The Borgias

Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI through political maneuvering, bribery, and intimidation, despite opposition from influential Cardinals Della Rovere and Orsini. The Borgia family enlists the skilled assassin Micheletto to support their growing influence.

The newly elected Pope quickly moves to strengthen his position by appointing his children to influential roles within the Church and military, while also pursuing a strategic marriage alliance for his daughter.

Facing financial strain, Rodrigo Borgia pursues a strategic marriage for Lucrezia to secure an alliance with Milan and imposes a tax on Jewish refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Meanwhile, the Borgia family entertains a Turkish prince, and Micheletto is tasked with eliminating the Della Rovere threat.

Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza, intended to strengthen Borgia alliances, is disrupted by a series of scandalous events, including Juan's indecent play, Cesare's flirtation with a married noblewoman, and the arrival of Lucrezia's illegitimate mother. Meanwhile, Della Rovere turns to the Medici family and their advisor Machiavelli for support.

Lucrezia, mistreated by her husband, begins an affair with Paolo, a young stable hand. Meanwhile, Cesare negotiates with Machiavelli to block French troops in exchange for removing the influential preacher Savonarola. Obsessed with Ursula, a married baroness, Cesare takes extreme measures to eliminate her husband.

Della Rovere arrives in France and negotiates with the king to launch an invasion of Italy aimed at securing the papal throne, in return for control of Naples. To counter this threat, Rodrigo pursues a political alliance by arranging a marriage between his son Joffre and Princess Sancia of Naples, though Juan jeopardizes the plan by pursuing a romantic relationship with Sancia.

King Charles of France and Della Rovere advance successfully through Italy, sacking Lucca and causing Italian forces to retreat under their respective banners, with Giovanni Sforza, husband of Lucrezia, preparing to join them under the banner of Milan. Leonardo da Vinci presents his war machine designs to the French invaders.

As the invaders advance on Rome, they capture the pregnant Lucrezia, who manages to charm King Charles and convinces her brother Juan to retreat his outnumbered forces. Pope Alexander VI watches anxiously as Charles enters the city and heads toward the Vatican.

Alexander VI meets King Charles with humility to preserve his power, successfully securing his throne and receiving a confession from the newly crowned "King of France and Naples." Della Rovere is left in despair as Charles abandons him, while Lucrezia gives birth to a son in a convent, allowing the Borgias to annul her marriage and begin planning retaliation against their rivals.

Pope Alexander VI begins a new relationship and hosts an elaborate pagan celebration in Rome following the discovery of ancient artifacts. Tensions between brothers Cesare and Juan escalate into public conflict, while Lucrezia cares for her newborn. Della Rovere, returned to the role of a pastoral priest, survives an attempted assassination.

The stable boy who fathered Lucrezia Borgia's child journeys to Rome to meet her, only to be betrayed and killed by her brother Juan. Meanwhile, the Pope's mistresses, Giulia and Vittoria, take the boy's disguised body on a tour through Rome's impoverished districts, offering a stark view of the city's social contrasts.

Alexander VI denies Paolo a Catholic burial, fueling Lucrezia's desperation as she begins a hunger strike that endangers her newborn son. Meanwhile, the French army, allied with Sforza, prepares to return to Rome, and Della Rovere secretly reenters the city to conspire against the Pope.

Cesare, aided by Micheletto, gathers mercenaries to retaliate against French forces for destroying the nunnery where his lover Ursula resided. Meanwhile, the Pope strengthens political alliances while increasing his wealth, and Lucrezia supports Giulia's efforts to assist the impoverished people of Rome.

Cesare Borgia takes firm action against the scheming Sforza family, while Alexander VI secretly travels to Florence to listen to the impassioned preacher Savonarola, unaware that the Della Rovere are attempting to enlist the radical religious leader.

Alexander interprets a lightning strike during mass at St. Peter's Basilica as a divine omen. Cesare seeks to demonstrate his military capabilities, while the Pope urges Lucrezia to accept a new politically advantageous marriage.

Juan returns to Italy after a successful campaign in Spain but faces defeat in his attempt to capture the Sforza castle. Lucrezia Borgia thwarts a marriage arrangement with a wealthy Genovese merchant, and Girolamo Savonarola's followers carry out the "Bonfire of the Vanities," destroying luxury goods in Florence.

Juan attempts to reenter Roman politics by portraying his battlefield injury as a sign of bravery, but Cesare reveals his cowardice and disgrace. Meanwhile, Lucrezia begins a romantic affair with her future husband's younger brother, and Della Rovere, having enlisted a young, charismatic friar as an assassin, uses him to strike at the Pope's inner circle by targeting his food taster.

As Easter approaches, Alexander arranges a feast to break his religious fast, while an assassin in the service of Della Rovere moves closer to the Pope by becoming his taster. Lucrezia's suitor is rejected by her father, and Juan's reckless actions endanger her child, prompting Cesare to confront his unstable brother.

The Borgia family faces a personal tragedy, while Cesare Borgia makes a startling confession about his past. Lucrezia unexpectedly falls in love with and agrees to marry Alfonso of Aragon. Meanwhile, Cesare tortures Girolamo Savonarola without success, fabricates a confession, and has him burned as a heretic, and an assassin completes his mission with a poisoned drink.

Pope Alexander faces a life-threatening crisis as the cardinals vie for power within the Vatican. Meanwhile, Cesare and Micheletto pursue an assassin, and Della Rovere readies himself for a strategic countermove.

Alexander assigns Cardinal Sforza the mission of cleansing the College of Cardinals, while powerful Roman families plot against the Pope, and Lucrezia makes a move to seduce Cesare.

The King of Naples challenges the Borgia alliance by rejecting Lucrezia's child as part of the marriage terms and extends a provocative invitation to Caterina Sforza and other rivals to attend the wedding.

Cardinal Farnese reveals Cardinal Versucci's financial misconduct, leading to political tension, while the King of Naples demands that Lucrezia's marriage to his cousin be formally consummated in his presence.

Lucrezia and Micheletto conspire to assassinate King Ferdinand after he withholds her child and fails to secure an annulment for Louis, which was promised to help Cesare obtain a wife and an army.

Cesare Borgia forms an alliance between the sons of five Romagna families and his own military forces to attack Forli, while the Pope engages in negotiations with Constantinople's Jewish community to acquire a holy relic.

Following the French king's takeover of an abandoned Milan, Cesare is assigned to eliminate Ludivico, while Lucretia becomes entangled in political schemes within the Neapolitan court.

Micheleto discovers that his mistress is secretly working as an informant for the Sforza family, while Caterina Sforza elevates the Shroud of Turin as a competing holy artifact to strengthen her influence. Meanwhile, Alfonso orders Lucrezia to be placed under house arrest.

Lucrezia Borgia flees Naples with her husband Alfonso and their child, while Pope Alexander VI seizes control of the sulfur trade, limiting gunpowder production for others.

Micheletto temporarily rejoins Cesare to assist in the siege of Forli, leading to the capture of Caterina Sforza and the recruitment of her assassin, Rufio.