Renaissance history. He also wrote biographies of Pope Alexander VI and Lucrezia Borgia, as well as works on Byzantine history and medieval Athens, and translated Italian authors into German, among them Giovanni Melis. According to Jesuit Father John Hardon, S.J. Gregorovius was "a bitter enemy of the popes." Gregorovius was born at Neidenburg (Nidzica), East Prussia, and studied theology and philosophy at the University of Königsberg. In 1838 he joined the Corps Masovia. After teaching for many years, Gregorovius took up residence in Italy in 1852, remaining in that country for over twenty years. In 1876 he was made honorary citizen of Rome, the first German to be awarded this honor. A street and a square is named after him. He eventually returned to Germany, where he died in Munich.
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful. A gem despite its age By Atheen Years ago I saw a series on Cesare Borgia that intrigued me greatly. The pomp and pageantry, the dissolute state of the papacy, the treachery and violenceof the time and the political intrigues arising from diverse interests attempting to unite various parts of the post classical world into some semblance of a nationmade for exciting entertainment. Among all of the players the only one whose name was well known to me, as probably to others, was that of Lucretia Borgia,the famous "poisoner." A more recent television program, however, provided me with more information on this lady, and I discovered to my surprise that whatlittle I thought I knew about her was actually more myth than reality. It is often said that it is to the victors the privilege of writing history is given, and it wasobviously to the enemies of the Borgias that the privilege of writing Italian Renaissance history was given. Lucretia did not come out of it unscathed. Sinceseeing this last production, I have looked for books about the Borgias, particularly Lucretia, but had not found one until Ferdinand Gregorovius' volume. Thebook is old--the dedication was dictated March 9, 1874--but has apparently stood the test of time, as the first English publication by translator John LeslieGarner was copyrighted in 1904, and the present edition is dated 1999. I can honestly say I can see why it has endured.The book is superb research. The author has created a masterful portrait of his subject using primary sources taken from documents, paintings, letters anddiaries of the time, identifying the sources and their (then) location. Furthermore, he quotes the sources extensively when doing so furthers the story andincludes the Latin or Italian version in footnotes should the reader wish to verify his translation. The author covers the Borgia saga far more thoroughly thanmany modern biographical works are inclined to do. The fortunes of Lucretia's ancestors, her contemporaries and her descendants are covered, and thoughat times confusing, the fortunes of many of the other players on the political scene of her time and place.A colorful recreation of Lucretia's world, through first hand descriptions of the Vatican, of Papal Rome, of courtly processions, personal finery, and theentertainment, arts and literature of the time, immerse the reader in the reality of the Renaissance during the Papal period of Alexander VI. It also reveals aworld in transition, where the papacy itself has become secularized and is part of a larger chess game among world powers. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spainand Henry VII of England are among the more generally recognizable of the participants. The story is also an intimate drama of sorts, with intrigue, suddendeath, battles won or lost, children's futures determined by political agendas, family loyalties, and personal passions.The work reads rapidly, does not have that archaic flowery style that makes other authors of the period so difficult to get used to, is well researched, andexcept for the obvious limitations of 19th Century perspective--alot has happened since 1874--is still worth reading. In fact, unless one makes a concertedeffort to recall it, one is inclined to think in terms of a modern day work. It is only when a building is quoted as "still standing" or a document "still exists" insomeone's library, that one wonders, "Is/does it?" The author is also inclined to see his own time as "above it all," less ruthless, less malleable with respectto ethics and morals. He may be right, although I doubt it. History has not had the last say about the 19th Century either.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Amazing Scholarship By berkeley69 The author was a well known scholar in his time. Although this book is over 100 years old, the quality of the research and the nuanced analysis meet the highest modern standards.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Lucretia Borgia By Elizabeth Lessner I really wanted to know more about Lucretia Borgia herself. This book was easy to read but there was too much information on each and every person in it. I kept thinking where is some more information on Lucretia Borgia. I felt like I was reading a history book on all of the people that she was associated with. I ended up skimming pages just looking for Lucretia's name. It would be a good history book of the times around Lucretia Borgia but as a biography I was really disappointed.
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