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For viewers interested in comparing these adaptations, understanding their different starting points is illuminating. The 2006 film and the Canal+ series both explore the Borgias' origins and rise, while the Showtime version dives directly into the murder of Pope Innocent VIII.
Rodrigo chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "God? God has nothing to do with this, my son. This is business. And business requires... a vintage year."
The Borgia television series consists of 9 episodes, each approximately 55 minutes long. Here is a brief summary of each episode:
, such as the Medici and the Sforza, who resented the "Spanish outsiders". The Poison Myth:
(selling church offices), murder, incest, and poisoning—specifically with The Borgia -2006-2006
The narrative of The Borgia begins with the family’s ascent to absolute power. Rodrigo Borgia, played with commanding gravity by Lluís Homar, secures the papacy through bribery and political alliances, ascending as Pope Alexander VI. His rise transforms his children—Cesare, Lucrezia, Juan, and Jofre—from influential nobles into geopolitical chess pieces.
: Portrayed by Sergio Peris-Mencheta , Cesare is the ambitious eldest son who resents being forced into the clergy as a cardinal while harboring military aspirations.
"The Borgia" received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with praise for its:
If you meant a about the Borgias, there is none. The major film is The Borgias (2011–2013) — a Showtime series starring Jeremy Irons — which is often confused with the European series. And business requires
(originally released as Los Borgia ) is a 2006 Spanish-Italian biographical drama film directed by Antonio Hernández that explores the greed, passion, and political scheming of history's most infamous Renaissance dynasty.
: While addressing historical allegations of incest between Cesare and Lucrezia, the film remains somewhat ambiguous, focusing instead on their intense mutual loyalty.
In the mid-2000s, a wave of Borgia-mania swept across both the big and small screens. While international audiences would later become engrossed in the lavish Showtime series The Borgias (2011–2013) starring Jeremy Irons, a quieter but ambitious European project was already underway. That project was Los Borgia (released internationally as ), a 2006 Spanish-Italian biographical film directed by Antonio Hernández. Originally conceived as a television miniseries, the film stands as a unique cinematic artifact—a grand, sprawling, and occasionally flawed attempt to condense the tumultuous saga of one of history's most scandalous families into a single, epic narrative.
: The film moves away from the "femme fatale" legend of Lucrezia as a poisoner, instead focusing on her role as a victim of her father's political ambitions. The show explores themes of power
Lorenzo, a junior archivist in the Vatican Secret Archives, had watched the 2006 BBC production of The Borgia exactly once, on a bootleg DVD his nonno had mailed from Naples. He’d dismissed it as cheap, brutal, and grim—all shadowed corridors and whispered poisonings. “Sensationalist rubbish,” he’d told his colleagues.
The 2006 film is designed as a "swashbuckler" adventure drama that leans heavily into the legends of the Borgias poisoning their enemies. It portrays the Church during this period as having severe "PR problems".
Wrong, Lorenzo thought. All wrong.
Throughout the series, the Borgia family navigates the complex world of 15th-century Italian politics, forging alliances, and eliminating enemies. The show explores themes of power, loyalty, and family dynamics, offering a glimpse into the intricate web of relationships within the Borgia family.
Inside the papal chambers, the atmosphere was suffocating. Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, sat upon the Throne of St. Peter, but he did not look like a Vicar of Christ. He looked like a tired, aging lion whose kill was being threatened by hyenas.