Lucrezia's Wedding is the fourth episode of season one, as well as the fourth episode of the series. It was written by Neil Jordan, and directed by Simon Cellan Jones.
Storyline[]
Plot synopsis[]
Lucrezia's financially and politically motivated wedding to Milanese nobleman Giovanni Sforza is a disaster thanks to Juan's inappropriately bawdy play in his sister's honor, Cesare's brazen flirting with a married baroness, and the arrival of the Borgia children's illegitimate mother; Della Rovere seeks the aid of the illustrious Medici family and their counselor, Machiavelli.[1]
Appearances[]
Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia
François Arnaud as Cesare Borgia
Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia
Joanne Whalley as Vanozza Cattaneo
Lotte Verbeek as Giulia Farnese
David Oakes as Juan Borgia
Sean Harris as Micheletto Corella
Aidan Alexander as Joffre Borgia
Steven Berkoff as Girolamo Savonarola
Colm Feore as Giuliano Della Rovere
Julian Bleach as Niccolo Machiavelli
Ruta Gedmintas as Ursula Bonadeo
Luke Pasqualino as Paolo
Mickey Sumner as Francesca
Peter Sullivan as Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
Ronan Vibert as Giovanni Sforza
Johnny Palmiero as Giancarlo
Kenneth Collard as Husband (Actor)
Paloma Oakenfold as Courtesan (Actor)
Helen Norton as Wife (Actor)
Dávid Abonyi as Son (Actor)
Mal Whyte as Theatre Manager
Cesare Taurasi as Piero De Medici
David Bamber as Theo
Robert Reina as Spanish Ambassador
Fabiano Dantas Tavares as Native American
Justin Avoth as Conquistador
Nicholas Rowe as Baron Bonadeo
Poll[]
Trivia[]
- Goof: Lucrezia asks Cesare how Prince Djem died and he replies "swamp fever", to which Lucrezia comments about Djem being brought down by a mosquito, which indicates malaria. The transmission of malaria by mosquito wasn't discovered until hundreds of years later in the 1880s.[2]
- Goof: The Spanish ambassador uses the word America in reference to the lands discovered by Columbus. However, this term was not coined until the elaboration of the Waldseemüller map in 1507, four years after the death of Pope Alexander VI.[2]
- Goof: Savonarola claims to have dreamed about a Pope "blackened by syphilis". While some historians believe that the disease was already known in 1493 Italy, the word syphilis was not coined until the publication of Fracastoro's poem Syphilis sive morbus gallicus ("Syphilis or The French Disease") in the 1550s, which is about a shepherd named Syphilus that gets the disease as punishment for insulting the Sun god.[2]
- Goof: Lucrezia speaks of "sprezzatura", yet the concept would not become known until twenty five years after her father's death with the publication of 'The Book of the Courtier' by Baldessare Castiglione in 1528.[2]
- Goof: The flag of Spain is incorrectly depicted as the Bars of Aragon with the Coat of Arms of Castile and Leon superimposed. The actual Spanish flag at the time consisted of the arms of Castile, Leon and Aragon quartered, along with those of Sicily and recently conquered Granada as well.[2]
Historical notes[]
- Giovanni Sforza was only 26 years old at the time he married Lucrezia Borgia, not in his 40s as the series depicts him. Also, there are no indicators to assume he raped her.[3]
Videos[]
Sneak peeks[]
Behind the scenes[]