Lucretia Borgia According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day

Through a careful selection of letters, legal papers, and contemporary accounts, this volume reconstructs the early years of a woman whose name has long been tangled in myth. It follows Lucrezia from her childhood in the Vatican, through the ambitious rise of her father as Pope, and into the first marriage that bound her to the volatile world of Italian noble politics. The narrative stays close to the original documents, allowing readers to hear the voices of relatives, diplomats, and artists who recorded her fortunes.

The book then moves to the bustling courts of Rome and Ferrara, where Lucrezia navigates elaborate ceremonies, diplomatic negotiations, and the ever‑shifting alliances of the Borgia and Este families. Illustrated by portraits and facsimiles of letters, the story reveals how she managed her roles as wife, mother, and patron while the papal power waned around her. Listeners gain a nuanced portrait of a Renaissance figure caught between familial ambition and personal survival.