Rodrigo Borgia's Valencian origins are emphasized, as are the family's Spanish connections. Characters use Spanish names—Cesar rather than Cesare, Lucrecia rather than Lucrezia—a subtle but meaningful choice reflecting the film's cultural identity. By contrast, the later television productions, even the European ones, approach the story from a more pan-European perspective.
The story of the Borgia family is one of the most enduring sagas of the Italian Renaissance—a tale of greed, sex, violence, and unprecedented papal ambition. While many adaptations have tackled this scandalous dynasty, the 2006 Spanish-Italian film (released in some regions as The Borgia ), directed by Antonio Hernández, offers a gritty, detailed, and historically minded look at the infamous family's rise and fall.
Its life as a mini-series began later. In , the Spanish network Antena 3 broadcast an extended version, restoring the cut footage to create a more traditional, multi-part television miniseries. This dual release strategy explains the different runtimes and formats you might encounter for the film. The Borgia -2006-2006
The show aimed to capitalize on the early-2000s resurgence of interest in the Renaissance, following the success of The Tudors (which would debut a year later, in 2007) and anticipating the Medici craze. However, The Borgia (2006) was unique: it was shot entirely on location in Italy and Hungary, with a predominantly French and Italian cast, and written by French screenwriter (famed for his collaborations with Luis Buñuel and Philip Kaufman’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being ).
This leads to the film's most enduring legacy: the widespread belief that it would have been a far superior work in its original longer format. One viewer noted that the extended director's cut—a two-DVD set lasting over three hours—works much better, stating that the shorter versions are "too condensed to give much room to characterization". The consensus is that "had Los Borgia been turned into a television series twice as long, it might have been better still". Rodrigo Borgia's Valencian origins are emphasized, as are
Theatrical prints and festival screenings occasionally feature the film at retrospectives of Spanish cinema or Renaissance-themed programming.
Captures the intense, volatile nature of the man destined to become a powerful warrior. The story of the Borgia family is one
The Borgia (original title: Los Borgia ) is a lush Spanish-Italian period drama directed by Antonio Hernández
Often depicted as a "femme fatale" and a poisoner, modern historians largely view her as a political pawn
Many critics and viewers praised the film's visual grandeur. The sets, period-accurate costumes, and art direction are almost universally lauded as sumptuous and fitting for the 15th-century setting. One review notes that "the sets, costumes and art direction are quite good and I think they fit with the time period". Another calls it a "beautifully crafted film: cinematography, costumes and sets are all a sumptuous feast for the eyes". The acting is generally considered to be of a "high standard," with the cast delivering modest, unobtrusive performances that humanize the Borgias without excusing their atrocities.