AHC: King Cesare Borgia
- Thread starter Sevarics
- Start date
Well, giving the scarcity of royal titles in Italy, the best is to focus on Naples.
There's precedents of popes giving this royal title in case of political issues, and with Borgia sitting on the pontifical throne, it shouldn't be that hard if the occasion present (if really obvious nepotism on an unseen scale).
Let's admit Valois do better on Italy, finally managing to hold Milan and Piedmont, and are able to secure a Pontifical-French alliance, but that Valois also accept to renounce their claim on Naples : maybe in exchange of recognition of northern conquests, as well than Cesare Borgia abandoning its pretentions in Romagna to accept leading a buffer state between France and Spain.
It's a bit far-fetched, not likely going to last long, but that's the best overlook I could find.
There's precedents of popes giving this royal title in case of political issues, and with Borgia sitting on the pontifical throne, it shouldn't be that hard if the occasion present (if really obvious nepotism on an unseen scale).
Let's admit Valois do better on Italy, finally managing to hold Milan and Piedmont, and are able to secure a Pontifical-French alliance, but that Valois also accept to renounce their claim on Naples : maybe in exchange of recognition of northern conquests, as well than Cesare Borgia abandoning its pretentions in Romagna to accept leading a buffer state between France and Spain.
It's a bit far-fetched, not likely going to last long, but that's the best overlook I could find.
I'd say highly unlikely to work, If Machiavelli is to be believe the only thing that really kept him afloat was his father being Pope, once he died his position wasn't as secure. As LSCatalina pointed out any kingdom in Italy would be rare, one being in the HRE, the other under the control of Spain.
Or a friendly Pope, in any case. Alexander's immediate successor (Pius III) was an ally of Borgia who confirmed Cesare's offices, but he died within a month after his election. His successor, Julius II, was hostile to the Borgias, to say the least, and a match for Cesare's reputed duplicity.
I find the idea of Cesare as a king on the Italian peninsula unlikely. Just not enough political room in Italy for that.
You could read the Prince as Machiavelli wishing Cesare had united Italy or at least art f it. He praises Cesare's cunning ruthlessness and resourcefulness on several occasions. He also says that Cesare told him that he was aware of the difficulties of Papal succession, but did not expect that he himself would fall ill in that crucial transition period.
Wasn't Naples a king title granted by the Pope to the Normans as a counterweight to the HRE? No reason why the pope couldn't, say, invest him king of Ravenna or poach the extent Corsica/Sardinia crown. Cesare could carve out a state in the Romagna. He might be able t hold it. His heirs might even inherit it. The Royal cornw comes later as part of a snowballing Italian unification of sorts.