"(NARRATOR READING)" "To be elected Pope, promises must be made." "On the morning I was born, the good Cardinal made a sacred and irrevocable pact with God." "My life would be lived with absolute purity." "In exchange, Rodrigo would become Pope." "(NARRATOR READING)" "And will you finally acknowledge them as your children?" "No." "My nephew, Orsino Migliorati, his wife, Giulia." "I am giving away all my earthly possessions." "(NARRATOR READING)" "I will be Vice Chancellor." "Your niece, Lucrezia, will marry my cousin, Giovanni, to bind us in blood." "(NARRATOR READING)" "Borgia, 14." "I am the Pope?" "I am the Pope!" "NARRATOR:" "He is now Pope Alexander VI, Chief Magistrate of Rome," "King of the Papal States." "Cesare, the bells ring Borgia!" "Borgia!" "I have had amazing visions." "I am to be a nun." "NARRATOR:" "Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church." "Do you comprehend what you have done?" "Oh, yes." "Borgia will wear the tiara, but I will rule." "(SINGING LATIN HYMN)" "I invest thee with the Roman papacy, that thou rule over the city and the world." "(ALL SHOUTING)" "Whoa!" "Welcome to Spoleto, Excellency." "A welcome to purgatory." "Who in hell are you?" "Agapito Geraldini." "Geraldini?" "Are you not a suffragan of the Colonna family?" "I serve His Holiness, Pope Alexander." "He sent me to be your secretary." "And take me to the heaven which is Rome?" "No, Excellency, we are to remain in Spoleto indefinitely." "(SIGHS)" "I have given up all I love to ensure Rodrigo Borgia's day would come." "I should be by his side in Saint Peter's." "Yet he orders me to dwell in this valley between mountains." "Hidden from view of the world." "Spoleto is but 140 kilometers from Rome." "And yet the distance from Spain to Rome will prove much shorter." "In my heart, I know the new Pontiff has already summoned my brother." "Just as I know I cannot soon return to Pisa." "Well, if Spoleto is your purgatory, then Pisa is your hell." "Better to be here, hoping for release from suffering, than there, in perpetual torment." "But my baby son is in Pisa." "And I have, at this moment, a band of Borgia bravi scouring Monte Serra to find him." "In time, they will." "Cesare!" "There is no clock in all of Europe in which such a time exists." "You live a fantasy." "(SCOFFS)" "I thought you were my friend." "Friends tell the truth." "Lovers lie." "And as your friend, I beg you to accept what you know to be true and allow your son to rest in the hands of God." "I cannot accept that of which I have no proof." "My bravi will find him and little Cesare will once more wiggle in my hands." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "We swear upon the soul of our late uncle, Pope Calixtus, and upon our own life, that we shall soon tear down and rebuild this basilica anew." "As we shall rebuild and reform Holy Mother Church." "(CHURCH BELL RINGING)" "(PLAYING POORLY)" "Husband." "You saw my uncle Rodrigo receive the crown?" "I did." "He is now the Bishop of Rome, King of the Papal States and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church." "When will I see His Holiness?" "When he summons you." "But remember, do not tell him what you think you witnessed in your delirium." "Uncle is now Pope." "Dare I withhold a revelation spoken to me by Saint Petronilla?" "Lucrezia, let the vision live within your heart." "Take some time in silent prayer to be certain that becoming a nun is what Saint Petronilla truly asks." "You would not want to disappoint her and the Holy Father." "I will go and pray, Mama." "Not for clarity, which I already have, but for an audience with the Pope." "You have sworn to keep La Bella out of your bed... (LAUGHS) ...and your family away from Rome." "Reform of the church must begin with you." "Show your detractors you've changed." "By forsaking those I love?" "No." "Those whom Rodrigo Borgia loved." "A man who no longer exists." "Yes." "We are a new man." "Della Rovere is where?" "Fled, to Ostia." "Fled?" "Because he failed to get elected, the French have abandoned him." "He believes his life is in peril." "Or he plots to put a new Pope's life in peril." "(DOOR OPENING)" "Gacet?" "Is that you?" "Giulia," "I..." "We made a promise to your husband's family." "There's to be no more between you and me." "We..." "I gave a sacred vow." "You are the Supreme Pontiff, with the power to overrule such vows." "We are forging a new church." "Pure and honest." "Our actions must match our goals." "Pope Innocent has bequeathed us a crumbling, corrupt, chaotic city." "Drink some wine." "Rome." "Rome should attract scholars and artists to rival Florence." "But we cannot invite creative souls to a city where the walls ripple with blood, the air stinks of..." "You still have some wine on your..." "We..." "We'll institute a tribunal to enforce the law, dividing the city into four districts, each with a judge to..." "And once each week, we ourselves," "shall hear complaints." "We, yes." "You cannot accomplish all of these improvements alone." "You are but one man." "My Rodrigo." "True." "We are alone." "You must surround your throne with those whom you do trust." "My family." "Your friends." "If my brother Alessandro were a cardinal, he would serve you loyally." "My God." "Oh, God." "Another?" "You, saying no to wine?" "Cesare, I am summoned to Rome and must soon depart." "Nonsense." "We are on holiday until the Pope summons me." "A messenger came at dawn before you were awake." "I'm sworn to secrecy, but you are my dearest friend." "His Holiness is to name me a cardinal in petto." "(SIGHS)" "Congratulations." "With all my heart." "(SIGHS)" "Well, then let us hope that this appointment finally frees my once noble family from decades of poverty and dependency." "Well, Cardinal Farnese, perhaps you could offer a lowly seminarian some advice." "What shall I do today to keep from growing even more stagnant?" "You are not a lowly seminarian." "You are Bishop of Valencia." "Fill your days by doing good." "And while I am here doing good, you shall be in Rome, acting as my eyes, my ears, my spy." "(CHUCKLES)" "Spy?" "And if I'm exposed, I will be executed." "You will send me letters in code." "We are perplexed, Cardinal Riario-Sansoni." "At the Conclave, you and Cardinal della Rovere appeared to have had a falling out." "The bruise on your face told that story well." "But now, you come in his stead, you speak on your cousin's behalf." "In every family, Holy Father, there are disagreements." "But as Christians, we forgive." "Still, this sudden illness of our cherished Giuliano distresses us deeply." "We pray for a quick recovery." "Meanwhile," "you each have before you a list of papal officials whom we believe to be corrupt." "Their tenures are terminated as of this moment." "Holiness." "(ALL CHATTERING)" "The Supreme Pontiff will hear from Cardinal..." "Henceforth, Herr Burchard, we will dispense with you announcing the name of each cardinal." "We recognize our brother, Gianbattista Orsini." "He may, all may, speak freely." "Holiness, my niece's husband is on the list." "For 10 years, he has excelled as Maestro di Strada, overseeing the preservation of Rome's most historic edifices." "His tenure has excelled only in its systematic looting." "He goes!" "(COLONNA CHUCKLES)" "Do not smirk, Giovanni." "We hereby officially dismiss your brother, Fabrizio, as Prefect of Rome." "(LAUGHS)" "Today ends the casual lawlessness which has marked life in the Vatican since the death of Nicholas V." "To that end, we have chosen as Vice Chancellor, a man who shares our zeal for reform, Ascanio Sforza." "(ALL CHATTERING)" "He also shares our commitment to restoring Rome's supremacy in the world." "Does anyone have an argument with that?" "To begin, each of you will pay a yearly tithe to finance the reconstruction of Saint Peter's Basilica." "(ALL EXCLAIMING)" "You are dismissed until you are needed." "I helped to make Borgia Pope and he dares to speak to me that way?" "He is devoid of loyalty." "And tact." "No, this is true reform." "Nonsense." "This is a way to create job vacancies for Borgia cousins." "I tell you this, I will pay no tithe to destroy our basilica." "I leave at once for Bracciano to discuss these matters with my family." "Rome is a shop which sells fine pottery, into which we have let loose" "a snarling bull." "I go to join my cousin in Ostia." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "The two of you have in these past several years forged and sold upwards of 50 papal bulls." "As was understood..." "Do not speak, Fra Domenico!" "Do not move!" "You've received bribes for anywhere from 100 ducats to 2,000 writing fraudulent papal dispensations." "DOMENICO:" "My father was Pope Innocent's personal physician and I was guaranteed..." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Gentile, your father is incompetent and you shall steal no more." "(BOTH SCREAMING)" "(CROWD CHEERING)" "And how is our beloved nephew, Cesare?" "He longs to see you, Holiness." "Yes." "Alessandro, arise." "To whom are you loyal?" "Why, to you, of course, Holy Father." "Can one man be loyal to two men at the same time?" "In theory, if..." "No, he cannot, dear brother." "He cannot." "You must promise, young Farnese, that what you hear in the halls of the Vatican will not reach the walls of Spoleto." "Do you so swear?" "I do." "Have you told anyone that I will make you a cardinal?" "No, Holiness." "Not even Cesare?" "No." "Then come, let me embrace you." "Not as Pope, but as family." "I see a basilica twice the size of the current one." "With a dome reaching into the heavens." "LUCREZIA:" "Uncle!" "ADRIANA:" "Lucrezia!" "That is not how you greet the Pope." "Adriana, a Pope needs affection the same as any man." "Look at you." "There's pink in your cheeks and meat on your bones," "I was so worried." "I did not know if I would ever touch you again." "Uncle, worry not." "I have been reborn." "Oh, thanks be to God." "Lucrezia, embrace me." "Come, see your new suite, which I've hired Europe's finest artist to decorate." "You'll pose for him and he'll paint you as Saint Catherine." "Me, a saint?" "Oh, yes!" "Yes, Holy Father, I knew you would understand." "This way, my darling girl." "Citizens of Spoleto, please." "The Bishop is currently in prayer." "Blessed are You, Christ, my Lord, God of all creation." "Through Your goodness, I offer this wine." "Fruit of the vine and work of human hands." "I drink it as Your blood." "The presence of Your body and blood, Your soul and divinity shall awaken life in me." "AGAPITO:" "Excellency." "Agapito." "I know I'm not yet a priest and do not have the mystical power to change wine into the blood of Christ." "I go through the motions, hoping they will show me the way." "Any word from Pisa about my son?" "No, Excellency." "But there are peasants outside who seek an audience." "They've lost their livestock in the recent pestilence." "Give them each a ducat." "These men seek more than money." "They ask for your blessing, Bishop Borgia." "My blessing?" "Bring them in." "Count Prospero, I have come, as you requested, to be with you in your final hours." "You are not alone." "The Lord will accompany you on your journey." "He will not." "I have led a selfish life, full of depravity and sin." "I need absolution so I may enter paradise." "I understand." "Unfortunately, I am not yet fully a priest." "Twelve years ago," "I murdered Pietro Margani." "Now, I know he deserved to die a thousand times, that dog bitch." "Still, I need your forgiveness." "I cannot forgive you." "Why?" "You show no remorse." "Without remorse, there can be no absolution." "I know what you are, you goddamn holy man." "I know that such things cost." "I will pay." "I will pay." "You cannot buy salvation." "(GROANING)" "Count Prospero?" "He is dead." "Take the gold." "GIULIA:" "Lucrezia, dear, how are you faring?" "Lucrezia!" "I'm so excited being painted as Saint Catherine." "Oh, I believe, Maestro Pinturicchio, you are to paint my likeness tomorrow." "I am to be the Virgin Mary." "Oh." "What unsettles you?" "Lucrezia, I am not your mother, nor your guardian, nor your brother, nor someone who wants to see you naked." "There's nothing you need to hide from me, for I expect nothing from you." "I had a vision." "Lucrezia!" "I've heard you were delirious with fever." "I had a vision." "A divine vision, which laid out my destiny." "And what is your destiny?" "I am to be a nun." "Yet, I'm engaged to marry Don Gaspare de Procida." "(SIGHING) Lucky Lucrezia." "You have everything in the world, youth, wealth, an uncle who can place you high in society." "And yet you want more." "No, I want less." "A life of meditation." "So, do I do as my mother says and stay quiet?" "No, no." "Do as I do." "Tell Rodrigo of your heart's deepest desire." "Lucrezia!" "220 murders, Virginio?" "Between Innocent's death and our election?" "220?" "In 11 days?" "The number is high, but not unexpected." "A papal transition creates a void in leadership." "Was the entire Papal Guard on holiday?" "I directed the guard to make the safety of the Conclave top priority." "We were sequestered several stories up, behind a brick wall." "While the Neapolitan army attacked." "And were beaten back not by your men, but by ordinary citizens." "The guard must do better to control the violence." "Religious pilgrims flock to the grave of Saint Peter from all over Europe." "They are Christ's most humble servants." "And a source of income we cannot afford to jeopardize." "Last week, a group of Silesians observed dogs fighting over a human head." "They carried this story to Florence." "From there, gossip will spread throughout the world." "We want the man responsible." "Identifying the culprit would be impossible." "The process is a simple one." "Identify the head and arrest his enemies." "The head had many enemies." "Pick two." "Any two troublemakers." "Swoop in under cover of darkness and drag them from their beds." "And once we have them in custody?" "Execute them." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Their deaths will speak loudly to the people of Rome." "Live in safety and in fear." "(GROANING)" "The era of Borgia has arrived." "(CROWD CLAMORING)" "(SAW GRATING)" "(MAN SCREAMING)" "Oh, God!" "GACET:" "By beating back the street gangs, the Papal Guard is now the most deadly force in the city." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Yes?" "The Papal Guard is controlled by Virginio Orsini, not by us." "Vice Chancellor." "Your Holiness." "A moment, in private?" "We have no secrets from these men." "As you wish." "Franceschetto Cibo intends to sell the four papal properties which the late Pope, his father, bestowed upon him." "And who is to be the buyer?" "Virginio Orsini." "That name again." "Cibo is too feckless to engineer this deal." "It reeks of della Rovere." "And puts my brother in jeopardy." "These lands lead directly from Naples through the Papal States to Milan." "The Orsini have a contract with Naples, who intend to attack." "Ah." "In the Conclave we promised neutrality in these contretemps between the Italian city-states." "And you promised the Orsini that you would give up La Bella." "You promised the Colonna that your family would reside far from Rome." "Your campaign for the papacy made more promises than you can possibly keep." "But there is one you're about to ask me to keep." "Am I correct, Vice Chancellor?" "Yes." "Announce Lucrezia's betrothal to my cousin, Giovanni." "By binding the Borgia name to my own, Naples and della Rovere will cease their aggressions toward Milan." "The betrothal will happen next." "As soon as Giovanni can travel here, we shall sign the engagement." "No need to wait." "I will be his proxy." "We gather to finalize the betrothal of the maiden Lucrezia Borgia to Count Giovanni Sforza of Pesaro." "As our niece's legal guardian, we offer her hand in marriage." "Do you accept?" "I do." "And do you promise, on behalf of Lucrezia, to honor and obey?" "I do." "(CHURCH BELL RINGING)" "Uncle?" "Lucrezia has survived her fever and you, your journey across the sea." "We are a happy, blessed man." "Holiness." "I'm humbled to be in your presence." "I have news, good and bad." "I conquered the heart of King Ferdinand's niece" "Maria Enriques de Luna." "Of course." "Queen Isabella's heart was better fortified." "She denied me betrothal." "But that was prior to you becoming Pope." "We have an announcement which we believe will begin to soften the queen's objections." "We're appointing you Captain General of the Papal Guard." "JUAN:" "Captain General?" "Does this please you?" "To control an army?" "Yes." "Yes, of course." "This is my dream." "Holiness, I protest." "I've held this position for a decade." "And grown content." "Stale." "The Papal Guard needs new blood." "New?" "Perhaps." "Inexperienced?" "You put the security of Rome in the hands of an amateur." "We were all amateurs once, Virginio." "We have not dismissed you, sirrah." "Did you pay Franceschetto Cibo 40,000 ducats for four papal fiefdoms?" "I see." "That is your reason for besmirching my honor." "Yes, I have promised to send the money to Cibo's bank account in Florence at the end of the month." "The bastard son of a dead Pope has no right to sell what belongs to Holy Mother, the church." "Innocent granted the lands to his son." "Legally, Franceschetto has given the deeds to me." "Deeds?" "You dare put a handful of paper up against the wishes of the Supreme Pontiff?" "The sale is void." "If Your Holiness wishes the properties returned," "Your Holiness will have to take them by force." "Call out the Papal Guard." "Order Captain General Juan Borgia onto the field of battle." "I will happily meet the challenge." "Be gone from my sight." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Galeotto." "Anxious, Brother?" "You hide it poorly." "I ponder my future." "I will of course do everything asked of me to remain in the Holy Father's good graces, but in complete confidence to you, I wonder who is more deserving of loyalty, one who has earned my trust or one whose title demands that I bend my knee?" "Worry not, as long as each believes your loyalty belongs to him." "You're not the only Farnese keeping secrets from Rodrigo." "Keeping secrets from both father and son." "Ah, yes, a true Farnese you will yet become." "Silvia, I trust you enjoyed your tour of the palace." "SILVIA:" "Shahzadeh Djem was a gracious guide." "The pleasure was mine." "Alessandro, may I present Lady Silvia of the Ruffini family." "Ages have passed since I last saw her in Rome." "My lady." "Should you require an escort more Christian while in the Eternal City, the honor would be mine." "And you are a priest, are you not?" "(CHUCKLES)" "I'm working my way through the ranks of the church, but I'm not yet a priest." "Still." "My sanctity shall feel very safe with you by my side." "He will be ready to race in Il Palio." "AGAPITO:" "Excellency?" "What says Alessandro?" "Is my brother Juan in Rome?" "Yes." "The entire city celebrates the Duke of Gandia's new position," "Captain General." "And your sister is engaged to marry the Count of Pesaro." "And I will not be invited to the wedding." "What have you found?" "(CRYING)" "And so you will marry Giovanni Sforza, Count of Pesaro." "But I am already betrothed to Don Gaspare de Procida." "Your uncle was Vice Chancellor when that agreement was made." "Now he's Pope and he can give you a husband of greater stature." "Stature?" "The Sforza family is one of the noblest in Italy." "And Giovanni is said to be very handsome." "How old?" "28." "Nearly twice my age!" "He had a wife and she died in childbirth, so he's very sad." "But..." "Lucrezia," "I'm sure you will come to accept and even enjoy Giovanni Sforza." "I had not met my husband before our wedding day." "I want to see my uncle." "Absolutely not." "I insist!" "Then I shall lock you in your room." "And this time, your mother will not help you escape." "Saint Petronilla, I'm not worthy to ask you for favors but I beg you, please visit me again, right now." "Day after day, I cry out to you and receive no answer." "I know my sin is great, but my remorse is greater." "I want to do your will, but if you would visit me just one more time, I would be certain." "You lavish blessings upon my brother who cares nothing for you!" "While I dedicate myself." "But as I now hold no hope of joining you in the Kingdom of Heaven" "I choose to burn in my own hell." "Please, do not abandon me." "I will wait for you to come." "I will wait forever if I must." "(ALL CLAMORING)" "(GROANING)" "(COUGHING)" "(GASPING)" "GALEOTTO:" "You sent for us, signor Borgia?" ""Signor" Borgia?" "Captain General." "Pope Alexander, like the great god Jupiter, is angry." "Virginio Orsini's tenure was a total failure." "You, Lieutenant Sclafenatus, are proof of his failure." "During drills today, your men were an embarrassment." "Your Captain General speaks harshly, but true." "As the possibility of war between Milan and Naples grows, we must be able to rely on you to..." "Holiness, if I may..." "Lieutenant!" "Do you interrupt the Holy Father?" "Yes." "No." "Mea culpa." "Unacceptable." "In the new Papal Guard, a soldier is allowed only one mistake." "You have now made two." "A colder soul would pierce your throat and laugh as you bleed." "This is your last warning." "Improve or die." "Djem?" "If I may ask your advice, when you were at war with your brother, commanding your troops, if they performed poorly, how would you discipline them?" "Castration." "That way if they could not fight with bravado, at least they can sing with falsetto." "(LAUGHING)" "I cannot tell if you're joking." "(ALL SINGING IN FALSETTO)" "(ALL LAUGHING)" "One cannot allow the vino to dry up." "I shall fetch us some more." "(SINGING IN DEEP VOICES)" "Mama, let the servants work." "The wine." "SERVANT:" "Yes." "This one is a dolt." "Come on." "Go." "Go." "Yes, madam." "Finally, we are alone." "I have information which affects the future of our family." "What is it, Mama?" "Do your taverns no longer thrive as they once did?" "No, the income is steady." "The word in the taverns is what worries me." "You see, men like to boast, especially to a courtesan, but this was about Rodrigo." "Marcantonio Colonna, full of beer and pride, spoke of a plot to dethrone the Pope." "Della Rovere, Orsini and King Ferrante of Naples were mentioned in this conspiracy." "Mama." "No, no, we must..." "Mama, please relax." "Marcantonio Colonna is a fool and a coward." "Now, come." "Join us." "The thirsty await." "Thank God I have another son." "Thank God I have Cesare." "(SOBBING)" "I do not want to marry this creature Giovanni Sforza." "I don't want even to meet him." "Be calm, hmm?" "Be calm and listen." "Listen to me, has my marriage stopped me from getting everything I want?" "Has it?" "No." "And yours need not either." "All I want is to be a nun." "But if I try to see my uncle to tell him so," "Adriana blocks the way." "Oh, Adriana is a boil we will lance." "Soon." "Until then?" "Go through the motions, greet the Count of Pesaro." "Saint Petronilla is testing your resolve, by putting temptation in your path to purity." "Hmm?" "What have you been told about me?" "That you are old." "And sad." "Your wife died in childbirth." "Our baby died as well." "And true, I have been sad." "But I would take issue with the claim that I'm old." "I am as surprised to be here as you are to have me here." "I am Count of Pesaro, but somewhat by default." "I was born a bastard." "My father died without a legitimate heir." "I inherited a title and virtually nothing else." "My mother was niece to King Ferrante and my father was a Sforza." "I am the illegitimate offspring of two families who hate each other." "My story would make a lively plot for a drama, but it's somewhat less entertaining in the real world." "Do you still miss your wife?" "I do." "She was the other half of me." "But the pain, the loneliness, lessens every day." "I may always be altered by my sadness, but not crippled." "I can love again." "Your uncle has granted me a conductor, a contract to raise troops for the Papal Guard." "This endeavor will be very, very profitable." "And your dowry is 30,000 ducats." "Our marriage alters my fortunes substantially and" "I am in no position to refuse, even if you asked." "I hope that we will come to love each other." "I will work very hard to make you happy." "If you will let me." "Excellency, I have decoded Alessandro Farnese's latest letter." "Your sister's wedding is to take place tomorrow." "Your brother does not fare well as Captain General of the Papal Guard." "The enlisted men despise him." "The officers mock his commands." "Not surprising." "Juan is no leader." "I want to return the gold we took from Count Prospero." "Why?" "I do not know why." "Excellency," "I also have a letter from your mother telling of a conspiracy against Pope Alexander, forged by della Rovere, the Colonna, the Orsini and Naples." "They plot an attack on the Eternal City." "I must go to Rome and warn him." "Yes." "But without the Pope's permission?" "I will be walking towards my death." "Or towards your life." "This could be the sign from God for which you have been waiting." "I want Giovanni to want me tonight." "He will, Lucrezia." "You have never looked prettier." "I do not want to look pretty, cousin." "I want to look beautiful." "(GASPS)" "Oh, no." "That is vanity." "Oh, why must this wedding happen so fast?" "The Holy Father wills it." "(DOOR OPENING)" "Is this a queen I see before me?" "Be gone." "You, too, dear mother-in-law." "Giulia, I'm so confused." "I want to spend my days as a bride of Christ and my nights as a wife to Giovanni Sforza." "You cannot have both." "You must choose." "I know." "And I choose God." "Then the time has come to tell His Holiness of your true vocation." "As you kneel at the altar, look up at the Pope and speak the truth." "Hmm?" "(SINGING LATIN HYMN)" "If any person believes that these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, let him speak now or forever remain silent." "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Ambassador de Basche, the Muslim threat grows more real every day." "Plead with King Charles on our behalf for the French to initiate a crusade." "But such an enterprise is difficult, moving armies to Constantinople over land." "Unfortunately, we are no longer in control of Rome's harbors." "But there is always Naples." "Your niece makes a beautiful bride." "I so feared there would be rain today." "The great flood of 14." "She is beautiful every day." "GIANBATTISTA:" "I traveled to Rome..." "But never more so than today." "You were in the coach." "I was..." "POPE ALEXANDER:" "Every eye is upon her." "BURCHARD:" "Holiness, tradition demands other than the bride, women must remain separated from the men." "Mein lieber Herr Burchard, please, leave the past behind." "We are witnessing a new dawn, a rebirth of mankind, una rinascita!" "(ALL LAUGHING)" "Come, ladies, join the festivities." "(ALL CHEERING)" "(QUIETLY) Go away." "GIOVANNI:" "What is wrong, love?" "My mother, I wish she had been allowed to come." "(GUN FIRING)" "Excellency, what in the name of the risen Christ is this?" "Agapito, I've not said so, but I'm grateful to you for saving my life from the flames." "I did what I was hired to do." "And I'm not the kind of man that others write about." "No epic tales, no verse dramas, not even a middling comedy." "But you, Excellency, you will inspire playwrights and poets and penographers to celebrate your every breath." "Shit, I must perfect my aim." "I have made my decision." "Tomorrow, I leave for Rome." "(LOUD CHATTER)" "(ALL EXCLAIMING)" "Whoo!" "(LAUGHS)" "(GASPING)" "(GUESTS APPLAUDING)" "(GASPS)" "(GUESTS CHEERING)" "Two, three." "(PLAYING LIVELY MUSIC)" "(ALL CHEERING)" "I have debated theological principles with some of the best young minds in Italy." "But the hardest part of becoming intimate with God is realizing he sometimes wants me to act in ways of which my friends would never approve." "I know someone who tried to kill..." "Who tried to kill a baby, and I stopped him." "I deceived him." "But he does not know this." "He thinks himself as a murderer." "But our Lord knows he's not." "I saved this man's soul." "I found the baby." "Then why deceive your friend?" "Because he is not in a position where he could be a father." "In fact, by acknowledging his son's existence, he puts both their lives in danger." "Now that my friend believes his son is dead, the child is where he should be." "MAN:" "The Love of God, a poem by Dante." "The love of God, unutterable and perfect flows into a pure soul the way that light rushes into a transparent object" "The more love that it finds, the more it gives itself so that as we become clear and open" "the more complete the joy of loving is" "And the more souls who resonate together the greater the intensity of their love" "for, mirror-like, each soul reflects the other" "Lucrezia, we've been looking for you." "The hour is late." "Come home." "Home?" "I thought the Palazzo Santa Maria was my home." "You gave the palace to us as a wedding present." "Giovanni may visit you tomorrow." "Uncle, this is my wedding night." "And you are very young." "You need not become a woman this night." "Your husband will wait." "Will you not, dear Count?" "Good night, darling wife." "Good night, sweet husband." "What do you make of that, cousin?" "You are the master strategist." "Why is His Holiness not letting us consummate our marriage?" "As long as your bed is empty, he is able at any moment to dissolve the bond between you." "He is waiting." "In case a union with our house no longer suits his needs." "That or the Pope wants to fuck Lucrezia."