The Borgias (2011–2013): Season 2, Episode 6 - Day of Ashes - full transcript
The Pope has not yet come to terms with the lightning strike and his new-found piety is to some just an act. Prior Savonarola's excesses continue as do his rants against the De Medicis. The Pope has a plan to deal with him. Cardinal Della Rovere's plot to poison the Pope continues with a young monk preparing to be the assassin. Cesare returns from his visit to the Sforzas and confesses his sins to his father. Cesare wants to take an army north to finish what he started but the Pope admits they do not have the resources. Now that Lucrezia is again free to marry, a new political alliance may be in the offing. Lucrezia isn't keen on re-marrying whoever her father chooses. Machiavelli is in Rome to prepare Piero De Medici's house for his arrival. Giulia, Vanozza and Lucrezia apply pressure on the Curia in order to obtain funds to house the poor.
Previously on The Borgias...
You were once a stray dog,
Micheletto.
Search out a dozen of them
whom we can school in
the art of vengeance.
Would you keep secrets from us?
You're a cleric, not a soldier.
Who pays for such decadence?
Where does your charity end up?
In the Medici bank in Florence?
Your Holiness. Piero di Medici.
Their fervour for the friar's
visions increases daily.
And if they knew of
your personal accounts,
they would burn the
bank to the ground.
Perhaps we had better have our
wealth brought back to Rome.
We must remove him
from this world.
Be the sword of the apocalypse.
The sword of righteousness.
I would gladly die to rid
the world of the Borgia pope.
It will be a grisly death.
Catherina Sforza,
the pope would request
your beauteous presence
at the chair of St. Peter's.
Who is going to chain me?
You?
My cousin refuses
to debase herself
before that swine that
wears the papal tiara.
Ah!
I promised my
sister your heart!
Murder!
[loud thunder]
[screams]
God signalled his displeasure.
We must atone - for our sins.
[♪]
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
God has spoken to us,
Your Eminences.
We have heard His thunder.
So the greatest penitence
must be ours.
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
Bring me some water.
Your Holiness.
A new leaf?
Is it possible?
A new pretence.
A new theatre, that is all.
Antonello, take note of the man
with the water jug.
He's the pope's taster.
[bell tolling]
[sound of whipping throughout]
[indistinct shouts of praise]
Christ spilled
his blood for us!
We must spill ours for him!
We must scourge our flesh,
wash Florence clean with
the wine of our blood!
Is it good enough to kneel
and say you repent?
Will you carry the mark
of repentance upon you?
Kneel.
Do you repent? I repent.
Do you repent all your sins?
I repent all my sins.
Do you give your
life to Christ?
I give my life to Christ.
Are you willing to throw off
your riches, this finery,
this display of
pride and vanity,
and give yourself truly
to the Lord Jesus Christ?
I am ready.
You will dedicate yourself
to the renewal of Christendom.
To the destruction
of the red whore of Rome!
And will the Medici repent,
abandon their
avarice and usury?
Their gold and finery?
If they do not repent,
we will cast them out
as Jesus threw the money
lenders from the temple!
For they have turned
a house of prayer
and made it a den of thieves!
In this bottle
are both Heaven and Hell.
This is the marvel
of the minimal dose.
Too much and it will kill you.
Just enough,
and it will make you strong.
I was poisoned with cantarella
and I am now
the stronger for it.
Do you have faith?
I have faith.
Then drink.
[pained noises]
To whom does the pope confess,
oh Lord?
Who will hear his sins,
wash them clean,
so that he may live
again in Your favour?
Ah.
The great silence.
Oh!
My son.
When did you return?
Within the hour.
Holy Father, I would have
you hear my confession.
I am guilty of the sin
of murder.
And lust.
I am guilty of the sin of lust.
Violence and fornication.
How often these two are united.
[sigh]
Go on.
I killed the man
who defiled my sister
and insulted
the name of Borgia.
A knife to the heart.
As we recall, murder
was not your mission!
It was a matter of honour!
And lust, you say.
Was that a matter
of honour too?
Who or what
was the object of this lust?
Catherina Sforza
shared her bed with me.
Oh, of course, who else?
[sigh]
And tell us, after you had
graced her with your-presence,
did she beg to be dragged
to Rome in chains?
No, no.
To be-to be friends with us?
No, she did not.
But, surely, after
such lavish attention,
she is now our friend. No!
I fear not, Your Holiness.
She-she remains an enemy.
We have both sinned, my son,
but whose sin will bring
the greatest doom upon us?
Hmm? Ours or yours?
[sigh]
Ego te absolvo ab
omnnibus censuris
et in nomine Patris et
Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
I find it hard to believe.
I send you on
a diplomatic mission
and you start a war!
There is no war.
God struck the Basilica.
He showed His anger to all.
Is now the time to
take a knife in hand?
To have the armies of the
north battering at our gates?
Well then, release me
from my cardinal's robes,
give me the papal army,
and I will bring you
Catherina Sforza in chains!
Armies do not march on air!
We do not have the resources
to send an army north!
And now we are in need
of another alliance!
Perhaps you will explain
so much to your dear sister?
That she must now marry,
in order protect us
from the results of your folly?
Oh Lord, as we remember
Thy 40 days in the wilderness,
so we share in Thy suffering
during this Lenten period.
If we have sullied
Thy name with luxury,
then we beseech
You to forgive us.
And we pray for enlightenment
as to why You chose
to strike with fire
at the heart of Your Church.
Per Christum, Dominum Nostrum.
Amen.
ALL: Amen.
During this Lenten period,
instead of taking your repast
in the luxury of your palaces,
you will fast here
with us, in common.
Your Holiness!
Sardines...
...were the traditional
Lenten fare
when we were young.
So we shall dine on sardines.
Your Holiness. Hmm?
Let me taste.
You think our enemies would
poison our Lenten fare?
These paltry bones?
It is my duty, your Holiness.
[grumbles]
A poisoning would
brighten the proceedings
of an otherwise
gloom-laden day,
would it not?
[chuckling]
Well, Brother Bernadino,
are you about to die?
I think not, Your Holiness.
Let us proceed.
Incipit historia lob.
[praying continues]
Give me your voice,
give me your voice,
O God let me hear you.
Let me hear you speak to me.
I want to feel,
feel your spirit inside of me.
From our Holy Father,
Christ's Vicar on Earth,
the Bishop of Rome
and the heir to St. Peter,
a greeting and
apostolic benediction
to his most beloved son,
Girolamo Savonarola.
I am Cardinal Ascanio Sforza.
Vice chancellor. Indeed.
Then you know all there is
to know about corruption.
His Holiness hears
you are a zealous worker
in God's service,
at which he rejoices,
and is intrigued to
hear that you proclaim
your prophecies proceed
directly from God.
Is this so?
God speaks through me.
I hear His voice.
Of this there is no doubt.
As befits your
vows of obedience,
his Holiness would have
you journey to Rome
to discourse further
with him on this matter.
The Good Lord's lightning not
yet silenced this Borgia pope?
Well, tell him my work is here,
ridding Florence of its
sodomites and blasphemers.
And my work only will be ended
when the last sodomite
is burning in Hell.
Perhaps a different destiny
awaits you in Rome.
In the Castel Saint Angelo?
[chuckles]
No.
In the Vatican.
Oh.
As cardinal.
A seat in Consistory.
[chuckles]
No man can put a
price on salvation.
[indistinct chatter]
The sleep of the innocent.
I promised you a heart, Sister.
Whose? Your own?
I promised you the heart
of Giovanni Sforza
on a dinner plate.
His blood on this knife
will have to suffice.
What does it say of us,
Brother,
that you promise me this
and I would accept?
Do you accept?
I would rather have
my innocence back.
Be as I was before I
married that vile man.
Impossible, I am afraid.
For either of us.
Prime has been sung,
Terce approaches,
yet some have barely
roused their souls.
Oh, darkness into light.
Father, Giovanni is sleeping.
Ooh.
You have broached
the matter, my son?
What matter?
The matter of Forli.
Our need for
the most sacred alliance.
The matter, in a word,
of marriage.
Ah, I see.
I am to be put back
in the marketplace.
Did you know this, Brother?
And how secure did
the last alliance
you sold me into prove to be?
It is your Father's wish.
We would have you married.
It is as simple as that.
I will not marry.
Never again.
So there let it rest.
[sigh]
We are shocked by
this ingratitude.
Even so, I will not marry.
It is a daughter's duty to
marry her father's choice!
So I am to have no
voice in the matter!
I am to lie on my back
and wait to be ravaged by
a beast of your choosing!
Enough! Enough!
This language does
not become you.
And save your thoughts.
Say nothing.
I haven't uttered a word.
No, but we can
hear you thinking.
This will come to pass,
you shall see,
even if we drag you
to the basilica.
[baby cries]
Sh, sh, sh. Giovanni.
Shh. Hush.
Like me, you have
just declared a war.
What have you said to Lucrezia?
In the matter of what?
Marriage.
I have said nothing. Well.
It was you who arranged
the last unfortunate event.
That was not of my choosing.
You want her to marry?
It is our wish, yes.
Ah, I see,
the Vatican needs
to refresh its coffers.
Well. Leave us.
Perhaps she is not
ready to marry.
It is not her choice...
and we would have you
persuade her of that.
As inconvenient as
it may seem, Rodrigo,
she fell in love.
And every day the child reminds
her of the man she loved.
Our son Cesare was
sent to the north
on a diplomatic mission
of the utmost importance,
and...
...he had an
unfortunate accident.
Cesare?
No, Giovanni Sforza.
He fell onto a knife that...
...Cesare happened
to be holding.
Had I been there I would have
helped push him onto the blade.
Yes but, listen to me, Vanozza,
this accident has
made us enemies.
They are lining up
against us in the north.
We need an alliance.
Now, the Doge of Venice
is a man of great
power and influence.
In a matter of days
his nephew comes here
as a suitor to Lucrezia.
And...
we would have you be
our ambassador in this,
vet him, as it were,
on our daughter's behalf.
I see. Yeah.
If business is done,
you may withdraw;
The water grows cold.
What is it?
You have a rare beauty,
Vanozza.
Remember when we used
to bath together?
Not after the water went cold.
No.
And have you not foresworn
intimacy for Lent?
Yes.
You may go.
Mmm.
[chuckles]
[indistinct chattering]
Signore Machiavelli...
[chatter continues]
Welcome to Rome.
I appreciate the informality
of your welcome.
What is the news from Florence?
Ah, officially, I am here
to open the shutters of the
Villa Medici for my master,
Piero de Medici.
Stones have been thrown
at his house in Florence.
Large stones.
He believes he will
be safer here in Rome.
Not without our protection.
The Medici have
made many enemies;
That cannot be contested.
What of the Medici bank?
Is it a sinking ship?
Oh, I am not a banker,
but it may have already sunk.
You may not be a banker
but you are the
Medicis' ambassador;
You know these things.
True, I have been privy
to sensitive negotiations.
Signore de Medici
values my opinion...
especially as he does
not have one of his own...
but I am really nothing
more than a nuncio,
a messenger boy.
And what message
does the boy bring?
What of the Vatican funds?
Every penny could be lost.
That is the sour truth of it.
Where has the money gone?
That is the golden question.
You are not alone in
wanting an answer.
There are funds,
but the question is,
where might they be?
Do you know?
I am told that what
remains is on the move.
Some here, some there.
Though not on its way
to whom it belongs.
Where?
That I do not know.
Not yet.
Until such time,
it is as I told you:
I am here to open the
shutters at the Villa Medici.
Signore Machiavelli,
a more specific insight
into this matter
would be much appreciated.
Your father claims
that I have warned you
of the dangers of marriage.
You have incurred his
extreme displeasure.
I think it might make him ill.
Well, then, father and
daughter will be ill together.
The thought of marriage
turns my stomach.
It's within his prerogative
to marry you to
whomever he may please.
Well, then, let him do it,
and he can fish me
out of the Tiber.
He's asked me to vet
suitors on your behalf.
And you agreed?
More or less.
Well, at least it leaves
you with a choice.
Mother, the man I married
was a beast.
I was little more
than meat to him.
And yet you took the
stable boy as your lover.
Well, that was different.
And there is hope for you yet.
I do not deny that
the warm touch of a lover
might ease the pain.
So all is not lost.
Mmm...
You're back.
I dreamed.
What did you dream?
Nothing I have ever seen.
It was not of this world.
Rest now.
What would be your feeling,
Brother Bernadino,
if this humble
sardine was poisoned
and you proceeded to expire?
One of happiness, Holiness,
for I would have died in
the service of our Lord
and saved His vicar
here on earth.
You are an
inspiration to us all.
God's vicar will strive to
be worthy of your devotion.
Now let us enjoy these
fruits of the sea.
[reading praying in Latin]
There is a new
order in Florence.
Savonarola wields
yet more power.
All bow to him,
some in fear,
some in reverence.
He virtually controls the city.
He turned down the hat,
of course.
Hmph. Scorned it.
Ah.
Yet another insult to Rome.
No one turns down a
seat in the Cardinalate.
Piero de Medici
is hated by all.
Small wonder.
Della Rovere's been
seen in Florence
and is said to have met
with Savonarola.
Ah.
We must silence
this yapping dog.
And Della Rovere,
he should have been
muzzled long ago.
Savonarola claims that
he hears the voice of God
and him alone.
He says that visions are put
into his mind by angels.
Well, that could give us
cause to excommunicate him.
Heresy.
The very worst.
We may yet have
cause to burn him.
We thank you for
responding to our request...
especially in such numbers.
One more would
have made a crowd.
We are here,
but we wonder to what purpose.
Another lesson in
baking, perhaps.
[chuckling]
We were searching for some time
for a suitable location
to house the poor.
Now we have found it.
Here?
All we need now are the funds.
Surely it would take
an excessive sum
to make this suitable
for habitation.
That is not a problem.
We manage the works.
The curia will
provide the funds.
What branch of the curia?
The Office of Public Works.
The Office of Public Works
has been emptied of funds
by your charitable endeavours.
I believe it was emptied
long before our efforts begun.
La Bella Farnese
has been combing
through the books of accounts.
Must she now comb
through your palaces?
Through, dare I say it,
the brothels?
He was vice chancellor himself.
He has palaces of his own.
He knows how things work.
His Holiness is going through
a period of sanctity, penance.
It will pass.
Combing the books already.
What else might they do?
Who knows? They are women.
Women are dangerous.
And how long will this
newfound sanctity last?
Should be over by
Easter, I should hazard.
So, what must we do?
You-restore the ruin.
What?
Ascani, you can't be serious...
Shut up. And pay for it.
Pay?
He's not serious.
This is unheard of.
Friar Savonarola
berates us daily.
He preaches heresy.
That God speaks to
him and him alone.
He must be silenced.
We charge you with this task.
This will require
all your patience.
You will travel to Florence
and you will ban him
from preaching the word of God.
He will laugh in my face.
Of course.
Then we will charge him
with heresy.
He will laugh in your face.
Of course.
Then we will excommunicate him.
He will deny your
right to do so.
Of course.
And then...
...we will burn him.
Vengeance, you see, can wait.
A lifetime if necessary.
Wagons carrying Medici gold
are to be shipped
to Castelfiorentino.
There is a stronghold there.
So the Medici coffers
are not entirely empty.
Not if one knows where to look.
How much gold?
Not enough for a king's ransom,
but one hopes sufficient to
make your detour worthwhile.
Enough to feed an army?
Armies have big bellies.
Let this map be your guide;
I prepared it myself.
Here is the route, the day,
all you need to know.
Look for wagons under escort
transporting alum ore.
Trade in alum
is on the increase.
Do not be deceived
by appearances.
The gold is hidden
on the wagons.
I must go.
To open more shutters?
To let in more light. Yes.
The light you bring to us
is much appreciated.
Just a beginning.
I would make a gift
of gold to my father.
Does your father not have
gold enough of his own?
No, this is Medici gold.
My father holds
no affection for the Medici.
He brands them
thieves and liars.
All bankers are thieves
and liars, Eminence.
I would rather trust
a beggar in the street.
Listen.
A shipment of gold
hidden in alum ore
is to travel from Florence
to Castelfiorentino.
It shall be ours.
For this, we will
need our friends.
If there is gold promised,
they will be there.
Not only will we bring
the Friar Savonarola
to his unholy knees,
we will also bring
Medici gold to my father.
Your father knows of this?
He will know when
he sees the gold.
Surely such a gift from a son
deserves reward
from the father, no?
I will have only one reward...
and I will have it
no matter what.
These robes have clung to
my back for far too long.
Yes, I bear witness
to that, Eminence.
For the protection of
Rome and the Holy Church...
and the protection
of my unwitting father,
I will command the papal army.
And you, Micheletto,
you will wear armour
and be my captain.
No, I was born in the shadows
and I feel that is
where I should remain.
First, the prize.
The Doge of Venice?
His nephew.
Oh.
Is he of consequence?
His uncle, the doge,
has immense wealth
and is extremely
fond of his nephew.
At least take a look at him
then I can tell your father
I have done his bidding.
The Doge of Venice is a man
fond of war, is he not?
They are all fond
of war in the north.
But I cannot speak
for the nephew.
Just cast an eye
over him, that's all.
Where is he,
this doge's nephew?
Waiting in the main
hall with his retinue.
Most likely dying
of old age by this time.
Very well.
You go and talk to him
and I will watch.
This is not a game, you know.
No, but it feels like one.
Oh, and he has a dog. A gift.
A dog? For you.
A man of immense
wealth, you say,
and he brings a dog?
[chuckling]
I don't think I've ever
seen a dog quite like this.
It's a wolfhound, my lady.
It's one of the tallest breeds.
A hunting dog.
He's a powerful beast
but he will make a loving
and loyal companion.
Hmm.
What do you think?
Impressive, no?
The man or the girl?
What is your verdict?
No.
That's no to the doge's nephew.
And yes to the dog.
Wait, on second thoughts,
it's no to them both.
Man and dog.
It was kind of you to
come but I'm afraid...
I have another venture for you.
First, you will escort me to
Florence on Vatican business.
And then there will be
rewards for all of us.
You said that the last time.
Well, this time there is gold.
Medici gold.
They are robbing
their own bank,
so we will rob them.
Trust me. My name is Borgia.
Let's hope the cardinals
have consciences.
What more can we do?
This was left this morning,
like a baby abandoned
on a doorstep.
A victory.
It's a start.
Let the works begin.
[chuckles]
So... Piero de Medici,
to what does Rome
owe the pleasure
of your forsaking
of your beloved Florence?
Holiness, a torch
was put to our house.
We left the city
in a hail of stones.
Dramatic exit indeed.
You have come bearing the gold
we deposited with
the Medici bank?
Or have those funds gone up
in flames with your palaces?
Those funds are in safe
hands, Holy Father.
Oh.
But they are on the move,
to secure locations.
We thank you for
your assurance.
So why exactly are you here?
I would plead for the Holy
Father's protection in Rome.
And for his help
in the battle against
the Friar Savonarola.
We have dispatched our son,
Cardinal Borgia,
to secure his silence.
You think he can be silenced?
If not, he will be burned.
And there will be
flourishing once again
in your fair Florence a bank...
but this time a Vatican bank.
What does the pope
know of banking?
What the pope does not know,
Piero de Medici will teach him.
Holiness. Father...
Since Jesus died for us,
since he gave his life for us...
his blood for us,
his pain for us,
let us kneel for him!
Girolamo Savonarola!
[crowd murmuring]
I am Cardinal Cesare Borgia!
The bastard son of the pope!
I am the servant of our most
Holy Father, Vicar of Christ,
and voice of the Living God,
Pope Alexander Sextus.
This edict finds you guilty
of disseminating
pernicious doctrines
to the scandal and
grief of simple souls.
Having incurred our
Holy Father's censure,
you are hereby ordered
to suspend your
sermons and prophecies,
lest you be charged
with heresy.
I thank His Holiness.
And tell him I will use it...
...to wipe my ass!
[laughter and chatter]
You are standing too close to
the fire, Brother Savonarola.
You may get burned.
Think you I fear the flame?
I have the word of God.
It is the Borgias
who will burn!
[loud jeering]
This time, a little more.
Heaven and Hell?
Heaven and Hell.
Do you have faith?
Yes, Father.
Then drink.
[pained noises]
[pained noises]
[indistinct shouting]
Stop the sinners!
You deserve to suffer!
Move.
My God. What is this?
Sodomites. The lot of them.
They're to be hanged,
then burned by order
of Father Savonarola.
Sodomites!
Burn in hell!
Sodomite scum! Die!
In the name of Jesus Christ.
What, in the name
of Jesus Christ?
The ring off your finger.
And you, boy,
what would you have?
My boot up your ass?
Sodomite!
Here is one-a sodomite!
Sodomite! Sodomite!
Move! Out of the way!
Move!
Back! Move back!
You can run from God
but you cannot hide!
Sodomites!
Move away! All of you!
He will get you!
You promised them booty,
your Eminence.
There is booty to be found,
but not in Florence.
Come on! Yah! Yah!
[crackle]
What was that?
Ah!
Uh!
Easy meat.
Too easy.
So, condottieri!
Ah!
Booty at last.
Wait!
Ah!
Ugh!
[shouting]
Find it!
Ah, you dog!
Ugh!
Ah!
Ah!
My lord.
Colonna, can you
make gold from alum?
We are condottieri,
not alchemists.
Aha.
We shall have to pay
you in gold then.
[laughs]
How long might this game go on?
Until we run out of princes.
We've already seen five.
This will be number six.
At first it was a distraction;
Now it's a chore.
Then marry one of them
and be done with it.
Have a bed chamber of your own
and put a strong
lock on the door.
[indistinct chatter]
Which one is the suitor?
The one in the blue velvet,
at the front.
Calvino Pallavicini
from Genova.
And, behind him,
in the brown and grey.
Who is he?
That must be Raffaello
di Genova, his brother.
Who did you say?
His name is Raffaello.
He is the younger brother
of Calvino.
I just told you,
he is not your suitor.
The other one, Calvino-
that is your suitor.
Savonarola remains defiant.
Oh.
And you are learning patience?
With difficulty, Holy Father.
[chuckles]
[sigh] I have a gift for you.
Medici gold.
Enough for the Forli campaign.
They are dispersing
the bank's funds
through the whole of Italy.
If we could track
down the rest,
we could even conquer Florence.
And you would equip
an army with it.
I would batter the
walls of Forli with it
and drag Catherina Sforza
in chains before you.
You would be a soldier?
You know that has always
been my heart's desire.
But who would advise me
in this Vatican?
Who would guide me, protect us?
Hm?
We always said we must
have one son in the cloth,
and one in armour.
Would you have us
make Juan a cardinal?
[laughs] No.
We thank you from
the bottom of our heart.
But you know what you
ask is impossible.
Your brother's coming home,
a changed man, we are assured.
With a party of conquistadors
hardened by the New Spain.
Promise us that you
will welcome him...
with a brotherly embrace.
You must embrace him
for me, Holy Father.
While I attend to the
Church's business...
back in Florence.
You were once a stray dog,
Micheletto.
Search out a dozen of them
whom we can school in
the art of vengeance.
Would you keep secrets from us?
You're a cleric, not a soldier.
Who pays for such decadence?
Where does your charity end up?
In the Medici bank in Florence?
Your Holiness. Piero di Medici.
Their fervour for the friar's
visions increases daily.
And if they knew of
your personal accounts,
they would burn the
bank to the ground.
Perhaps we had better have our
wealth brought back to Rome.
We must remove him
from this world.
Be the sword of the apocalypse.
The sword of righteousness.
I would gladly die to rid
the world of the Borgia pope.
It will be a grisly death.
Catherina Sforza,
the pope would request
your beauteous presence
at the chair of St. Peter's.
Who is going to chain me?
You?
My cousin refuses
to debase herself
before that swine that
wears the papal tiara.
Ah!
I promised my
sister your heart!
Murder!
[loud thunder]
[screams]
God signalled his displeasure.
We must atone - for our sins.
[♪]
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
God has spoken to us,
Your Eminences.
We have heard His thunder.
So the greatest penitence
must be ours.
Dust thou art and to
dust shalt thou return.
Bring me some water.
Your Holiness.
A new leaf?
Is it possible?
A new pretence.
A new theatre, that is all.
Antonello, take note of the man
with the water jug.
He's the pope's taster.
[bell tolling]
[sound of whipping throughout]
[indistinct shouts of praise]
Christ spilled
his blood for us!
We must spill ours for him!
We must scourge our flesh,
wash Florence clean with
the wine of our blood!
Is it good enough to kneel
and say you repent?
Will you carry the mark
of repentance upon you?
Kneel.
Do you repent? I repent.
Do you repent all your sins?
I repent all my sins.
Do you give your
life to Christ?
I give my life to Christ.
Are you willing to throw off
your riches, this finery,
this display of
pride and vanity,
and give yourself truly
to the Lord Jesus Christ?
I am ready.
You will dedicate yourself
to the renewal of Christendom.
To the destruction
of the red whore of Rome!
And will the Medici repent,
abandon their
avarice and usury?
Their gold and finery?
If they do not repent,
we will cast them out
as Jesus threw the money
lenders from the temple!
For they have turned
a house of prayer
and made it a den of thieves!
In this bottle
are both Heaven and Hell.
This is the marvel
of the minimal dose.
Too much and it will kill you.
Just enough,
and it will make you strong.
I was poisoned with cantarella
and I am now
the stronger for it.
Do you have faith?
I have faith.
Then drink.
[pained noises]
To whom does the pope confess,
oh Lord?
Who will hear his sins,
wash them clean,
so that he may live
again in Your favour?
Ah.
The great silence.
Oh!
My son.
When did you return?
Within the hour.
Holy Father, I would have
you hear my confession.
I am guilty of the sin
of murder.
And lust.
I am guilty of the sin of lust.
Violence and fornication.
How often these two are united.
[sigh]
Go on.
I killed the man
who defiled my sister
and insulted
the name of Borgia.
A knife to the heart.
As we recall, murder
was not your mission!
It was a matter of honour!
And lust, you say.
Was that a matter
of honour too?
Who or what
was the object of this lust?
Catherina Sforza
shared her bed with me.
Oh, of course, who else?
[sigh]
And tell us, after you had
graced her with your-presence,
did she beg to be dragged
to Rome in chains?
No, no.
To be-to be friends with us?
No, she did not.
But, surely, after
such lavish attention,
she is now our friend. No!
I fear not, Your Holiness.
She-she remains an enemy.
We have both sinned, my son,
but whose sin will bring
the greatest doom upon us?
Hmm? Ours or yours?
[sigh]
Ego te absolvo ab
omnnibus censuris
et in nomine Patris et
Filii et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
I find it hard to believe.
I send you on
a diplomatic mission
and you start a war!
There is no war.
God struck the Basilica.
He showed His anger to all.
Is now the time to
take a knife in hand?
To have the armies of the
north battering at our gates?
Well then, release me
from my cardinal's robes,
give me the papal army,
and I will bring you
Catherina Sforza in chains!
Armies do not march on air!
We do not have the resources
to send an army north!
And now we are in need
of another alliance!
Perhaps you will explain
so much to your dear sister?
That she must now marry,
in order protect us
from the results of your folly?
Oh Lord, as we remember
Thy 40 days in the wilderness,
so we share in Thy suffering
during this Lenten period.
If we have sullied
Thy name with luxury,
then we beseech
You to forgive us.
And we pray for enlightenment
as to why You chose
to strike with fire
at the heart of Your Church.
Per Christum, Dominum Nostrum.
Amen.
ALL: Amen.
During this Lenten period,
instead of taking your repast
in the luxury of your palaces,
you will fast here
with us, in common.
Your Holiness!
Sardines...
...were the traditional
Lenten fare
when we were young.
So we shall dine on sardines.
Your Holiness. Hmm?
Let me taste.
You think our enemies would
poison our Lenten fare?
These paltry bones?
It is my duty, your Holiness.
[grumbles]
A poisoning would
brighten the proceedings
of an otherwise
gloom-laden day,
would it not?
[chuckling]
Well, Brother Bernadino,
are you about to die?
I think not, Your Holiness.
Let us proceed.
Incipit historia lob.
[praying continues]
Give me your voice,
give me your voice,
O God let me hear you.
Let me hear you speak to me.
I want to feel,
feel your spirit inside of me.
From our Holy Father,
Christ's Vicar on Earth,
the Bishop of Rome
and the heir to St. Peter,
a greeting and
apostolic benediction
to his most beloved son,
Girolamo Savonarola.
I am Cardinal Ascanio Sforza.
Vice chancellor. Indeed.
Then you know all there is
to know about corruption.
His Holiness hears
you are a zealous worker
in God's service,
at which he rejoices,
and is intrigued to
hear that you proclaim
your prophecies proceed
directly from God.
Is this so?
God speaks through me.
I hear His voice.
Of this there is no doubt.
As befits your
vows of obedience,
his Holiness would have
you journey to Rome
to discourse further
with him on this matter.
The Good Lord's lightning not
yet silenced this Borgia pope?
Well, tell him my work is here,
ridding Florence of its
sodomites and blasphemers.
And my work only will be ended
when the last sodomite
is burning in Hell.
Perhaps a different destiny
awaits you in Rome.
In the Castel Saint Angelo?
[chuckles]
No.
In the Vatican.
Oh.
As cardinal.
A seat in Consistory.
[chuckles]
No man can put a
price on salvation.
[indistinct chatter]
The sleep of the innocent.
I promised you a heart, Sister.
Whose? Your own?
I promised you the heart
of Giovanni Sforza
on a dinner plate.
His blood on this knife
will have to suffice.
What does it say of us,
Brother,
that you promise me this
and I would accept?
Do you accept?
I would rather have
my innocence back.
Be as I was before I
married that vile man.
Impossible, I am afraid.
For either of us.
Prime has been sung,
Terce approaches,
yet some have barely
roused their souls.
Oh, darkness into light.
Father, Giovanni is sleeping.
Ooh.
You have broached
the matter, my son?
What matter?
The matter of Forli.
Our need for
the most sacred alliance.
The matter, in a word,
of marriage.
Ah, I see.
I am to be put back
in the marketplace.
Did you know this, Brother?
And how secure did
the last alliance
you sold me into prove to be?
It is your Father's wish.
We would have you married.
It is as simple as that.
I will not marry.
Never again.
So there let it rest.
[sigh]
We are shocked by
this ingratitude.
Even so, I will not marry.
It is a daughter's duty to
marry her father's choice!
So I am to have no
voice in the matter!
I am to lie on my back
and wait to be ravaged by
a beast of your choosing!
Enough! Enough!
This language does
not become you.
And save your thoughts.
Say nothing.
I haven't uttered a word.
No, but we can
hear you thinking.
This will come to pass,
you shall see,
even if we drag you
to the basilica.
[baby cries]
Sh, sh, sh. Giovanni.
Shh. Hush.
Like me, you have
just declared a war.
What have you said to Lucrezia?
In the matter of what?
Marriage.
I have said nothing. Well.
It was you who arranged
the last unfortunate event.
That was not of my choosing.
You want her to marry?
It is our wish, yes.
Ah, I see,
the Vatican needs
to refresh its coffers.
Well. Leave us.
Perhaps she is not
ready to marry.
It is not her choice...
and we would have you
persuade her of that.
As inconvenient as
it may seem, Rodrigo,
she fell in love.
And every day the child reminds
her of the man she loved.
Our son Cesare was
sent to the north
on a diplomatic mission
of the utmost importance,
and...
...he had an
unfortunate accident.
Cesare?
No, Giovanni Sforza.
He fell onto a knife that...
...Cesare happened
to be holding.
Had I been there I would have
helped push him onto the blade.
Yes but, listen to me, Vanozza,
this accident has
made us enemies.
They are lining up
against us in the north.
We need an alliance.
Now, the Doge of Venice
is a man of great
power and influence.
In a matter of days
his nephew comes here
as a suitor to Lucrezia.
And...
we would have you be
our ambassador in this,
vet him, as it were,
on our daughter's behalf.
I see. Yeah.
If business is done,
you may withdraw;
The water grows cold.
What is it?
You have a rare beauty,
Vanozza.
Remember when we used
to bath together?
Not after the water went cold.
No.
And have you not foresworn
intimacy for Lent?
Yes.
You may go.
Mmm.
[chuckles]
[indistinct chattering]
Signore Machiavelli...
[chatter continues]
Welcome to Rome.
I appreciate the informality
of your welcome.
What is the news from Florence?
Ah, officially, I am here
to open the shutters of the
Villa Medici for my master,
Piero de Medici.
Stones have been thrown
at his house in Florence.
Large stones.
He believes he will
be safer here in Rome.
Not without our protection.
The Medici have
made many enemies;
That cannot be contested.
What of the Medici bank?
Is it a sinking ship?
Oh, I am not a banker,
but it may have already sunk.
You may not be a banker
but you are the
Medicis' ambassador;
You know these things.
True, I have been privy
to sensitive negotiations.
Signore de Medici
values my opinion...
especially as he does
not have one of his own...
but I am really nothing
more than a nuncio,
a messenger boy.
And what message
does the boy bring?
What of the Vatican funds?
Every penny could be lost.
That is the sour truth of it.
Where has the money gone?
That is the golden question.
You are not alone in
wanting an answer.
There are funds,
but the question is,
where might they be?
Do you know?
I am told that what
remains is on the move.
Some here, some there.
Though not on its way
to whom it belongs.
Where?
That I do not know.
Not yet.
Until such time,
it is as I told you:
I am here to open the
shutters at the Villa Medici.
Signore Machiavelli,
a more specific insight
into this matter
would be much appreciated.
Your father claims
that I have warned you
of the dangers of marriage.
You have incurred his
extreme displeasure.
I think it might make him ill.
Well, then, father and
daughter will be ill together.
The thought of marriage
turns my stomach.
It's within his prerogative
to marry you to
whomever he may please.
Well, then, let him do it,
and he can fish me
out of the Tiber.
He's asked me to vet
suitors on your behalf.
And you agreed?
More or less.
Well, at least it leaves
you with a choice.
Mother, the man I married
was a beast.
I was little more
than meat to him.
And yet you took the
stable boy as your lover.
Well, that was different.
And there is hope for you yet.
I do not deny that
the warm touch of a lover
might ease the pain.
So all is not lost.
Mmm...
You're back.
I dreamed.
What did you dream?
Nothing I have ever seen.
It was not of this world.
Rest now.
What would be your feeling,
Brother Bernadino,
if this humble
sardine was poisoned
and you proceeded to expire?
One of happiness, Holiness,
for I would have died in
the service of our Lord
and saved His vicar
here on earth.
You are an
inspiration to us all.
God's vicar will strive to
be worthy of your devotion.
Now let us enjoy these
fruits of the sea.
[reading praying in Latin]
There is a new
order in Florence.
Savonarola wields
yet more power.
All bow to him,
some in fear,
some in reverence.
He virtually controls the city.
He turned down the hat,
of course.
Hmph. Scorned it.
Ah.
Yet another insult to Rome.
No one turns down a
seat in the Cardinalate.
Piero de Medici
is hated by all.
Small wonder.
Della Rovere's been
seen in Florence
and is said to have met
with Savonarola.
Ah.
We must silence
this yapping dog.
And Della Rovere,
he should have been
muzzled long ago.
Savonarola claims that
he hears the voice of God
and him alone.
He says that visions are put
into his mind by angels.
Well, that could give us
cause to excommunicate him.
Heresy.
The very worst.
We may yet have
cause to burn him.
We thank you for
responding to our request...
especially in such numbers.
One more would
have made a crowd.
We are here,
but we wonder to what purpose.
Another lesson in
baking, perhaps.
[chuckling]
We were searching for some time
for a suitable location
to house the poor.
Now we have found it.
Here?
All we need now are the funds.
Surely it would take
an excessive sum
to make this suitable
for habitation.
That is not a problem.
We manage the works.
The curia will
provide the funds.
What branch of the curia?
The Office of Public Works.
The Office of Public Works
has been emptied of funds
by your charitable endeavours.
I believe it was emptied
long before our efforts begun.
La Bella Farnese
has been combing
through the books of accounts.
Must she now comb
through your palaces?
Through, dare I say it,
the brothels?
He was vice chancellor himself.
He has palaces of his own.
He knows how things work.
His Holiness is going through
a period of sanctity, penance.
It will pass.
Combing the books already.
What else might they do?
Who knows? They are women.
Women are dangerous.
And how long will this
newfound sanctity last?
Should be over by
Easter, I should hazard.
So, what must we do?
You-restore the ruin.
What?
Ascani, you can't be serious...
Shut up. And pay for it.
Pay?
He's not serious.
This is unheard of.
Friar Savonarola
berates us daily.
He preaches heresy.
That God speaks to
him and him alone.
He must be silenced.
We charge you with this task.
This will require
all your patience.
You will travel to Florence
and you will ban him
from preaching the word of God.
He will laugh in my face.
Of course.
Then we will charge him
with heresy.
He will laugh in your face.
Of course.
Then we will excommunicate him.
He will deny your
right to do so.
Of course.
And then...
...we will burn him.
Vengeance, you see, can wait.
A lifetime if necessary.
Wagons carrying Medici gold
are to be shipped
to Castelfiorentino.
There is a stronghold there.
So the Medici coffers
are not entirely empty.
Not if one knows where to look.
How much gold?
Not enough for a king's ransom,
but one hopes sufficient to
make your detour worthwhile.
Enough to feed an army?
Armies have big bellies.
Let this map be your guide;
I prepared it myself.
Here is the route, the day,
all you need to know.
Look for wagons under escort
transporting alum ore.
Trade in alum
is on the increase.
Do not be deceived
by appearances.
The gold is hidden
on the wagons.
I must go.
To open more shutters?
To let in more light. Yes.
The light you bring to us
is much appreciated.
Just a beginning.
I would make a gift
of gold to my father.
Does your father not have
gold enough of his own?
No, this is Medici gold.
My father holds
no affection for the Medici.
He brands them
thieves and liars.
All bankers are thieves
and liars, Eminence.
I would rather trust
a beggar in the street.
Listen.
A shipment of gold
hidden in alum ore
is to travel from Florence
to Castelfiorentino.
It shall be ours.
For this, we will
need our friends.
If there is gold promised,
they will be there.
Not only will we bring
the Friar Savonarola
to his unholy knees,
we will also bring
Medici gold to my father.
Your father knows of this?
He will know when
he sees the gold.
Surely such a gift from a son
deserves reward
from the father, no?
I will have only one reward...
and I will have it
no matter what.
These robes have clung to
my back for far too long.
Yes, I bear witness
to that, Eminence.
For the protection of
Rome and the Holy Church...
and the protection
of my unwitting father,
I will command the papal army.
And you, Micheletto,
you will wear armour
and be my captain.
No, I was born in the shadows
and I feel that is
where I should remain.
First, the prize.
The Doge of Venice?
His nephew.
Oh.
Is he of consequence?
His uncle, the doge,
has immense wealth
and is extremely
fond of his nephew.
At least take a look at him
then I can tell your father
I have done his bidding.
The Doge of Venice is a man
fond of war, is he not?
They are all fond
of war in the north.
But I cannot speak
for the nephew.
Just cast an eye
over him, that's all.
Where is he,
this doge's nephew?
Waiting in the main
hall with his retinue.
Most likely dying
of old age by this time.
Very well.
You go and talk to him
and I will watch.
This is not a game, you know.
No, but it feels like one.
Oh, and he has a dog. A gift.
A dog? For you.
A man of immense
wealth, you say,
and he brings a dog?
[chuckling]
I don't think I've ever
seen a dog quite like this.
It's a wolfhound, my lady.
It's one of the tallest breeds.
A hunting dog.
He's a powerful beast
but he will make a loving
and loyal companion.
Hmm.
What do you think?
Impressive, no?
The man or the girl?
What is your verdict?
No.
That's no to the doge's nephew.
And yes to the dog.
Wait, on second thoughts,
it's no to them both.
Man and dog.
It was kind of you to
come but I'm afraid...
I have another venture for you.
First, you will escort me to
Florence on Vatican business.
And then there will be
rewards for all of us.
You said that the last time.
Well, this time there is gold.
Medici gold.
They are robbing
their own bank,
so we will rob them.
Trust me. My name is Borgia.
Let's hope the cardinals
have consciences.
What more can we do?
This was left this morning,
like a baby abandoned
on a doorstep.
A victory.
It's a start.
Let the works begin.
[chuckles]
So... Piero de Medici,
to what does Rome
owe the pleasure
of your forsaking
of your beloved Florence?
Holiness, a torch
was put to our house.
We left the city
in a hail of stones.
Dramatic exit indeed.
You have come bearing the gold
we deposited with
the Medici bank?
Or have those funds gone up
in flames with your palaces?
Those funds are in safe
hands, Holy Father.
Oh.
But they are on the move,
to secure locations.
We thank you for
your assurance.
So why exactly are you here?
I would plead for the Holy
Father's protection in Rome.
And for his help
in the battle against
the Friar Savonarola.
We have dispatched our son,
Cardinal Borgia,
to secure his silence.
You think he can be silenced?
If not, he will be burned.
And there will be
flourishing once again
in your fair Florence a bank...
but this time a Vatican bank.
What does the pope
know of banking?
What the pope does not know,
Piero de Medici will teach him.
Holiness. Father...
Since Jesus died for us,
since he gave his life for us...
his blood for us,
his pain for us,
let us kneel for him!
Girolamo Savonarola!
[crowd murmuring]
I am Cardinal Cesare Borgia!
The bastard son of the pope!
I am the servant of our most
Holy Father, Vicar of Christ,
and voice of the Living God,
Pope Alexander Sextus.
This edict finds you guilty
of disseminating
pernicious doctrines
to the scandal and
grief of simple souls.
Having incurred our
Holy Father's censure,
you are hereby ordered
to suspend your
sermons and prophecies,
lest you be charged
with heresy.
I thank His Holiness.
And tell him I will use it...
...to wipe my ass!
[laughter and chatter]
You are standing too close to
the fire, Brother Savonarola.
You may get burned.
Think you I fear the flame?
I have the word of God.
It is the Borgias
who will burn!
[loud jeering]
This time, a little more.
Heaven and Hell?
Heaven and Hell.
Do you have faith?
Yes, Father.
Then drink.
[pained noises]
[pained noises]
[indistinct shouting]
Stop the sinners!
You deserve to suffer!
Move.
My God. What is this?
Sodomites. The lot of them.
They're to be hanged,
then burned by order
of Father Savonarola.
Sodomites!
Burn in hell!
Sodomite scum! Die!
In the name of Jesus Christ.
What, in the name
of Jesus Christ?
The ring off your finger.
And you, boy,
what would you have?
My boot up your ass?
Sodomite!
Here is one-a sodomite!
Sodomite! Sodomite!
Move! Out of the way!
Move!
Back! Move back!
You can run from God
but you cannot hide!
Sodomites!
Move away! All of you!
He will get you!
You promised them booty,
your Eminence.
There is booty to be found,
but not in Florence.
Come on! Yah! Yah!
[crackle]
What was that?
Ah!
Uh!
Easy meat.
Too easy.
So, condottieri!
Ah!
Booty at last.
Wait!
Ah!
Ugh!
[shouting]
Find it!
Ah, you dog!
Ugh!
Ah!
Ah!
My lord.
Colonna, can you
make gold from alum?
We are condottieri,
not alchemists.
Aha.
We shall have to pay
you in gold then.
[laughs]
How long might this game go on?
Until we run out of princes.
We've already seen five.
This will be number six.
At first it was a distraction;
Now it's a chore.
Then marry one of them
and be done with it.
Have a bed chamber of your own
and put a strong
lock on the door.
[indistinct chatter]
Which one is the suitor?
The one in the blue velvet,
at the front.
Calvino Pallavicini
from Genova.
And, behind him,
in the brown and grey.
Who is he?
That must be Raffaello
di Genova, his brother.
Who did you say?
His name is Raffaello.
He is the younger brother
of Calvino.
I just told you,
he is not your suitor.
The other one, Calvino-
that is your suitor.
Savonarola remains defiant.
Oh.
And you are learning patience?
With difficulty, Holy Father.
[chuckles]
[sigh] I have a gift for you.
Medici gold.
Enough for the Forli campaign.
They are dispersing
the bank's funds
through the whole of Italy.
If we could track
down the rest,
we could even conquer Florence.
And you would equip
an army with it.
I would batter the
walls of Forli with it
and drag Catherina Sforza
in chains before you.
You would be a soldier?
You know that has always
been my heart's desire.
But who would advise me
in this Vatican?
Who would guide me, protect us?
Hm?
We always said we must
have one son in the cloth,
and one in armour.
Would you have us
make Juan a cardinal?
[laughs] No.
We thank you from
the bottom of our heart.
But you know what you
ask is impossible.
Your brother's coming home,
a changed man, we are assured.
With a party of conquistadors
hardened by the New Spain.
Promise us that you
will welcome him...
with a brotherly embrace.
You must embrace him
for me, Holy Father.
While I attend to the
Church's business...
back in Florence.