The Borgias (2011–2013) is not a documentary but a compelling work of historical fiction. Its strengths lie in its production design, acting (especially Irons and Arnaud), and its interrogation of how the Church became a vehicle for dynastic ambition. Its weaknesses are the exaggerated incest and poison tropes that originated with Borgia enemies. For Spanish-speaking viewers watching the “Serie Completa Subtitu...”, the series offers an accessible—if flawed—entry point into Renaissance history. Ideally, it should be paired with readings of Machiavelli, Johann Burchard (whose papal diary inspired many scenes), and modern historians like Catherine Fletcher.
This paper provides a detailed critical analysis of the Showtime television series The Borgias (2011–2013), created by Neil Jordan. It examines the series’ portrayal of the infamous Borgia family—Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), Cesare, Lucrezia, and Juan Borgia—against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy. The paper evaluates the show’s historical accuracy, thematic focus on nepotism, simony, and murder, and its narrative use of subtitled dialogue (as indicated by the subject line) for international audiences. Furthermore, it contrasts the series with the 2006 Spanish film Los Borgia and concludes that while the show dramatizes events for entertainment, it successfully captures the moral ambiguity and political machismo of 15th-century papal politics.
Abstract This paper examines the Spanish television series Los Borgia (2011), directed by Antonio Hernández. While often overshadowed by the contemporaneous Showtime production The Borgias, the Spanish iteration offers a grittier, more historically grounded, and distinctively Spanish perspective on the rise and fall of the Borgia dynasty. By analyzing the series' production context, its characterization of Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI), and its thematic treatment of the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, this paper argues that Los Borgia serves as a vital cultural text that reclaims the Spanish identity of one of history’s most maligned families. The Borgias -Los Borgia- Serie Completa Subtitu...
The series presents Rodrigo as a sensual, ambitious, and calculating patriarch. Unlike one-dimensional villains, Irons’s Rodrigo genuinely loves his children but believes his papacy is God’s will. The show includes historical events such as the 1492 papal conclave (bribery shown explicitly) and the Banquet of Chestnuts (a notoriously scandalous party in 1501). However, the series invents or exaggerates:
To understand the significance of Los Borgia, one must understand the historiographical concept of the Leyenda Negra (Black Legend). Historically, the Borgias were depicted by rival Italian dynasties (such as the Medicis) and later Protestant propagandists as the epitome of papal corruption: incest, poison, and simony were their alleged trademarks. The Borgias (2011–2013) is not a documentary but
Showrunner Antonio Hernández utilizes the series to interrogate these biases. The show posits that while the Borgias were undoubtedly violent and manipulative, they were products of their time. The series portrays an Italy not of enlightened art, but of warring city-states, where the Church was a military power broker. By contextualizing Rodrigo’s purchase of the papacy (simony) as a standard political transaction of the era, the show humanizes him. It suggests that his greatest crime was not his immorality, but his Spanishness in an Italian court that resented foreign influence.
The subject line’s emphasis on “Subtitu...” (subtitles) is crucial. A series that premiered in English on Showtime was distributed globally with Spanish subtitles, allowing Los Borgia to be claimed as part of Spanish heritage, not just Italian. Subtitles also preserve the original actors’ performances (Jeremy Irons’s charismatic Rodrigo) while making the dialogue accessible. For non-English speakers, subtitled historical dramas serve as primary sources of “historical knowledge,” which is dangerous when the show invents events. Thus, educators should use the series with caution. This paper provides a detailed critical analysis of
In 2011, audiences were presented with a rare dueling depiction of historical figures. While Showtime’s The Borgias (starring Jeremy Irons) presented a high-gloss, melodramatic vision akin to a "Renaissance Godfather," the Spanish production Los Borgia offered a starkly different approach. Broadcast on TVE and later released internationally, the Spanish series focused on realism, political intricacy, and the "Black Legend" that has historically surrounded the family.
The title Los Borgia (using the Spanish spelling rather than the Italian Borgia) is the first indicator of the show's intent: to ground the narrative in the family's Aragonese origins. The series chronicles the ascent of Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy as Alexander VI, the ruthless ambitions of his children—Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia, and Jofré—and the violent political landscape of 15th-century Italy. Unlike its English-language counterpart, which leaned heavily into rumor and sensationalism, the Spanish series frames the Borgias not as cartoonish villains, but as pragmatists navigating a corrupt ecclesiastical system.