At the Court of the Borgia

by Johann Burchard, Geoffrey Parker (Translator)

Tʜᴇ pontificate of Alexander VI stands out with a reputation notorious and unique in the history of the papacy, and the name of Borgia is symbolic of all that is reckoned corrupt and criminal in the church of the fifteenth century. To the brilliance, variety and spirit of the cultural and political pursuits of Renaissance Italy, the Borgias, it is said, added features far more reprehensible in their blatant pursuit of dynastic ends, where murder, treachery and immorality became the everyday activities of the Vatican, within as well as outside its walls. . .

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Renaissance, Italy, Politics, Religion

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

born circa 1450

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_...

Reviews

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent primary source material on the reign of Alexander VI. Burchard's is the only account of the 2nd Borgia papacy with no axe to grind. In fact, the author's main criticisms tend to concern breeches of protocol/precedence by the Pope - as Vatican Master of Ceremonies, this was obviously a hot button issue with Burchard. He does occaisionally let his opinions out regarding the French invasion of Italy (Burchard was anti-French)and (in few cases) stated a very suggestive "no comment" regarding the suspicious deaths of some Borgia enemies. Burchard's diaries were evidently redacted at some point after his death as several sections are missing - including a period around Alexander VI's election and the time immediately following the murder of Don Juan Borgia, the Duke of Gandia.

[Rob Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good (and I think generally factual and unbiased) first-hand account of the notorious papacy of Alexander VI by his Master of Ceremonies, German cleric Johannes Burchard. The chronicler is a stickler for detail and doesn't seem to have an axe to grind; while he confirms some of the most outré tales of debauchery at the Borgia court in Rome, he doesn't seem to invent or exaggerate the facts as in the dubious reports of incest and poisoning circulated by the Borgias' many enemies. The events -- however sensational -- are generally reported without vitriol and in a matter-of-fact tone, and his reliability is enhanced (at least in my view) by the fact that this journal was apparently never meant for publication/circulation, but only as a personal aide-memoire.

This is heavily abridged from the original text, and one can see why in some of the entries. In his role as Master of Ceremonies Burchard was most concerned with the appropriate order of precedence in processions, services, and receptions, and sometimes the account of an event reads like a laundry list of luminaries and the protocol which was followed in that instance (or often, to Burchard's annoyance, wasn't followed.) However the selections in this translation are for the most part interesting and full of telling detail, the kind of information which only a first-hand observer could share.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The the diary this is translated from hails from a part of history I've never had much interest in. Renaissance Catholic history is not an area I've ever been eager to learn about in detail, and this book hasn't really changed that. It forms a very detailed account of some parts of Pope Alexander VI's reign, and I can see why people who are interested in that period of history would find it a very useful source of information. For someone without much interest in the papacy it's a little dry. Though there's clearly some scandalous things going on during the era, the writer of this text passes over them as genteelly as possible. I think the most interesting thing about it for me was the writer himself. He says very little about himself, and particular in the parts pertaining to the earlier years seems to avoid offering his own opinion as much as possible. Even though the writer's gone through every effort not to put much of himself into the work, and instead focus on the pope and the proceedings around him, you start to build up a picture of what the writer (the master of ceremonies contemporary to the pope) was like. If there isn't already a patron saint of tradition and pomp he's a good candidate. He writes as if sticking to a traditional order of ceremonies is the only real moral good in all the world; whenever the 'correct' order is stuck to, he considers it a good day and is benevolent in his attitude to everyone involved. Where mistakes are made, or, worse yet, the normal order deliberately ignored, he feels the world to have been deeply upset. Thus you get a strange narrative where the fact that a pope (who's supposed to be celibate) has more than one recognised child around and keeps a courtesan attracts less disapproval than the fact that in a procession the cardinals, clergy and other members were in the wrong order. It's quite fascinating to read the diary of someone who plainly cares so much about these details (when I definitely do not) and infer things about the nature of this narrator based on how he describes the events he's witnessed. It's not the most interesting book I've ever read, but I think I still got something worth while out of it.

[James Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is structured as a diary that narrates a description or overview of Pope Alexander VI's reign. written by Johann Burchard, the Borgia pope's master of ceremonies, on life under his rule. The pontificate of Alexander VI (born Rodrigo de Borja and lived from 1431 – 1503) stands out in Papal history with a reputation that is infamous and unmatched, and the name Borgia symbolizes for everything that is regarded as corrupt and unlawful in the church of the fifteenth century.

Following Columbus' discoveries in 1492, Alexander's papal bulls of 1493 recognized or reaffirmed the Spanish crown's rights in the New World. Alexander VI served as Cesare Borgia's condottiere for the French king during the second Italian war. His foreign policy's main objective was to secure the best possible conditions for his family.

The author tries to avoid some of the more salacious stories about Alexander and he never disclosed the work during his lifetime. It wasn't until the beginning of the twentieth century that a complete edition of his diary was published. Even though I am not a Catholic, nor am I a scholar of the Renaissance, I found this book fascinating. For those interested in the history of the Borgia's or of the Renaissance culture and politics this is an excellent source.

[Ian Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johann Burchard was the secretary of Pope Alexander VI. His diary, extracted here, is a terrific account of life under the Borgias. He details a lot of their history and their rise to power, although - probably wisely - he does leave a fair amount between the lines about the the means of their ascension.

If you already know a reasonable amount about the period and setting then this would be a fabulous primary source to compare with others. To a casual student, Burchard can come across as quite prim and po-faced, seemingly deluding himself as to the nature of his master, although he has moments when it seems he is merely recording events without truly giving too much importance to them merely as a sort of aide-memoire to who was in and who was not from month to month.

As someone who reads a little bit of history but a lot more novels, my degenerate soul can only see the whole sorry saga as grist to the story-telling mill. Great fun and highly enjoyable... from a distance of more than five hundred years, obviously.

[Jackie Caruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time that I have read this book. After reading it the first time, I found that it was less a "diary" and more a political book aimed at finding favor with the Pope and gaining a Cardinal's hat for the longtime Master of Ceremonies, which it accomplished. As the Borgia were out of favor, it follows that Burchard's book does not favorably reflect on the Borgia years of the Papacy. While reading with different eyes, I picked up on comments like, "as I recall" or "I remember" definitely making this a recollection rather than an actual diary of events. Burchard also includes events that he did not personally witness as well as repeated rumor, gossip and innuendo against the Borgia. Because of his position in the Vatican, his "Diary" has been taken as a primary source regarding Alexander VI and family. However, on closer reading, it is more the political maneuvering of one wanting to go up the political ladder within the Vatican.

[Becca Edney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems strange to write a review of a historical document, so I’m mostly going to review the edition, which I liked a lot: the introductory segments in each chapter which explain the context are extremely useful and I appreciated the inclusion of some maps and family trees to help orient the reader in a world that the original writer was too familiar with to explain.
If you’re used to extremely violent and salacious stories about the Borgias, it’s a little disappointing, but it’s a great window into the historical facts. It’s also genuinely hilarious when something shocking does happen (*cough * Banquet of Chestnuts *cough *) because it’s usually mentioned in passing between a couple of perfectly normal events.

[Doug Adamson · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you enjoy play by play on papal activities and the pettiness of medieval functionaries written by the papal master of ceremonies, this book may be for you. If you were looking for a lively retelling of the time and actions of the Borgias, not so much. I was disappointed in this book. It managed to make the history of the Borgias boring. The best part of the book was the introductory chapter and the introductory notes (in italics) to each chapter.

[Joe S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love Burchard. Borgia has enemy. Enemy washes up dead in the Tiber. Moving on...The Pope didn't wear proper attire.

Very concerned with protocol, little on the historical grit (gossip tabloid) people look for. I actually appreciated that.

[SB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

An important historical account but a dull read.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful source for life at the Borgia court. Clear and well edited.

[Samantha Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This involves parts of Burchard's diaries that he kept during his time as Master of Ceremonies, and it's a brilliant first hand account.