TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: LUCREZIA BORGIA (1480)

Lucrezia Borgia (1480)

Lucrezia was an Italian noblewoman and daughter of the future Pope Alexander VI. Her family came to epitomize the ruthless Machiavellian politics and sexual corruption allegedly characteristic of the Renaissance papacy, but rumors of her participation in her family’s poison plots and of incestuous relations with her father and brother have not been proved. Nevertheless, Lucrezia is often viewed as a femme fatale and has been portrayed as such in many works of art. What are a few examples? More… Discuss

Today In History:Girolamo Savonarola Executed for Heresy (1498)

Girolamo Savonarola Executed for Heresy (1498)

Savonarola was an Italian preacher and religious reformer. After the overthrow of the Medici family, he became the ruler of Florence, setting up a democratic but severely puritanical government. He was opposed by the allies of the Medici and by Pope Alexander VI, who attempted to restrain Savonarola’s unusual interpretations of scripture and his claim of prophecy. He was tried, convicted of heresy, and hanged. His government was known for its “bonfire of the vanities,” which was what? More… Discuss