Borgia

: His later years were marked by disfigurement from syphilis, forcing him to wear a leather mask. The Enigma: Lucrezia Borgia A Rose for Rodrigo Borgia (guest post) - Ex Urbe

: His effective, often brutal tactics served as the primary inspiration for Niccolò Machiavelli’s political masterpiece, The Prince . Borgia

The Borgias were a powerful Spanish-Italian dynasty that dominated the Renaissance papacy through strategic brilliance, legendary corruption, and ruthless ambition. The Patriarch: Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) : His later years were marked by disfigurement