The Borgias (2011)
0 revealing mistakes in show generally - chronological order
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Holliday Grainger, Peter Sullivan, Francois Arnaud
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Factual error: When Lucrezia is lying in bed suffering from swamp fever, probably malaria, she blames a mosquito for the disease. But she could not have known this; the discovery of the transmission of malaria by mosquitoes was not made until the late 19th century. The prevailing theory of disease transmission at the time was via miasma, or bad air.
Question: Why does Giovanni Sforza not prove he is not impotent? Was he in fact not able to perform in front of others or find the woman undesirable? I know historically he agreed to the annulment; but why? Was this scene historically accurate?
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Chosen answer: The Borgias arranged Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza for their own political gain. When Giovanni was no longer considered useful to them politically, they sought to end the marriage. Eventually, Giovanni reluctantly agreed to admit to impotence in exchange for keeping Lucrezia's dowry, which normally would have reverted back to the family in the event of an annulment. Divorce was rare at that time, and being unable to consummate a marriage was one grounds for an annulment. In the series, when the Borgias convene the College of Cardinals to have Giovanni prove his potency by performing with two overweight and unattractive prostitutes, he refuses because he is humiliated. The historical facts are mostly accurate, though the part about the prostitutes is probably fiction.
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