Mysterious Murder of Juan Borgia

Not Just the Tudors

History Hit

History

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In June 1497, Juan - or Giovanni - Borgia, favoured son of Pope Alexander VI, was found brutally murdered in the River Tiber. Who committed this heinous crime? Suspects ranged from his ambitious brother Cesare to the Borgias' political enemies, the Orsini family. Despite an extensive investigation by the Pope, Giovanni's murder remains one of history's greatest cold cases.

In the third episode of our special series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Catherine Fletcher as they delve once again into the Borgias' treacherous Renaissance world, uncovering secrets of power, betrayal, and intrigue.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb.
0:02.4	If you'd like not just the Tudors ad-free to get early access and bonus episodes,
0:08.4	sign up to History Hit.
0:09.9	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries,
0:15.2	including my own, on Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, Brilliant Rivals.
0:19.3	And enjoy a new release every week.
0:22.0	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe.
0:27.6	Hello, I'm Professor Susanna Lipscomb and welcome to not just the Tudors from History Hit,
0:33.3	the podcast in which we explore everything from Anne Boleyn to the Aztecs,
0:37.7	from Holbein to the Huguenots, from Shakespeare to Samarise.
0:43.2	Relieved by regular doses of murder, espionage and witchcraft.
0:47.6	Not in other words just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors.
1:07.0	It's the 14th of June 1497, and the streets of Rome are alive with the sound of revelry. No one pays much attention as Juan, also known as Giovanni Borgia, the favoured son of Pope Alexander VI,
1:14.6	steps out into the balmy evening after a family dinner at the home of his mother.
1:20.6	What then occurs is not clear.
1:32.7	In one account, Juan's brother Cheserey urges him to return to the papal palace.
1:38.5	Juan tells Cheseray that he's going to find entertainment elsewhere and dismisses his retinue.
1:45.7	He takes with him only his valet and a masked man whose identity is unknown, but who had already been accompanying Juan when he arrived at dinner and has been visiting him almost daily at the palace for about a month.
1:51.8	The Duke rides to the square of the Jews where he orders the servant to wait for him until 8 o'clock,
1:57.8	and if he's not appeared by then to return to the palace.
2:02.4	Juan then rides off with the masked man behind him on the back of his mule. The next morning, Juan's mule returns
2:11.5	without its rider, and one of the stirrups cut off. Later, a gruesome discovery is made,
	...

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