When one thinks of the
Borgia, the extreme decadence and wealth of Renaissance Italy’s most infamous family springs to mind. Whether they were any more ruthless than many of their
peers is a matter for debate, but suffice to say, they fulfill many of the
stereotypical criteria for supervillainy. Just consider some of the traditional
accounts.
Rodrigo Borgia (AKA Pope
Alexander VI) was the Blofeld of Renaissance Italy. He had a son, Cesare, with
more ambition than common sense. His daughter Lucrezia was synonymous with
femme fatales for centuries. He employed an advisor renowned for schemes,
Machiavelli himself. He employed a mad scientist, Leonardo da Vinci. He led a
major religion, the Catholic Church, and had his own elite troops, the Swiss
mercenaries (the forerunners of the Swiss Guard). He had
his own personal hitman, Micheletto.
However, there is some
controversy over the extent of some of the Borgia deeds. Despite this, there it
still influences media today. From novels to videogames to TV series, the
legacy of the Borgia lives on. Even firearms have a bit of the Borgia legacy. An amusing bit of Borgia-related trivia is that
"Buffalo Bill" Cody named a Springfield rifle after Lucrezia Borgia
due to its deadliness.
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