The Bad PopesLet yourself be swept up by this colorful, panoramic story of seven men who ruled the Church of Rome at seven critical periods in the 600 years leading up to the Reformation. During this age of grandeur and corruption, popes led armies, made love and war, conspired for power, and armed themselves with the techniques of assassination and seduction while clothed with the authority of the Church. Dramatic accounts of these papal bad boys include: Urban VI, the wild man from Naples, whose grotesque savageries widened and maintained the scandalous gap of the Great Schism; Alexander VI, who brought to the See of Peter the intrigues of the Borgia; and Clement VII, the unskillful fox, whose fall brought down Rome itself. Profusely illustrated with architectural photographs and contemporary art from both Catholic and Protestant sources, this absorbing work vividly depicts the ecclesiastical corruptions which changed the course of history. |
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Alberic Alexander Alexander's Anagni Angelo army attack Avignon Avignonese basilica Benedict Gaetani Berengar bishop bishop of Rome Boniface VIII Boniface's brother brought Burchard cardinals Catherine Celestine century ceremony Cesare Cesare Borgia Charles Christian Church Clement Colonna conclave Constantine court crown curia Dante death ducats duke of Gandia election emperor enemies Europe faction father Florence Florentine France Francesco Guicciardini French German Giovanni Giovanni Sforza Giuliano Giulio gold Gregory Guicciardini hands Holy honor Hugh of Provence imperial Italian Italy John king knew later Lateran Lateran Palace Leo's Liudprand lord Lorenzo Lucrezia Luther Machiavelli Marozia matter Medici Milan monarch murder Naples Neapolitan Orsini Otto Otto's palace Papacy papal Peter Petrarch Petrucci political pontiff pope's priest Prignano prince reign returned Rodrigo Borgia Roman Rome Sacred College Sergius Sforza spiritual temporal Theophylact throne tiara tion took Tusculum Urban Urbino vast Vatican Vatican Hill young