Lucretia Borgia According To Original Documents And Correspondence Of Her Day By Ferdinand Gregorovius Translated From The 3d German Ed By John Leslie Garner

Author : Ferdinand Gregorovius
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 156 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (195 download)

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Download or read book Lucretia Borgia written by Ferdinand Gregorovius and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-14 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lucretia Borgia by Ferdinand Gregorovius Translated by John Leslie Garner Lucretia Borgia is the most unfortunate woman in modern history. Is this because she was guilty of the most hideous crimes, or is it simply because she has been unjustly condemned by the world to bear its curse? The question has never been answered. Mankind is ever ready to discover the personification of human virtues and human vices in certain typical characters found in history and fable. The Borgias will never cease to fascinate the historian and the psychologist for they had for their background the Christian Church; they made their first appearance issuing from it; they used it for their advancement; and the sharp contrast of their conduct with the holy state makes them appear altogether fiendish. The Borgias are a satire on a great form or phase of religion, debasing and destroying it. They stand on high pedestals, and from their presence radiates the light of the Christian ideal. In this form we behold and recognize them. We view their acts through a medium which is permeated with religious ideas. Without this, and placed on a purely secular stage, the Borgias would have fallen into a position much less conspicuous than that of many other men, and would soon have ceased to be anything more than representatives of a large species. Cover: The only confirmed Lucrezia portrait painted from life (attributed to Dosso Dossi, c. 1519) BOOK THE FIRST--LUCRETIA BORGIA IN ROME I Lucretia's Father 3 II Lucretia's Mother 6 III Lucretia's First Home 9 IV Lucretia's Education 10 V Nepotism--Giulia Farnese--Lucretia's Betrothals 15 VI Her Father Becomes Pope--Giovanni Sforza 19 VII Lucretia's First Marriage 23 VIII Family Affairs 27 IX Lucretia Leaves Rome 31 X History and Description Of Pesaro 33 XI The Invasion of Italy--The Profligate World 37 XII The Divorce and Second Marriage 43 XIII A Regent and a Mother 47 XIV Social Life of the Borgias 51 XV Misfortunes of Catarina Sforza 55 XVI Murder of Alfonso of Aragon 58 XVII Lucretia at Nepi 61 XVIII Cæsar at Pesaro 64 XIX Another Marriage Planned for Lucretia 68 XX Negotiations with the House of Este 73 XXI The Eve of the Wedding 78 XXII Arrival and Return of the Bridal Escort 83 BOOK THE SECOND--LUCRETIA IN FERRARA I Lucretia's Journey to Ferrara 93 II Formal Entry into Ferrara 97 III Fêtes Given in Lucretia's Honor 101 IV The Este Dynasty--Description of Ferrara 107 V Death of Alexander VI 112 VI Events Following the Pope's Death 117 VII Court Poets--Giulia Bella and Julius II--The Este Dynasty Endangered 121 VIII Escape and Death of Cæsar 126 IX Murder of Ercole Strozzi--Death of Giovanni Sforza and of Lucretia's Eldest Son 130 X Effects of the War--The Roman Infante 135 XI Last Years and Death of Vannozza 138 XII Death of Lucretia Borgia--Conclusion 142