The Life of Cesare Borgia

The Most Evil Man in Italy? Cesare Borgia served as Machiavelli's model of the ideal ruler for The Prince. The illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, he was a cardinal at age 22. He lived hard and died hard, murdering his enemies, seizing power in Florence, and marrying off his sister Lucretia for political gain, not once but three times. This is his remarkable story.