BORGIA {BORGIA: FAITH AND FEAR}: THE INVASION OF ROME (TV)
Summary
One in this historical drama series set in Renaissance Italy about the notorious Borgia family and its patriarch, Pope Alexander VI. In this episode, the Borgias, minus the captured Cesare and the still-missing Juan, hide out at the Castel Sant'Angelo, and though della Rovere seems poised to depose Rodrigo as Pope, Rodrigo seems confident that he and King Charles can still make peace. Giulia gives birth to a daughter, Laura, and Lucrezia again voices her displeasure at being trapped in her loveless marriage. Cesare is finally set free and vows to exact his revenge on Marcantonio one day, and Rodrigo worries that his release was "too easy" as the French descend upon the city. Cesare arrives in Rome in rags and Burchard urges him to flee to Sant'Angelo, and Charles rides into Rome with della Rovere by his side. Rodrigo is furious when a Spanish emissary arrives without a promise of troops, and Alessandro is surprised to find Cesare hiding amongst the peasants on the street, too ashamed to face his father. Charles' emissary Yves D'Allegre arrives, demanding that he meet with Charles, though Rodrigo counters that the king must come to him. Yves flirts with Giulia, mentioning that he met her during her brief captivity. Lucrezia is overjoyed to see Cesare again, though Cesare declines to tell his father about Marcantonio's abuse. The French soldiers continue rampaging through Rome, and Vannozza is soon attacked and raped in her home.
Rodrigo sends Cesare and Gacet to Charles to put an end to the violence, and then announces to Lucrezia that she will receive a divorce after all on the grounds of her husband's impotence. Lucrezia is thrilled, but then learns of her mother's assault and tries to comfort her. When Cesare arrives, he tells her that he "knows her pain too well" and vows to obtain justice. Giovanni is stunned when Lucrezia presents him with the annulment papers and states that he is a "failure," and Charles greets Cesare with great contempt, unimpressed by the bastard son of a "depraved" Pope. Gacet compares Rodrigo to Christ, however, saying that they were both wrongly accused by their enemies, and Charles is forced to give in upon realizing that his strong-willed and highly religious wife will never go against the Pope. He demands that Rodrigo visit him, however, and that he hand over both Castel Sant'Angelo and Prince Djem. The Pope balks at the terms, but Cesare arranges for Rodrigo and Charles to meet "accidentally" in the gardens. Giovanni protests the terms of the annulment, but is forced to accept it when Lucrezia bluntly suggests that they could "try again" in front of many witnesses. Rodrigo grudgingly makes Jean Briconnet a cardinal at Charles' demand, though Cesare learns that his son Guillaume was Vannozza's rapist and murders him personally on the street after the ceremony.
Juan finally reappears and an angry Cesare challenges him to a fight, but Rodrigo intervenes and warmly greets his eldest son. Lucrezia happily sends a letter to Alfonso about her divorce, and Charles arrives pointedly late for the official peace-making ceremony and convinces Rodrigo to give him the title of "Most Christian King." He then demands that Rodrigo accompany him to Naples and name him sovereign, but Rodrigo sends Cesare instead and names him Papal Legate, ousting della Rovere from the title. Lucrezia, Vannozza and Alessandro beg Giulia to convince Rodrigo not to send Cesare off as a prisoner again, and Djem is furious to learn that Rodrigo has handed him over to Charles as well. Juan openly mocks Cesare for his rape by Marcantonio, and Rodrigo allows Cesare to beat him soundly before ordering him to keep quiet about the assault. Giulia tells Rodrigo only to "do what is right" in regards to his son, and de Haro arrives from Spain and urges Rodrigo to issue a papal bull ordering Francisco Cisneros to accept the title of cardinal, knowing that Queen Isabella, who favors Cisneros, will then surely convince Ferdinand to join the fight against France. Rodrigo agrees and then dispatches his cardinals to the various cities of Italy, saying that they must unite Italy, Spain and Emperor Maximilian in a "Holy League" against France.
Details
- NETWORK: Sky Italia
- DATE: September 30, 2011
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:35
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 110757
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Religion
- SERIES RUN: Sky Italia - TV series, 2011-2014
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Anne Thomopoulos … Executive Producer
- Steven Bawol … Executive Producer
- Takis Candilis … Executive Producer
- Klaus Zimmermann … Executive Producer
- Ferdinand Dohna … Executive Producer
- Barry Levinson … Executive Producer
- Tom Fontana … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Michael Schwarz … Producer
- Petr Moravec … Producer
- Aaron Seliquini … Co-Producer
- Christoph Schrewe … Director
- Sean Whitesell … Writer
- Cyril Morin … Music by
- John Doman … Cast, Rodrigo Borgia
- Mark Ryder … Cast, Cesare Borgia
- Stanley Weber … Cast, Juan Borgia
- Marta Gastini … Cast, Giulia Farnese
- Isolda Dychauk … Cast, Lucrezia Borgia
- Diarmuid Noyes … Cast, Alessandro Farnese
- Assumpta Serna … Cast, Vannozza Catanei
- Art Malik … Cast, Francesc Gacet
- Christian McKay … Cast, Ascanio Sforza
- Scott Winters … Cast, Rafaele Riario-Sansoni
- David Atrakchi … Cast, Yves D'Allegre
- Nicolas Belmonte … Cast, Shahzadeh Djem
- Vincent Carmichael … Cast, Diego Lopez de Haro
- Dejan Cukic … Cast, Giuliano della Rovere
- Karel Dobr … Cast, Giovanni Colonna
- Marc Duret … Cast, Guillaume Briconnet
- Michael Fitzgerald … Cast, Oliviero Carafa
- Adrien Jolivet … Cast, Jean Briconnet
- Simon Larvaron … Cast, King Charles VIII
- Monica Lopera … Cast, Maria Enriques de Luna
- Elisa Mouliaa … Cast, Pantisilea
- Manuel Rubey … Cast, Giovanni Sforza
- Victor Schefe … Cast, Johann Burchard
- Richard Southgate … Cast, Marcantonio Colonna
- Miroslav Taborsky … Cast, Gianbattista Orsini