A so-called “black legend” circulates around the Borgia family – a term that has been used since the late Middle Ages to describe negative reports about Spain and Spaniards.

The dark legend of the Borgias tells of corruption, abuse of power, orgies, sex, and murder . These rumors increased particularly during the pontificate of Pope Alexander VI , a scion of the family. Alexander was sometimes even called the Antichrist . Contemporary witnesses reported that at his death, the devil himself appeared in his death chamber and that a black dog—as an emissary of the devil—slunk through the corridors of the Vatican. The brutal rule of Pope Alexander and his relatives led to a virtual demonization of the Borgia family. But it is precisely this mixture of unscrupulousness, poison-mongering, incest, and cruelty that has ensured that his pontificate continues to exert an unbroken fascination to this day.

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Title: Symphony No. 1 - The Borgias (The Black Legend) - 1. Alexander VI - Concert Band Score

Cast: wind orchestra

Composer: Otto M. Schwarz

Arranger:

Work type: Multi-part work

Level: 4.5

Duration: 9:30 min

ISMN: 9790502951894

Manufacturer No.: SDP141-22-01