Lucrezia Borgia - The Pope’s Poison Princess?

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For 500 years Lucrezia Borgia has been the focus of operas, novels, movies, and televisions shows. She was one of the inspirations for Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. Nearly all of these works further her reputation as a femme fatale and one of the most evil women in history. It is said that she went through 3 husbands, used a poison ring to murder her enemies, and slept with her father and brother. But was she really such a depraved, licentious villain? Or was she the victim of a twisted family and vengeful gossip? Let’s separate reality from the arsenic dipped rumors and get to know the true Lucrezia Borgia
Rodrigo Borgia - Pope Alexander VI
Cesare Borgia
Giovanni Borgia
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[@areiaaphrodite]

Fun Fact: Whenever a high church official (like a cardinal) would introduce their illegitimate offspring into the higher echelons of society, they'd introduce them as their "niece" or "nephew". A child of a supposedly deceased (or made up) sibling that the cardinal "graceously" took in and adopted as theirs.

[@RogueVideoRaven]

From what I remember from my Borgia phase, the fact that Rodrigo publicly claimed his kids as his own rather than calling them his nephews or niece is part of why he was disliked by the rest of the cardinals

[@areiaaphrodite]

@RogueVideoRaven Yep and why it was so shocking. It was like he was lifting the veil on the cardinal's image of purity

[@wg8517]

I wondered about that

[@Asthepersianssay]

Sounds about right.

[@nightshade316]

Its like years ago but now, the rule was really strict so almost impossible to do that

[@labbecedario1579]

I'm from Ferrara, and I like that here in my city Lucrezia is remembered as a pretty nice person despite her "roman" reputation. An interesting fact about her is that She's an ancestress of the actual monarchs of Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg through her granddaughter Anna d'Este, so her legacy continues today :)

[@LindsayHoliday]

Very cool!

[@Lacteagalaxia]

This is a Spanish family ; and had you treadly xenophobes

[@masterteachereducationconv9766]

yes and I have dna which proves she was my x many greatgreat grandmother

[@laurennicholson6673]

That poor girl, being forced to marry and sleep with a 27 yo man in front of your father! Can’t imagine

[@guilhermedinizdosreisgomes5030]

LoL the video says alfonso of aragon was tall light skinned, handsome and atletic. In the borgias series they casted a half mixed black ugly, short and skinny hahaha

[@39peevedturtles19]

So she gets slandered as a black widow (despite loving the husband who was murdered, and eventually coming to get along with the third) but her homicidal brother who did the murder inspired depictions of Jesus. To top it all off the book that was probably written to satirize his homocidal personality was taken seriously? I feel bad for her.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Yup

[@tondriasanders6306]

Same. So typical.

[@jaybee4118]

Yes, unfortunately that’s a patriarchal and misogynist society does. Frequently vilifies women and lionises men, often regardless of what they actually did. Bad stories about women are believed over good stories. Good stories about men are just believed and the bad stories sometimes even help them be seen as good, because you know men get stuff done, or some such rubbish.

[@marablu7]

And let’s not forget she is said to have inspired Cersei in GoT…

[@SM-ky6pb]

Cesare didn't really inspired depictions of Jesus. Although they do bare a striking resemblance, the stereotypical depictions of Jesus that we know of today has been around even before Cesare's time. Apart from that though, I do agree with you about Lucrezia's unfortunate life

[@annabunovsky5628]

What’s so tragic and infuriating is that Lucrezia only ever did what the men in her life expected from her, which was what was expected of all women, and her reputation was tarnished by the same society that forced her life to be what it was all the same. Lucrezia was intelligent, capable, and based on the evidence available a genuinely kind person who did the best she could for her people, and the thanks she gets is being lumped together with the self-serving men who made her life an ordeal.

[@WhitneyDahlin]

I can't believe everyone glossed over that who could "only drink milk from the chests of young women" 😂 its clear he was just making that up. Nothing was stopping him from having regular goats or cows milk

[@jolenaroe3001]

​@@WhitneyDahlinThank You!!! I was thinking the same thing ..... Like we aren't gonna talk about a grown ass man needing to breast feed??? 😂

[@shadelings]

Women have always the scapegoat of men historically. But is that truly a surprise though? When it is literally baked into the origin story of Christian myth that Woman is the cause of everything bad while Man is everything good and wholesome? It's not surprising to me, anyway. Religion gives those in power all the excuse they need to do exactly what they want.

[@jungtothehuimang]

That's such an unfortunate truth for almost all women throughout history. They are always made the scapegoats for the flimsy, selfish and cruel whims of the shitty men around them. Anne Boelyn comes to mind, but she's just one of many. Lucrezia was intelligent and yet will be remembered as the incest princess, despite there being no evidence to support the claim.

[@robertbell6494]

Murderous woman

[@fabulouschild2005]

I've always felt bad for Lucrezia. So much slander was made up about her, and her husbands were killed to benefit from new alliances from new husbands. Once Rodrigo was dead, she became a generic Italian noblewoman from what I read

[@xianxiannn]

:(

[@einezcrespo2107]

Agreed. I think she gets a bad rap because of her brother's deeds. Susan Bradford's biography of Lucrezia painted a more sympathetic POV. When she died the people of Ferrera mourned her.

[@Internet-Alias]

She wasn't generic, she was a governor of Spoleto in her own right, and did it well. She was very smart and able to show it! She was famous for her skill at political intrigue

[@fabulouschild2005]

@Internet-Alias ah, I worded it a bit wrong. What I meant by "generic" is she lived a fairly normal life for an Italian noblewoman once Rodrigo had died. I've got plenty of love for Lucrezia!

[@Internet-Alias]

@@fabulouschild2005 She is just so cool!!! What is there not to love

[@ClaudiaPLoRe]

Lucrezia Borgia was a woman of great faith, who was used by the men in her life until her last breath. Because of her family, the historical figure of her is portrayed as evil to the detriment of the truth!

[@susanlett9632]

When I was in Jr high school we were taught she seduced her father. Now I realize it was 💩 and if she had been with him in that way he'd have been to blame but in my younger years (70s and '80s) women and girls were blamed for the behavior of men. Even assaults sadly

[@cattymajiv]

@@susanlett9632 It's still that way! Just maybe a little bit less.

[@karmagirl314]

"and he could only consume breast milk from a young woman" yeah... sure, me too.

[@EyeDee98]

Ikr?? When I heard that I was like “bullshit, he’s just saying that” lmao

[@otiyayvi]

​@@EyeDee98right????😭

[@selardohr7697]

Had to pause the video there and check the comments after hearing that load of horse puckey. What a dillweed.

[@ilariaciccarelli8775]

he did, it's in the Bucardo's diary, strange but true

[@ledam2654]

When I heard that mess, I was like, "Poor woman." Wonder if it was in a cup for 'straight from the source'.

[@rilianelucifen876]

It's sad that her bad reputation started when she was just 14

[@ardenalexa94]

All the things women went through in the past make me glad that I’m alive today rather than back in say the early 1900s and before that. Feel so bad for lucrezia.

[@Nk.gracee]

She may not have done anything bad so learn to learn first

[@cattymajiv]

@@ardenalexa94 I mean no shade on you personally, but you must be young to have not yet experienced it. Even in the lower levels of government, and in the janitorial industry, that stuff is rampant!

[@ardenalexa94]

@@cattymajiv I’m almost thirty… I’m not naive but I also realized that here in the west it’s better than it used to be. Not perfect but better.

[@gabriellapietrakowski3429]

Lucrezia is one of many women that shows history always favor men and will continue to do so. Many people blatantly ruined the reputation of women who was only a child when everything happened. Damn I didn’t mean to start a war, I was just trying to say that everything she “did” wasn’t true and that men wanted to see this women, flawlessly doing well in her life, fail because that who they were back then

[@screweverything2215]

I would argue, teenagers back then weren't the same as teenagers now. Back then if male and in a trade family you were a pro by the time you became a teenager. And expert and beyond by early twenties. Just my thoughts on that particular notion.

[@jaybee4118]

⁠@@screweverything2215what does that have to do with anything? While teenagers wasn’t, strictly speaking, a concept then, people still knew teenagers were very young people. They weren’t pros at teenage years, they were normally still apprentices in most trades until later teen years. Yes, they were experts, but “pros” wasn’t a term then just like teenage wasn’t. You were an apprentice until you were completely proficient at something, usually late teen years at earliest. As if any business man wanted to pay their young staff member a decent wage until they knew they could do everything lol they strung that out as long as possible. Good job we have laws to prevent child labour and exploitation now. Yeah, I can talk about stuff unrelated to the OPs post too. Lucretia was a child regardless of who had to work and how proficient they were.

[@screweverything2215]

@@jaybee4118 there was another comment there apparently they deleted it when I said what I said. Was claiming teens ruin their own lives, that's why I said that, a teen from prior to 1800s is nothing like teenagers since then.

[@AlluminaOnyxia]

​@@screweverything2215That's not true at all. Teenagers have always been teenagers. That's why the history stories are so terrible. Handing over adult responsibilities and rights to children who in turn are traumatized and acting out with the power to do immense damage. In this case it was a father of questionable character who used his kids as minions and his daughters desirability to attain position and power. The brother wasn't acting on his own. He was likely the most willing to get his hands dirty. This story is very clearly about bad parenting and power thirst.

[@screweverything2215]

@@AlluminaOnyxia said by 90% of the time was old fooks trying to keep the status quo in their favor. 1 scientist usually don't get credit til dead or close to it. 2 great artists usually not recognized until after death 3 atrocities of the wealthy usually not uncovered til at least 3 generations removed Need I really go on. Old folks don't like aging out anymore than young people like being cast aside strictly for age. As someone right in the middle of the 2 it's easy to see. Then I'll age out and hate that damn infernal noise too 🤪

[@diannaherrera3768]

Props to her husbands that actually treated her kindly. It was sad that the one she was truly in love with had been killed way before his time. I don't understand why she would stay with her family or was even affectionate with them after using her so much. I would've never forgiven them for using me so horribly. Also everytime i hear people say bad things about her, I'm gonna correct them. She was an intelligent and kind person and she should be recognized as a victim, not a villain💐

[@dorinadumbrava3174]

Well, I doubt she had much choice. At that moment in time a woman was meeely the property of her male relatives.

[@jaybee4118]

They had two of her husbands killed. She undoubtedly knew about other stuff they did, there’s many, many rumours some are probably true. Added to that, women had very few rights in those days (and up until shockingly recently, when I was born a in a lot of countries women couldn’t have bank accounts, including the USA and many others had only made it law a few years before!) so what exactly was she supposed to do? And remember people raised in abusive situations (in what ever form it is) can have, what to those of us on the outside see as, strange behaviours. Great for you if you’ll correct people for speaking bad about her, but it’s been many centuries since they all died, so it’s not like they’re a threat to you lol for her it was a direct threat all the time. It seems like life got much easier for her once her father and brother died, and that speaks volumes to me.

[@duplessis3]

she had limited resources and of course history is written by the victors.

[@Borderose]

Because they loved her too. Rodrigo didn't arrange marriages for her purely for strategic value, he did it because that's what a good parent was expected to do. You want your daughter taken care of even after you die so he tried to arrange the best possible matches for her. For Cesare it was even more so. Lucrezia was the only woman Cesare Borgia legitimately adored. Everytime something good happened to him? He always told her first. When she got sick? He derailed his armies twice to be with her. Her doctors even remarking how indispensable he was to treatment as he was the only one who can reliably cheer her up and make her laugh. When he was finally slain? Lucrezia was one of the few souls in the world who genuinely wept for him.

[@Borderose]

​@@dorinadumbrava3174What an uncharitable and horrifc way to characterize women of the time.

[@tudorrosey76]

I hate the way women back in those times were talked about and treated so badly. Rumors of that nature are enough to cut you to the bone. That is why the tongue is such a deadly weapon.

[@Donna-cc1kt]

I agree, however it is still active today. Women in power is still today not popular, encouraged or promoted . I love my life. I love men. Still I know the corporate world keep women down.

[@DannyDevitoOffical-TrustMeBro]

To be fair, the exact same tactic has always been used against any political figure, male or female. It doesn’t matter what you are, really, all that matters is that you’re not one of Them, whoever Them may be at that time.

[@tudorrosey76]

I agree with you both! I’ve never been a politician unless you count being the secretary for Future Business Leaders of America. It is true to this day. Anyone that has a daughter they have to walk the straight and narrow. If they get caught in a scandal it affects the whole family. Not so with men. It’s not right but still happening.

[@cattymajiv]

@@tudorrosey76 I completely agree with you!

[@lbh515]

OH MY GOD im pretty sure her story inspired the webcomic "how to win my husband over" the impotent ex husband, the brother, the incest rumors and even the surname! its one of my favorites comics and i had no idea it was inspired by a real historical figure o_O

[@DancingonKnives]

YES ANOTHER READER

[@fmjjjjn7510]

It’s coming back in the summer 2024😪😪😪😪 I can’t wait

[@Sailor_Jolyne]

Shes actually depicted as a villain in another story : I’m the queen in this life

[@bunnymixxyin2414]

why im also here....

[@kpopbreezes]

​​@@Sailor_Jolyne for those curious, the whole title is "sister, im the queen in this life" and yes ruby indeed was referenced to borgia except she was loved by the duke of the north

[@Faye-Jane]

She’s pretty much a victim of political corruption.

[@MauriceDunstan]

And the patriarchal system.

[@jaybee4118]

@kevinclark3086for what? Having intercourse with someone?

[@stephanieallangarman5598]

Religious hypocrisy as well.

[@aliceingoryland]

I feel like in the list of women royal history did dirty, Lucrezia and Anne Boleyn are pretty high up

[@michellemorrison9663]

Not just history, nowadays Hollywood doesn't help at all. Most people only watch movies and series and from what they watch instead of researching and they create this misguided opinion on historical characters. So sad cause we're still struggling with their images

[@MermaidWannabe-x2f]

comparing those two is like comparing apples and oranges.

[@pizzamassacre]

Why anne boleyn??? Why ALWAYS her? What a joke.

[@michellemorrison9663]

@pizzamassacre I don't understand what your problem is? Why? Because rumors from enemies and Hollywood have done these women wrong. Uncultured people who do not read historians' research also don't help their image. Lucrezia and Anne are just examples. Just like Catherine de Medici. Was Catherine really evil, the Black Queen or a "Serpent Queen" as Hollywood and enemies paint her to be. Or was Catherine a survival Queen? A queen with a duty to produce heirs when her husband spent most of his time with his mistress, Dianne de Poitiers. Women were seen differently back then. There is no problem with talking about it still when we have media wrongly portraying these women.

[@KL-ki8db]

@@pizzamassacre Because she also had a reputation that was mostly fabricated and furthermore died as a result of the false rumors? Say what you want about her, but no one deserves to die unfairly with the most ridiculous charges that a half decent lawyer can see through as nonsense.

[@bruniabraincrumbs2211]

For those who want to know the real Lucrezia, like me, a great book is Samantha Morris' Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. She is a British historian and quite good.

[@einezcrespo2107]

Sarah Bradford's book is also good.

[@ZackRekeSkjell]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@doreensika837]

When you think about it she was nothing more than a pawn to be used as her father or brothers will, along the way her name was ruined and she couldn’t even mother her own child. I feel so much pain for her.

[@shelleydaly1726]

Poor Lucrezia, used as a pawn all her life, her happiness destroyed by a scheming family and her name blackened by association. I hope she found some small happiness in her life.

[@SM-ky6pb]

I think she did find happiness in her life with Alfonso but unfortunately it just lasted for a short time

[@jungtothehuimang]

Absolutely love that GRRM could have picked literally anything from history to base GOT on and he said "hmmm, lets do the incesty bits" like okay that's a choice

[@kattriella1331]

To be fair, the incest IS historically accurate . . .

[@wmd40]

it's a criticism obviously. all the worst people are part of the incestuous lineage. the end of GOT reveals John Snow is the true heir, half brother of Cersei, and not inbred (correct me if I'm wrong here bc I only know from reading about it).

[@jungtothehuimang]

@@wmd40 in the show Jon Snow is blood related to Dany, though I forget if she counts as like his aunt or a distant cousin, I can't remember now. Idk how it will end up in the books because George has written one in like 15 years so God only knows if we will ever get his canonic version of events. But yeah I get that the incest is not technically encouraged, it's just that he wrote A LOT of it. Like A LOT of incest.

[@FOCHS5]

@@jungtothehuimangaunt

[@allye4228]

@@kattriella1331But wasn’t legal incest back then just marrying your cousin? I never heard of sibling relations or marriage being acceptable in Europe.

[@TheeLadyDivine]

So THAT is where the name “Sancha” originated. My family is Mexican and for some in our culture the word “Sancha” is used as slang for mistress/lover etc.

[@lalywindland5764]

Who knows if Sancha of Aragon was a willing mistress to Cesare and Juan? If she was forced, no one could help her, her arranged husband was only 12 y.o. Also, if she was willing, I think her husband would have gotten rid of her after Cesare, Juan and the Pope died and he came of age, but he kept her, moved away with her and had children together, raising them along with Lucretia's son (and Sancha's nephew) Rodrigo and the mysterious Infans Romanus. I think Sancha was a victim just as much as Lucretia.

[@ilariaciccarelli8775]

@@lalywindland5764 Joffré was her second husband. The first, Prospero Colonna, was chosen for her by her grandad king Ferrante. Sadly the king didn't know that Prospero was prince Alfonso's lover, Sancha's father was a raging bixesual. And Alfonso and Prospero continued to be lovers during the marriage, Alfonso was a very evil man so Prospero was forced to stay with him ans Sancha had to agree with it, a very horrible story for a 13y old girl

[@Elena_Errepe]

Sancho Ramírez was the son of Ramiro I el batallador, first king of Aragon. Sancha de Aragón, sister of Sancho was a key figure in the expansion of the kingdom. This to say: it was a pretty popular name for royals back in day that did not mean mistress. And it's where the surname Sanchez comes from : hijo/a de sancho.

[@cattymajiv]

@@ilariaciccarelli8775 How can one be a raging bisexual? That's an oxymoron! I think someone is a raging bigot.

[@lolsarah9357]

i have been waiting for this video!!! Lucrezia's story is SO fascinating to me. it's so tragic and so heartbreaking, and the fact that her true nature and self were lost to history because of the horrific lies and stories spun about her by men in power just makes it all the more tragic.

[@tondriasanders6306]

The poor woman’s life was so full of tragedy, it could have been penned by Shakespeare

[@ellaeadig263]

Almost every woman who has ever had a position of privilege and power has had terrible rumours circulated about her. Men in the same position usually get respect and admiration.

[@twilight-princess240]

Lucrezia is a prime example of a woman who seems to have only done her duty as she was told to do and was expected of her (and was expected of pretty much any woman of her time), but was still slandered for so many likely untrue things even centuries later. If any of the rumors about her are even remotely true, then the chances are that her male relatives told her to carry out a poisoning or she was at least aware of their actions, and just wasn't able to say no, even if she wanted to refuse, or couldn't stop them at all or was unable to do much to stop them, because of the time period she lived in. She seems to have married whomever her father arranged her marriage to without outward complaints (although at least her second marriage she was actually with someone she genuinely loved, although it was tragically brief), been a devoted (and dutiful) daughter, sister, wife and mother (she may have been unfaithful in her third marriage, but she tried to make overtures of friendship to her in-laws, who rejected her no matter how hard she tried, and she was initially ignored by her third husband in favor of his mistress, so really, can you blame her for having the affairs she had? Especially since she was away from home for the very first time and in unfamiliar surroundings to boot?), and overall was probably just trying to survive in that time period, and yet those rumors continue to torment her well into this century. I find it saddening though, that in the latter part of her third marriage, she and Alfonso de Este seemed to have gotten to know each other better (probably after her father's death and her relatives faced their downfalls) and were able to find common ground and a warm companionship, to the point where after she died in childbirth (as so many women back then suffered, including her predecessor and Alfonso's first wife Anna Sforza), he genuinely mourned her. If only she were to finally find freedom from the torment of the rumors surrounding her, she has suffered even in death and should be given peace.

[@cindchan]

What a sad and rough life she had! Never being allowed to see her eldest child. Being forced to marry different men for the benefit of ONLY her father and brothers. But I'm glad she found herself with a decent man at the end.

[@soulfoodsmama2980]

14:00 As a Latina I find it interesting that both brothers had an affair with a girl named Sancha because in Spanish slang “Sancho” means the man that your wife is having an affair with.

[@lalywindland5764]

It's a very common name, kings and queens were named Sancho and Sancha in the 1000s C.E. Who knows if Sancha of Aragon was a willing mistress to Cesare and Juan? If she was forced, no one could help her, her arranged husband was only 12 y.o. Also, if she was willing, I think her husband would have gotten rid of her after Cesare, Juan and the Pope died and he came of age, but he kept her, moved away with her and had children together, raising them along with Lucretia's son (and Sancha's nephew) Rodrigo and the mysterious Infans Romanus. I think Sancha was a victim just as much as Lucretia.

[@welle9262]

Goodness, how sorry I feel for her. She just wanted to love and be loved, and was cruelly used by her father, brothers, and the rumor mill. My heart broke for her that she wasn’t able to be with her oldest son. I can imagine her, in that month she spent grieving, asking everyone who knew him what he was like, what made him happiest, what he enjoyed-just so she could feel close to him.

[@ledam2654]

So after Lucrezia and Alfonso's sister tried so hard to save him, some devil strangled him anyways. Pure evil.

[@chee3131]

I rarely comment but today I will! Thank you so much for making a video on Lucrezia! She's one of my favourite historical women!!!

[@ninarenee3956]

Do the entire Borgia family!!!! I love this!

[@areiaaphrodite]

Fun Fact #2: The Corleone Family in The Godfather movies was based on the Borgias

[@donaldjones9830]

Then there was the Disney movie and sequel, The Shaggy Dog and Shaggy DA (District Attorney)

[@charlynegezze8536]

Cesare was buried in the nave of The Church of Santa María in Viana, Spain. One of the later bishops had him dug up and moved outside to the doorstep so people would wipe their feet on his tombstone. 😄 Thank you for your impressive videos.

[@LadyMerritt72]

That bishop is savage

[@Nyuffykah]

Why always the "men of God" the most evil?

[@Ella-r7t5y]

Lucrezia is such a beauty, it’s a shame that her reputation was tarnished. She absolutely deserves better

[@ZeoViolet]

My tired brain SO misread this as "Lizzy Borden" for a moment, before I realized she had nothing to do with the pope and allegedly favored axes. XD

[@dominaevillae28]

If you are interested in Lizzy Borden, Law & Lumber has a show called Trial of the Century, with another lawyer & a historian, which provided info I had never heard before.

[@ZeoViolet]

@@dominaevillae28 I have read and watched a million documentaries on her, but I will also check to see if I have seen that one, and watch it if I haven't. Thanks!

[@megandrynan6080]

Lol. This happens to me all the time when I'm tired.

[@babs2952]

honestly, Lizzie Borden was also screwed over by history so your brain was making some good connections

[@almclester]

Given that Rodrigo and Cesare’s reputations when it came to sex, I doubt Lucrezia had any choice when it came to having any kind of sex with either of them. I think she was raped and molested from an early age-after all, she was betrothed at 10 to a grown man, so they obviously didn’t see anything wrong with forcing a child into sex with a grown man. I also believe that she learned to do whatever she had to do to survive in a world where women had no rights and were essentially regarded as breeding stock and little more. My personal belief is that she was judged far more harshly than she would have been if she had been a man. She was further vilified because she dared to be ambitious and acquired power, which was not acceptable in a woman.

[@opusv5]

You're right.

[@mrdkoalas8]

Im really glad you covered the Borgias. They have a fascinating history! The series Netflix did on them was incredible. I loved it just as much as the Tudors.

[@marablu7]

Like so many women in history, she aounds like a victim of the men who controlled her and the men who at once lusted after her and hated and envied her family at the same time.

[@sinsitysinderella790]

Thank you for sharing her story, I was in tears by the end. I've seen The Borgias and other dramas and documentaries about the family, but no one has told her story like this. You've done her justice, and I'm sure she's appreciative ❤

[@Phyllida-r7n]

Why on earth do you think this video has veracity? The awful voice perhaps?

[@royallyfruit]

I really hate how women are devalued and mistreated in history... Such wonderful and brilliant humans wrongfully accused because men couldn't do wrong. 😡

[@applewagon253]

The fact that she saved her husband’s life and then he told everyone she was sleeping with her brothers/dad is 🤢 Also… it’s almost like children shouldn’t be married or in politics 😅

[@caryoulwhitty]

Perhaps she was..You do realize how obsessed with blondes Italian and Spanish men are?

[@anrysse]

This was so good, I have been getting into the itailian nobility so this video came at the right time. Have you considered doing a video on Isabella of Aragon, Duchess of Milan? Her life story is so sad but also beautiful and poetic, I would like to see what other details you might be able to dig up to bring her story to light.

[@DrinkYourNailPolish]

Jesus: Try to keep it in your pants, but if you can't, you should get married. The Church: Yeah, but no.

[@jandrews6254]

Wasn’t that Paul? It is better to marry than burn?

[@paulwillard9687]

It was

[@crystalp7242]

If I read the Sforza family tree correctly, I think Giovanni and Caterina Sforza were cousins (their fathers were brothers). I don’t know if you’ve done a video on Caterina or other members of the House of Sforza, but Caterina Sforza was a major power player in the politics of Renaissance Italy and a rival to Cesare Borgia. Caterina was married three times, and her first husband (Girolamo Riario) was one of the organizers of the Pazzi Conspiracy (which I think you may have covered in the video about the House of Medici) and the nephew of Pope Sixtus IV (who was also in on the conspiracy). If you haven’t done a video yet on Caterina, she’s definitely a subject worth considering.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

This is why I cannot watch the Borgias series. When I learned how a lot of the salacious plot lines are based on slander, I get annoyed that its the slander is what survived in pop culture.

[@est9949]

I'm so grateful for your channel, Lindsay. This is why we need more women historians, to look at these stories from a new perspective without patriarchal lenses.

[@alioness-w-noregrets7471]

My first introduction to this lady was through Assassin's creed. She didn't impress me much in the game in terms of being human. But the real version of her is kinda interesting. Thank you for doing this video ^^

[@Fabio-Jose-DragonKing]

Love your content Lindsay! Please consider doing a video of the best borgia: Pope Alexander VI. you're the best, never miss and upload of yours!

[@Kallynthehuntress]

Pope Jeremy Irons!

[@TheFellowshipoftheCats]

I am re-watching Borgia and was JUST thinking how awesome it would be if you did a video on Lucretzia!

[@chunellemariavictoriaespan8752]

Franky, I learned of Lucrezia when I was still 15 years old through the vocaloid song Cantarella. As a young teen who loved to ship Miku and Kaito (who is playing Cesare Borgias in the song) I romanticized their story, as in thst song they are presented as half siblings (frankly I myself am weirded out in hindsight why I shipped them). Now as an adult I can only pity her youth and be happy how the latter years of her life turned out... I am stilm interested on how the infamous Cantarella was made though...

[@SonodaSymphony]

THIS!!! I’ve become fascinated with Lucrezia and Borgias since Cantarella is my second favorite Vocaloid song and after learning of everything I don’t really favor the ship as much as I used to

[@Nisa_002]

Great to see your narration Lindsay 🥰 Renaissance is such an intricate and intriguing era. It has such a exhilarating atmosphere and my favourite century.

[@pendragon2.039]

Such an interesting life of an italian noblewoman at the time! You should do a video series on the Medicis! After all they came to rule over Florence for generations and became the head of the Christian World as Pope.

[@caroleenolyn5400]

This is the perfect video for October. I’ve never heard of her and every twist and the dark drama had me on the edge of my seat

[@charliekezza]

Daughters being used as tools. 😢

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

Been rewatching the old Showtime show 'The Borgias' with my wife, so this was perfect timing!

[@deeegoletsgo1379]

Not sure if the "Missing Plugin" was intentional at 15:56 but it did make me laugh quite a bit.

[@Fabio-Jose-DragonKing]

Your range is incredible lindsay! Your topics always interesting! You're the best 😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@TheeLadyDivine]

P.S: Please consider doing a video about the rest of Napoleon’s love interests: Desiree Clary, Marie Walewska, & Empress Marie Louise. They each have an interesting story of their own and a video about them would be fascinating. No pressure of course.

[@nuthinmuffins5073]

Thank you for giving us a story about her life with compassion. Thanks also for including detailed context of her personal life, such as the political situation and her family’s role in it. I found myself spending a lot of time, much longer than I’d expected I would, paused to examine the maps, portraits, various graphics etc.. I typically do this in any given video, but not usually to such an extent. The maps in particular have me thinking I might look into a broader scope of European, and even World, history than I typically do. I tend to become hyper-focused on the U.K. (and within that the monarchy - especially the Tudors - though I realize how common that is and it makes me feel self-consciously ordinary, but I can’t help myself, because it really is such terribly fascinating stuff! But it’s time to branch out, and so I’m glad this channel exists! From time to time I’ve considered casually looking into this topic, just as someone with a lot of interest in history, but for one reason or another I simply hadn’t bothered. I’m so glad I finally watched not only something about her/this topic, but this exact video - knowing how vastly different the quality of these kinds of videos can be, and that many are just a half-arsed run-down of basic facts. I’m the same age as she was when she died, and, although our backgrounds could hardly be less similar, I can absolutely feel her sadness. My traumas, losses, betrayals, injustices and so on, are different in details, but I feel a great deal of empathy with her as her tale is told of being a woman in a man’s world, struggling to be treated fairly. And if she actually did have a poison ring, I can’t really judge her, because I bought myself one a few months ago - having always wanted one… not that I would ever put it to its intended use! 😉 I believe in reincarnation (I also believe everyone has a right to believe what that they want or feel a need to, and without anyone pushing other beliefs onto them; my own statement of belief is simply included to make more sense of the statements the follow.) and I absolutely hope that Lucrezia and her true love have had, or at least will get another chance at a full life of happiness together. And I hope some of the other people who were less deserving of sympathy, have been/will get the opportunities to learn their lessons, improve and resolve the “karma” between themselves. What a mess greed and unchecked emotions like anger and lust, make of our lives and our communities! What a shame we can’t behave better and be kinder to one another! It sure makes for good stories, however.

[@jamesprettyman4122]

my favorite hobby is learning about misunderstood women then falling in love with them by the end of it

[@michellemorrison9663]

I've always felt so bad for Lucrezia. Her family used her for political advantages onl, she suffered as a wife and mother, society saw the worst of her cause of those men around her, stories about her give herba bad reputation, she ends up living a good, healthy, and somewhat loving life when her father and brother die. Historians correct it all and try to clean her image and there comes Hollywood ruining her image ten thousands fold and romantazicing her "villain" side. Such and intelligent and beautiful woman that just wanted peace, family, and love😢❤

[@annacalifornia6498]

Having survived all that, is there any wonder if perhaps Lucretia poison her own father and brother. They made her life a living hell

[@rowennoonan6716]

Could you do a video on the six mother in laws of Henry viii?

[@cato1684]

Only 4 I think. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Parr’s mothers were dead. Not sure about Katherine Howard. 1st Mother in law was Queen of Spain, the others were totally uninteresting (my opinion)

[@graceneilitz7661]

1. Isabella I of Castile 2. Elizabeth Howard 3. Margery Wentworth 4. Maria of Jülich-Berg 5. Joyce Culpeper 6. Maud Green 1, 5, and 6 were dead by the time of the marriage. Queen (regnant) Isabella was the highest ranking, followed by Duchess (regnant) Maria of Jülich-Berg. The rest were unknowns on the European stage, it’s not a coincidence that the two wives Henry did execute, and the one he contemplated executing were English nobility with no powerful foreign relatives.

[@t.r.luxx1311]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO, I WAS WAITING FOR MY REQUEST ON A VIDEO ABOUT LUCRETIA BORGIA 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@lyndanickerson1373]

Lindsay I was just listening to the podcast that you posted today and again like last week the podcast it is disrupted with an advertisement and then the podcast starts again at 22 minutes with your intro music plays again.

[@LindsayHoliday]

Thanks, I checked and there isn't a problem with the file. Might be the podcast app.

[@lyndanickerson1373]

@@LindsayHoliday Thank you Lindsay possibly Amazon Music

[@johannahunderwood4596]

It’s good to see her history set straight. She was separated from her mother and was still just a child when she was pushed into arranged marriages by her father, which is so sad to contemplate, then deprived of people in her life that she loved such as her second husband and her first son due to them being inconveniences to her father’s changing alliances. She was likely blameless of the scandals she was caught up in, nothing but malicious gossip spread by her father’s opponents. She probably didn’t have much control over any facet of her life until after her father’s death. I hope that she found some happiness later on with her third husband, who had initially been disinterested. Their age difference would have become less significant as they got older, and they shared many children. I wouldn’t have wanted to have been born into her shoes.

[@keonaharker8021]

15:48: there is a lady who seems to be serving the guests with her back faced towards them. It is rare to see the help or slaves painted into a such a portrait. Sparked my interest! Love your videos 🫶🏾💐

[@marionmarino1616]

The Borgias had a bad rep, undoubtedly well deserved. Lucretia was always being used by her family, to marry powerful men, as a female she didn’t have much choice.

[@einezcrespo2107]

Lucrezia gets such a bad rap because of her brother's shenanigans. I doubt she actually poisoned anyone. Though she and her 3rd husband Alfonso de Este weren't faithful to each other he did mourn her when she died.

[@twilight-princess240]

She has been slandered for far too long. I think one of the worst parts if not the worst part was that if Lucrezia was ever complicit in any of the things her male relatives did, then there's a chance she could have been told to either witness or participate (I hope she never participated), and just couldn't say no because women couldn't say no at the time to any man's whims. The same goes for the poisoning rumors. I personally believe the rumors about her are untrue, especially since there's no solid evidence, but if, just if, any of them are true, then it was probably because her hands were tied because of how women were taught and brought up at the time. In terms of her third marriage, Lucrezia and Alfonso de Este were able to have a companionship in the later years, so I assume that they were able to get to know each other better at some point, maybe after her father's death and the rest of her relatives faced their downfalls, and find common ground. It's sad to know that they were able to at least get along with each other well to the point that after Lucrezia's death he fainted during her funeral.

[@AnaFitzgerald1996]

FANTASTIC! I was eager to know her story better!

[@danydanielle8522]

Well now I know that this story must have been inspiration for the webtoon/novel "How to get my husband on my side" but on a fantasy-romance take

[@emmao3197]

I was invested in Lucrezia's story... until I saw the image at 19:43. Like, *oh my-*

[@Nyuffykah]

hahaha. What happened then?

[@ninawilson8577]

I want Lindsay to do a series on the most corrupt popes in history!

[@elenalatici9568]

Thank you for this video and for dispelling the horrid reputation that Lucrezia Borgia has been forced to bear for centuries, even in her grave She was born on n Subiaco, a town which is now about an hour and a half North of Rome. In her lifetime, it would have taken at least two days to reach Rome. About 15 years ago, I, along with a group of artists who were in Subiaco for a workshop, were given special permission to go inside the house. We were to walk around wherever we wanted. The house had once been glorious. That was obvious. Frescos on the walls, painted ceilings, exquisite floors. But the house was in a terrible state of decay. One would think that a grand house where a Pope had lived, and where one of the most famous women in Italian history was born, would have been tended with care, but that was far from the case. In the chapel, many pieces of broken decorative plaster had fallen from the ceiling and lay scattered over the floor. I took a couple of pieces and still have them. I long wondered what to do with them; they are too heavy to frame. It came to me while listening to her true story, that I may make them into paint and use the paint on some beautiful pieces of furniture in need of restoration. I think she might have like that.

[@michaelsinger4638]

Poor Lucrezia got such a bad rap. She was doing what the men in her life wanted for a lot of it. When she was Duchess of Ferrara, she was popular and well-respected.

[@CatarigMat]

Everybody a new video by Lindsay just dropped

[@baraxor]

I've asked this question about both Lucrezia Borgia and Dr. William Gull (for the past thirty years the most notorious Jack the Ripper suspect)...is it better to live a universally recognized good life but die in obscurity, or have your name live forever in infamy because of vile lies and rumors?

[@railwaymechanicalengineer4587]

Your out of luck DNA research has connected clothing of a suspect & artifacts left at the crime to reveal Jack the Ripper was a lowly draysman (Brewery delivery driver). All the items have been in the Metropolitan Police Museum since the murders !!!

[@naomilighttarot2984]

I love this so much! Thank you for a new video!

[@nancyjensen6409]

Thank you for this. I always have wondered about her and the Borgias. I’m Italian so anything that is historical from Italy would be much appreciated. ❤

[@lemonstealinghorsdoeuvre]

5:48 now that is one of the best excuses ever heard. 'no, honey, it's not what it seems, it's just that, you see, i, ug, I'm sick and I couldn't eat anything else

[@ggyugen955]

Please make a Pope history series like you have with the English monarchy, etc. I’m dying for it!!!

[@grace7961]

Who else thinks the manwha character Rudbeckia de Borgia was based on this woman?

[@likeadino8580]

It has to be lol. Her brother is legitimately called cesare and she had multiple husbands with a terrible upbringing… only difference is that one is a romance fantasy with a happy end and the other is… something else 😅 oh manhwas…

[@TheLizKirkland]

Lucrezia, Giovanni, Gioffre and Cesare Italian barmy army, The Borgia Family Our daddy was Rodrigo I had a monstrous ego Where he makes trouble we go The Borgia Family Our tale begins Renaissance Spain, Its leaders were a shower And I run out of patience So began in my quest for power I splashed my cash to all the papal cardinals in hope That they’d be bought, they were in short And I became the Pope More power than I oughta Blood’s thicker than water Appoint my sons and daughter To run a dynasty With daddy as the Pope, I could do as I pleased was ace, I’d kill a man who dared To like invade my personal space I found a husband for Lucrezia Rich Giovanni Sforza, do you love him? Yes of course but love his power and money more so Now married to the Sforza’s This opens up new doors-as The world bows down before us The Borgia/Sforza family Oh yes, and while we’re at it we will marry son Gioffre Aged twelve but so what soon will be The Borgia/Sforza & the Naples family When the Sforza family Eventually bores ya With just annul the marriage If he refuses to divorce ya Don’t I get a say? Don’t fret, for you another man I’ll get, Alfonzo of Aragon I like him this could go on and on! You like him I’ve gone off him His pretty face makes me wince You killed him! Yeah I’m the model for Machiavelli’s Prince Giovanni run the army but Cesare said No way! I’ll kill you if you cross me I might kill you anyway I am the mostest powerfulest, evilest of all As long as dad’s alive There’s not a single chance I’ll fall Huh aaaaah! Awww nooo We suddenly lost status It seems the whole world hate us They excommunicate us The Borgia Family R.I.P

[@LindsayHoliday]

❤️ horrible history

[@jamellfoster6029]

I could not have my Dad in the bedroom with my husband and myself. That's our private business.

[@maddiesander4786]

Different times thank goodness 😅

[@lalywindland5764]

Who knows if Sancha of Aragon was a willing mistress to Cesare and Juan? If she was forced, no one could help her, her arranged husband was only 12 y.o. Also, if she was willing, I think her husband would have gotten rid of her after Cesare, Juan and the Pope died and he came of age, but he kept her, moved away with her and had children together, raising them along with Lucretia's son (and Sancha's nephew) Rodrigo and the mysterious Infans Romanus. I think Sancha was a victim just as much as Lucretia.

[@MYSHASIDDIQUE]

Fun Fact : there is a online story called How To Get My Husband On My Side. the story based on Lucrezia Borgia life

[@300books]

At 0:28 I heard "slapped with her father and brothers". It took a while to figure out the word was "slept" 🤭

[@pizzaraia1040]

Now HERE'S a story I've been dying for...🤩

[@karissaclay3833]

Ive been waiting for a video on her for foreverr thank you 💓

[@cesarbugarini499]

16:40 "why good sir, how much is it to break the divinity of a godly institution" 😏💯😂😂😂😂

[@bradley8867]

Borgia’s ,one of the oldest crime families

[@SarahAnnUlloa-vo1iq]

Interesting, they might have been jewish origin.

[@ΔημητραΒακου-ν2ζ]

​@@SarahAnnUlloa-vo1iq nope

[@Liz_678]

Very interesting and informative! Thanks 😊

[@tweetledd4709]

This is my favorite “History Tea Time” ever!! How a simple baby girl went on to be so used for history is yet another example of how women survive!

[@LittleMissLounge]

Given how much Cesare screwed with her life, it's pretty gross media like The Borgias pair Lucrezia up with him, siblings or not.

[@SirenUniverse381]

Poor Lucrezia. This is a perfect example of how enemies can ruin your life and tarnish your existence forever.

[@ernstseegers3467]

16:12: Awesome production! Theres a screen saying “missing plugin” short before. 17:07

[@timpancakes2011]

What a fascinating life! I had heard of her but didn't realize all she had gone through or the GoT connections!

[@jennaroark]

Most comprehensive video on this topic I’ve ever seen 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️

[@mandynewman8234]

Better that a Cardinal father a child than 🍇 one.

[@SEGASister]

15:55 Missing Goose Costume

[@a-complished4406]

I did not know much about her. Great video ❤

[@Jaaaj-j4]

It was really good learning about her!!!

[@MicaiahBaron]

As a kid I read a book about the Renaissance that had a whole chapter dedicated to this pope, could never remember who he was. Ironic that I finally find him here and he's not even the star of the show. Definitely a miserable character.