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(V.O.): Rome, the year of our Lord Fourteen Hundred and Fifty- Eight.

Seven hundred and thirty three years after the Moors invaded Spain.

Two hundred and seventy one years since the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem.

And five years after the fall of Constantinople to the Turk.

(gasping)

Il Papa!

Salva me!! Salva me!!

Dios salvame!!

(bell tolling)

(knocking on door)

I'm sorry signora! It's important!

I have been sent by Cardinal Orsini to fetch

'your excellency'.

Who are you?

Bishop Giuliano della Rovere.

That's good for you.

And you can go now, bishop.

I am sorry, you must go now.

Must I?

Yes.

You must go directly to the Vatican Palace.

Now.

Not that I intend to go anywhere,

but can you please explain exactly why 'must I'?

Cardinal Orsini wants to discuss a matter..

in regards to your uncle's 'health'.

You'll stand by me, won't you? If..

If what?

If my world changes.

And not for the better.

You speak as if I am obligated to you.

I am obligated to you.

I am not your wife.

Yes you are, in effect.

You are a cardinal of the Holy Catholic Church

and cardinals are not permitted to marry.

Vannozza, don't play with me! You have to stay by my side.

I need you!

I need to know that you are there for me!

I have to go.

Rodrigo, wait.

If they kill you, I will light a candle

in San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, and pray for your soul.

And if you flee to Spain I will write letters to you

and sign them 'your devoted Vannozza'.

And if you stay in Rome, I will wait for you here in my bed.

Our bed.

Farewell!

I will!

He is a fool.

A well established one.

And that makes you a fool's woman.

I am that.

You don't have to be.

Are you trying to tempt me, Signor Della Rovere?

Bishop Della Rovere.

Shall we send all the gold and silver in the Chancellery to safety?

And where would that be?

Tell the Captain of the Guard to engage every Spanish fighter he can find in Rome..

Pedro!

Brother!

Is Don Alonso..

.. dead? No.

.. Not yet.

I want ten thousand gold ducats put traveling chests! Now.

Holy Father.

Pedro Luis..

Rodrigo!

(Gasping and struggling for breath)

We must re-take the City!

Cardinal Orsini.

Seeing that our beloved Holy Father Calixtus will not be

tormenting us with his mortal presence much longer,

I am interested to hear your plans, Cardinal 'Vice- Chancellor'?

I don't know,. exactly.

Surely even you have given some thought to your uncle's demise.

Yes.

But whatever I do is dependent on the actions of the other cardinals.

Not the 'other' cardinals.

The 'real' cardinals.

I am a real cardinal.

D'Estouteville is a real cardinal.

He has the King of France behind him.

Pietro Barbo is a real cardinal.

He has the support of the Venetian Senate.

My family have five thousand men-at-arms within a day's ride of Rome.

And I am the Captain General of the Church's army!

Cardinal Borgia, you have never acted directly against my interests,

so I will give you some advice.

Flee to safety in Spain, now.

I can hardly remember Spain.

I'm sure you could work your way back to the Holy See some day.

Once you have made the right friends at court.

Or whatever they call it in Catalonia.

We are not going anywhere!

Your brother's decision to remain in the city will please

the many Romans anxious for revenge after three years of Catalan repression.

Adios Capitan General!

This could be our last chance.

Do we try to stay in Rome or go, right now?

We are staying.

I think that too much hate has built up against all things Spanish, Pedro.

The Italians don't hate us so much as envy us.

The Orsini are mobilizing every man they've got in the Campagna.

That's it.

What?

Holy Father Calixtus the Third of Blessed Memory is in the hands of his Lord.

(music and prayer)

(horses galloping)

Vannozza! Vannozza, I am leaving!

Vannozza, Rome has become too dangerous for me and I am on my way to Spain!

Vannozza! Please answer me!

Vannozza! I need to talk to you!

We have to go. Now.

(screams)

And I will always love you too, Rodrigo.

(yelling and swords clashing)

What was that about?

The Lord has decided.

My future is here, in Rome.

And what do you plan to do between now and the start of the conclave?

Sit in your garden and read poetry?

It's her isn't it?

(arrows fly through the air)

Quick Rodrigo! To the boat!

I must stay! My fate is here in Rome!

Don't be a fool! The Italians will betray you at every turn just like they betrayed me!

Rome calls me!

My brother, Spain calls me.

Farewell.

Farwell brother, farewell.

(coins clanging)

Your Lordship.

Have you found him?

Yes, Your Excellency.

He escaped Rome, but is in Ostia awaiting ship for Spain.

Suffering from a fever.

Have you lost your red hat?

I thought it best to keep it hidden until the conclave.

For safety.

Mind if I join you?

Please.

We'll let the conclave determine his fate.

And his brother?

I expect Pedro Luis to succumb to his malady in Ostia.

But be discreet.

We do not know who the next pope will be.

(hammering)

Rodrigo!

Welcome to your first conclave.

You are a fortunate man, Cardinal Borgia.

How so, Cardinal Orsini?

You're alive.

And why should being alive be considered a matter of good fortune?

Ask your brother.

I'm sorry?

Take care how you vote in this conclave, Vice-Chancellor.

The future depends on it.

Particularly yours.

Vice-Chancellor Borgia.

May I have a private word with you?

Of course.

Your uncle, Calixtus of Blessed Memory, chose,

in a typical display of his wisdom, to make you, his nephew,

Cardinal Vice-Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world.

That makes you the highest ranking cardinal

in this Conclave of the Sacred College,

and therefore, technically speaking, it is your responsibility

to take charge of these proceedings.

Go on.

I have nothing more to add.

The Lords of the Church gathered here to select God's High Priest

of the Christian faithful await your instruction.

Cardinal d'Estouteville.

I accept that I lack experience in certain ecclesiastical matters

such as the direction of a conclave attended by so many

cardinals superior to me in every way

except official rank.

Therefore, even though I hold the office of Cardinal Vice- Chancellor,

I request that you, the senior cardinal

in terms of years of service

direct the proceedings of this conclave in a manner consistent

with its rules and traditions.

(groans and murmurs)

Lord Calixtus the Third, Pontifex Maximus,

Jesus Christ Our Savior's Vicar on Earth, Ruler of the World,

Father of Princes and Kings,

Shepherd of the Holy Roman Church and leader of all Christendom

has been delivered from this temporal life and is now

in the hands of the Lord.

May God have mercy upon his soul and see fit to welcome him into

the company of the saints and angels in heaven as he has welcomed so many

other souls who before Calixtus shouldered

the earthly burden of the keys of Saint Peter.

Please join me in a silent prayer for our father Calixtus of blessed memory.

There are five ways a new pope may be chosen.

The first is by 'Committee' meaning that the Sacred College does not

directly choose the new Pope but instead appoints a committee of cardinals

with the power to name the new pope.

The second way is known as Inspiration.

If any man amongst us is inspired by God to shout out the name of the new pope,

then that man will become pope, as long as the required majority of two thirds

also feel so inspired to shout out that man's name.

The third method of selecting the new pope is called 'Adoration'.

That is when a cardinal amongst us sees the light of the Lord appear in

another cardinal and falls at that man's feet in adoration.

If a required majority of two thirds also sees that light,

then he who is so adored becomes Christ's Vicar on Earth.

The fourth, and most common, method of selecting

the new pope is by Scrutiny.

Scrutiny is when each cardinal names his chosen candidate on a piece of paper.

That ballot must clearly state the name of each cardinal's choice for pope

as well as the name of the cardinal who is making the choice for example,

'I Guillaume d'Estouteville of Rouen name Alain d'Avignon

as Holy Father of the Church'.

Once everyone has written down the name of his preferred candidate,

the ballots are deposited in a chalice.

And the teller, in this case me, counts the votes.

If no man achieves the required majority,

there is a second or a third ballot or as many as are necessary.

The fifth and last method of electing the new Father of the Church is by Accession.

Accession takes place when the voting continuously fails to reach

the required majority and the deadlock is broken by a cardinal

or cardinals proclaiming out loud that they 'accede' to a cardinal other

than the man they voted for, which normally means switching

their support to the cardinal with the most votes.

If enough additional cardinals also accede to a cardinal to allow him

to reach the required majority, that man will become pope.

I have not seen it happen before and nor do I expect that this

time we will make our selection either by a Committee,

by Inspiration or by Adoration.

I suggest that we proceed forthwith to make our choice by scrutiny

and I recommend that we hold the first and hopefully only

ballot one hour after midday repast.

and I pray that we all accept Jesus Christ Our Lord's guidance

in our selection of his Vicar on Earth.

(knocking on the door)

Is this the patient?

The linens, the knife and the jar.

Fill the bucket with water.

What are his prospects?

Not good.

Holy Mary, mother of God

I pray that my brother Pedro has returned safely to Spain.

And I pray that you bless my beloved Vannozza

and help her understand that I am, and will always be, her one and only true love.

I pray that you guide me in this conclave by helping me elect the candidate..

.. who will keep you alive.

Yesterday you were trying to kill my brother and I,

and today you are looking for my vote.

I am not looking for your vote.

What then?

Much more than that.

I want you to be my man of mouth and hands.

Your future will be secure.

No matter what the outcome of this conclave.

Rodrigo, what are you doing?!

He has become my vassal.

Borgia will love and serve no other and will forever have my protection.

Is this true Rodrigo? Have you done homage to Latino Orsini?

Betrayal is death.

Becoming Latino Orsini's man is death too, at the hands of my family.

I have said nothing.

I am the man of King Juan of Aragon and no other.

Very well.

You had your chance.

(cutlery and dishes clanking)

(muffled sounds from outside)

Listen.

I believe we can hear men-at- arms.

I wonder whose they could be?

Could they be Spanish? No.

Spain is very far away and I am sure I would already have

fainted from the stink if they were Catalans.

(laughter)

There are four Spanish cardinals in this room.

How can you hope for their support if you slander them so?

I don't hope for their support.

I know I will not be made pope so I can talk as I want

which is why I am the only one talking.

(laughter)

We will never again make the mistake of electing a Spanish pope.

And I know the next Holy Father will not be me

but let's be realistic

the tiara will only be won with either the support of the Orsini faction..

.. or the backing of my family.

There is no other possibility.

Unless he is a Greek!

I am sad to say that this college is unlikely to elect a Greek

even one long converted to the Latin Rite.

And you will never elect a Russian.

So, who will it be? Let us begin the dialogue.

The next pope will be French.

Do you propose that we make you pope, Alain of Avignon?

Of course not.

And we will not vote for a Spaniard.

The Orsini here expect us to elect one of their party.

The Colonna equally believe that their house will deliver the new Holy Father.

The losing family will go to war if we choose a partisan of the other.

Possibly destroying the Church.

These two noble Italian families,

although important here in the Patrimony of Saint Peter,

they pale in the shadow of the greatest power in the world.

A power that commands respect and fear.

To secure its future the Holy See must ally itself to France by electing

Cardinal Guillaume d'Estouteville of Rouen as the next Pontifex Maximus.

Gentlemen!! Gentlemen!!!

Cardinal d'Estouteville! What say you?

Cardinal Alain d'Avignon is correct, in one respect at least.

It has been just forty years since the dark days when our beloved Church

was divided under two popes, both claiming to be the true heir of Saint Peter.

The power and prestige of the Papacy has only recently recovered

from this schism and still rests on a weak foundation.

Therefore the very survival of the Church weighs heavily

on the shoulders of the cardinals gathered here in conclave today.

It is an evident truth that my good friend the King of France

is essential to the Church's future.

It is also true that I am the longest serving cardinal

with the most experience in the complex politics of the Holy See.

But I cannot claim that to be the best man to lead the Christian flock.

That is a decision that we, with God's guidance, must make together.

I agree with the two cardinals from France.

We will not elect a Spaniard, a Greek or the Bishop of Kiev

and we're always under pressure to crown an Orsini or Colonna partisan.

And the Holy See's relationship with the King of France

is certainly of great importance.

Therefore it is only logical that we elect a Frenchman.

So let's choose Alain of Avignon and be done with it.

(laughter)

But..

I do not believe that Alain d'Avignon desires

to put himself forward as a candidate.

Am I correct?

I cannot put my name forward when one man amongst us

is so clearly superior in education, in royal connections,

experience, family grace and, and...wealth.

How does wealth matter?

It does not matter at all.

Though I have been blessed by great wealth..

I will, if elected, of course 'dispose' of all my earthly possessions and benefices

with the help and advice of the Sacred College.

I agree that Cardinal d'Estouteville is superior

to any of us in education,

experience, family, connections and wealth.

And very blue blood does indeed flow through his thick veins.

I am not sure about his having much grace but I am quite certain

he is far superior to any of us in the enormity of his arrogance.

He also wears more rings on his fingers and dresses in finer cloth.

His farts smell like perfume and I hear that his sweat

would make the finest of wines, only no one has ever sampled it

because Cardinal d'Estouteville has never sweated.

(laughter)

I can assume from your tone, Cardinal Piccolomini,

that you do not support my candidacy.

Which faction do you suggest then, Colonna or Orsini?

Neither.

I suggest we choose a man who believes in God.

Someone who is will do Jesus Christ Our Savior's work

and not the King of France's or the King of Spain's.

I suggest we choose Silvius Aeneas Piccolomini of Siena

to be the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church.

(loud murmurs)

But that is you. You are nominating yourself!

I am putting my name forward, yes.

Not because I am the best possible choice in all Christendom.

I can think of many better men,

but none of them happen to be sitting in this room right now.

And you know very well that if you elect me,

I will devote myself to the task of shepherding the Christian flock and nothing more.

I will try to be fair and I will always be direct.

I will never play political games and feign false humility

while a venomous puppet speaks for me.

I thank you for your bluntness, Cardinal Piccolomini.

A quality typical of a man of your 'rustic' background

and limited experience in the complex politics of the Holy See.

But are a humble origin and an uncontrolled tongue the right credentials

to be made the Holy Father of Kings and Princes?

That, we will decide in one hour.

Look at what you've started.

Thank you.

But who will you support?

I will support the man who will best lead the Church.

A very political answer.

It is a very political moment.

I will support the man who will pay me the most!!

You don't mean that!

Of course not.

I'm just having a little fun.

Come my friend.

Let us see if we can find ourselves a generous share of the 'grace'

needed to guide us in our choice.

(dog barking)

Who are they?

I don't know.

Cardinal d'Estouteville would like to have

a private word with Cardinal Borgia.

And me?

With you as well. In a moment

But first His Excellency will complete his 'business' with the Cardinal Nephew.

My title is Cardinal Vice-Chancellor,

not 'Cardinal Nephew'.

Forgive me for my simple-minded error,

but you know I am not as sharp as the rest of you.

Am I?

Shall I kiss your ring or your foot?

After the scrutiny, you will

kiss my foot, my knee and my hand

as will the others.

Borgia, I will be direct.

If Piccolomini is made pope you will lose your cardinal's hat.

At best.

How can you say that?

Because he knows exactly what kind of man you are.

What kind of man am I?

An ambitious one.

But this morning you gave some indication

the first I have seen that you may be gifted with some practical sense.

And I am thinking that you can be of use to me

in the great task that lies ahead.

So I shall say this to you once.

If you vote for me at the scrutiny,

I will allow you to remain Vice- Chancellor of the Church

until such time as you betray my trust.

And you should know that attending to his family's financial health,

within reason, will not put my Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in any disfavour.

I am very happy to hear you express such confidence in me,

but how can I know for sure that once you are made pope that you

will not change your mind and award the Vice-Chancellorship to another?

Do not insult me, Borgia.

I am not a pig farmer from Siena.

I am a man of my word.

And I intentionally held back the decision as to whom I would make

Vice-Chancellor as a bargaining instrument.

You speak as if the Vice- Chancellorship was a payment for my vote.

Would it be right for me to support a candidate who attempts

to acquire the keys of Saint Peter through simony?

Borgia, I am going to assume that you are 'one who understands'

as opposed to 'one of the multitude' and expose myself by revealing my true thinking.

This Sacred College is made up of a few practical men like you and me,

and a large number of fools like Prospero Colonna and Calandrini of Bologna.

Prospero is a fool because everyone knows that he will be bought

by the richest cardinal, namely me.

But when I buy him it will be with the knowledge that his loyalty

will always be to the man with the fattest purse.

And there is always someone with a fatter purse.

Calandrini is a fool because he is handicapped by the simplistic idea

that that the best man to sit on the throne of Saint Peter is the cardinal

who most outwardly demonstrates sanctimonious piety.

Calandrini and your cousin Juan de Mella would blissfully drag the Church

backwards into the dark and primitive swamp of superstition

from which we have only recently emerged.

The Church is the most powerful force for good in this world.

It needs to be led by a strong and practical man who understands politics

at the highest level, a man who, with the help of powerful monarchs and potentates,

will fortify our Church against the forces of evil that threaten us from every direction.

I am that man.

Do I have your vote?

And you understand..

that I cannot, of course, allow someone who does not fully support me

to keep the office of Vice- Chancellor.

So do I have your vote, yes or no?

Latino Orsini says that my future, if I have one,

depends on how I vote.

Is he in your camp?

No.

The Orsini have been seeking their revenge since the day my uncle

broke tradition by making Pedro Captain General instead of one of them.

Any Orsini who dares to even think of murdering one of my cardinals

will quickly find his castle besieged by a French army

a prospect we both know grips the never-very-brave Italian heart with mortal fear.

You have my vote.

Thank you.

Borgia, I know that you have no love for me and likely never will,

but I sincerely do believe that we have a common

'understanding' of how things get done.

We will work well together.

How much did you get?!

Are you accusing me of simony?

Essentially, if not precisely, yes.

Cardinal D'Estouteville believes that a practical man

is best suited to lead the Church.

A practical man in the King of France's pocket, he means.

I think you are going to lose.

I see and who will you support.

I will support the man who will make the best pope.

Have you agreed to vote for him?

As I said..

Have you agreed to vote for that perfumed Parisien?

Yes.

Good.

Now I know that you are at least capable of telling the truth!!

The pompous ass of a Frenchman does indeed appear to be the 'practical' choice

for a man in your precarious position and he is right

we do need practical men at the top of the Church.

But not as pope!

Has he got it?

I don't know.

No he has not and he never will.

Because I know there are at least eight men in this room who,

like me, really do fear their God.

Men who would roast at the stake before selling their vote

to the King of France's lap dog!

(knocking)

I remind everyone that to win,

a cardinal must be named on twelve ballots.

I must relay a message of utmost importance to Cardinal Borgia.

You know that conclaves cannot be interrupted by anyone

for any reason, on pain of death.

I know I could never speak to the cardinal directly,

but I hoped that there was some way that someone could relay some information.

What 'information'?

About his brother, the Captain General.

You're a Catalan pig yourself, aren't you?

And you were a Captain of the City Guard.

(muffled screams from outdoors)

The result is nine votes for Cardinal d'Estouteville of Rouen,

six for Cardinal Piccolomini of Siena,

two for Cardinal Orsini of Rome

and one that is difficult to read,

but appears to say Cardinal Calandrini of Bologna.

I am lame with gout, so I shouldn't be too harsh on the Frenchman!

But he is getting so frail his eyesight is failing!

Cardinal d'Estouteville of Rouen has received the largest number of votes,

but he has not yet reached the required majority.

Any cardinal who voted against Cardinal d'Estouteville of Rouen

may now accede to him now.

We have not yet reached the required majority.

I suggest that we seek God's guidance and hold a second ballot

one hour after our evening meal.

He's the captain of the city guard.

(yelling)

This has been going on for days now.

Someone should put a stop to it.

It will continue to go on like this until a new pope is elected.

And then it will end.

Or get worse.

(laughter and shouting)

I hope they save some rope for your Spanish cardinal.

So we six voted for Cardinal d'Estouteville.

Plus Luis and one..

Hmm what do we have here?

I'm sorry to interrupt your 'conference'.

But I have some foul business of my own to conduct here.

(grunting and groaning)

So again it is us six plus Luis

plus one of the two other Spanish cardinals.

And the Greek but not the Bishop of Kiev.

They are splitting their vote as a stratagem

until someone comes forward with a convincing plan

to retake the City of Constantinople.

Do that and we have ten.

Another two and you've got the tiara.

Piccolomini seems to have made good on some old friendships

and surprisingly for a man who joined the Church so late in life

he has successfully pulled most of the old fashioned cardinals onto his team,

including.. your countryman..

Juan de Mella.

Bring him in.

What about Cardinal Orsini?

Latino Orsini is biding his time

before delivering himself to Piccolomini.

And the saintly Cardinal of Siena is going to pay very dearly for his vote.

But you can deliver me your countryman.

How?

You are not a Cardinal Nephew anymore.

Your uncle can no longer open doors for you.

You have to open them yourself.

Use your wits. Use your brains. Prove yourself.

I will try.

You will not try. You will succeed.

That adds up to eleven.

Pietro Barbo voted for Piccolomini.

And he is about as much a man of God as my chamber pot.

He is a merchant cardinal, a spider waiting for the next piece

of succulent prey to land in his net.

He deserves nothing.

So what will we give him then?

Whatever it takes.

I should have held out longer.

You will enjoy living in my house.

It is the finest palace in Rome.

Other than the Vatican.

And Barbo makes twelve.

Gentlemen, let us get to work.

You will not fail me.

I will have all four Spanish votes.

Or ?

The wind will start to blow in an unfavourable direction.

For you.

So Cardinal d'Estouteville sent you to fetch my vote.

May I walk with you?

He suspects that you are backing Cardinal Piccolomini

but would like to know if he has any chance of your support.

Cardinal Piccolomini is vain, short tempered, rough-mannered and impetuous.

But he is intelligent, well read and a man of God.

And what about Cardinal d'Estouteville?

Cardinal d'Estouteville is a very capable man.

Dear cousin,I consider a vote for Piccolomini

to be a vote for the Orsini clan,

who hate all things Spanish.

Silvius Aeneas Piccolomini of Siena is not an enemy of Spain.

I see in this conclave the perfect opportunity end the dispute

between France and Spain over the crown of Naples.

And you think making Cardinal d'Estouteville pope will improve

Spain's position in Naples?

Yes, as long as we get him to commit to something now.

Our making the right choice today can prevent a war between France and Spain.

A war that could lead to untold misery.

A war that must weigh heavily on our consciences when we cast our ballots.

This sacred college is assembled to express Gods will in choosing Christ's vicar on earth.

Our actions here will weigh heavily on our day of judgment.

What type of specific promise could we get from the Frenchman?

I can ask him to guarantee in writing that the right to the

Crown of Naples remains in the Spanish Royal line.

Rodrigo Borgia, you will die either a notorious criminal

or seated on the throne of Saint Peter.

Perhaps they are one and the same thing.

They are not.

Do we have his vote?

I think so, but I am not certain.

Why are you not certain?

My cousin cannot be bought.

He believes that Piccolomini is closer to his God than you are

and will not be persuaded otherwise.

But he is also deeply devoted to his royal patrons in Spain.

I believe you will have his vote if you can make the King of France

quit his claim to the crown of Naples.

Then that we will promise.

I am not sure if he believes you can deliver on such a promise.

Make him believe it.

Then what should I tell him you said to me?

Tell your cousin that as Cardinal Vice-Chancellor in charge of the Church's

finances throughout the world, you will be in a better position

than any man on this Earth to bring benefit to Spain and influence

the King of France though his friend the pope.

And tell your cousin that the Cardinal-Nephew will not remain

the Cardinal Vice-Chancellor unless he writes my name on his ballot.

My saying that will not secure his vote.

The opposite I am sure.

Don't be simple.

I said that for your benefit, not his.

Whatever is promised must come directly from you,

not from me as your envoy.

I told you to secure his vote.

I did not tell you to ask me to do it.

I have prepared the ground.

I can speak for you, but I cannot be you, Cardinal d'Estouteville.

Do not say a word unless I look directly at you.

Please enter.

I am sorry Cardinal de Mella.

I apologize for my intrusion.

No, no. Please join me Cardinal d'Estouteville.

I have been waiting for you.

Cardinal de Mella, I will be direct with you.

France and Spain may dispute the throne of Naples,

but it is a fief of the Holy See and therefore its king rules at the pope's pleasure.

We are both the sons of ancient and noble families and I give you my solemn oath

as a nobleman that I can and will stay the King of France's

claim to the Kingdom of Naples for my lifetime.

And this I shall do, not for the friendship of Spanish cardinals,

but because as pope, it is my duty to prevent the bloodshed of Christian by Christian.

I am sorry for disturbing you and I apologize if my passion has been too heated.

He talks as if he is already pope.

He soon will be.

So, may I ask, does the pope-to- be have your vote?

Orsini has finally declared himself for Piccolomini,

but Calandrini has agreed to vote for d'Estouteville!

Calandrini?! Why?

He may be a pious man, but like any true Bolognese,

he would rather drink water from Bologna than wine from Siena.

He's a huge catch.

D'Estouteville has it then.

We made the right choice.

Cardinal d'Estouteville ten, Cardinal Piccolomini eight.

No cardinal has reached the required majority.

I, Cardinal d'Estouteville, have received the greatest number of votes.

Any man who wishes to accede to me may do so now.

We will hold our next ballot tomorrow morning immediately after mass.

Any objections?

I had the same nine votes as last time, plus Cardinal Calandrini's.

But that Merchant Cardinal Pietro Barbo..

and the Russian did not vote as promised.

The beheaded cannot be trusted.

And nor did your cousin, de Mella.

My cousin did not promise to vote for you, just to consider it.

I gave you the job of bringing him in.

And you failed me!

Maybe De Mella made a previous agreement to vote for Piccolomini

in this round and we will pick him up in the next.

We know the Russian and the Greek will both vote for the man

who they think will launch a crusade which means you have yet to convince them.

Everything is all still up in the air!

Anybody could change his vote in the next ballot.

Even for all we know, Alain of Avignon.

Now you listen don't be ridiculous with me!

We need to ascertain exactly who will vote for whom before the next ballot.

There can be no more sitting on the fence.

I want my enemies to seal their fates now,

before they realize that I have won the crown.

I hope, for your sake, that Prospero is right,

and that de Mella does cast his vote for me this time.

I will ask my cousin how he will vote.

I will ask Pietro Barbo again, but we cannot trust his answer.

Cardinal d'Estouteville?

Yes?

I am not confident that I can deliver my cousin.

He is not a man whose 'convictions' are easily changed.

But with your permission I will try to deliver the vote of another.

And who might that be?

Cardinal Piccolomini.

If I can persuade him that he can never win, would it not

make sense for him to back you instead of carrying on this useless campaign to the end?

It's gone too far! He will not support us!

The young Catalan may be right.

Piccolomini will never truly support my candidacy, but,

in the past he has demonstrated some signs of practicality,

and a practical man will always try to lessen the sting of a certain defeat.

I will accompany the Cardinal- Nephew.

Piccolomini will not listen to you Alain.

Cardinal Borgia is young and has no history.

Good or bad.

Deliver me either your countryman De Mella or Piccolomini.

One or the other will do.

I will not vote for the Frenchman.

You are not considering the needs of Spain.

I am not voting on behalf of Spain.

I am voting on behalf of God.

If Cardinal d'Estouteville was the greatest enemy of Spain but loved and feared his God,

I would vote for him.

What about fealty to your king? Does your oath mean nothing?

My king swears an oath of fealty to the same God as I do each and every day.

Tell me honestly.

Am I wasting my time with you?

Yes.

You are a clever and ambitious young man.

You will have an interesting future.

But you will not change my vote.

Cardinal de Mella, can you do me one favour?

What?

Keep your intentions secret.

Tell them that you will vote according to your conscience and that only god

and you are to know the name you will place on your ballot.

They will easily deduce how I am going to vote.

Of course.

But suspecting how you will vote is quite different from knowing.

I would like you to keep them uncertain until you place your ballot.

Will you do that? For me?

I will not tell you.

How I place my vote is a matter between myself and my God.

Thank you.

You are a good man.

In the future I will try to follow in your footsteps.

What have we here?!

A Cardinal-Nephew desperately trying to preserve his wealth?

Or is it his hide?

May I discuss some possibilities with you?

Possibilities. Impossibilities Anything you want.

In private?

I hope you will not be offended if remain stay seated.

Not at all.

Good come and sit down.

Many years ago on a diplomatic mission to the king of Scotland

my ship was overcome by a terrible tempest.

I prayed to the Virgin, promising her that if I made ever land again

I would walk barefoot directly to her nearest shrine and pay alms.

And, our Lady saw to it that the ship was saved.

But unfortunately for me, the nearest shrine was many miles away through the snow.

I managed to get there barefoot, but my feet developed gout

and they have never regained their full use.

Cardinal Piccolomini, I want you to know that I am not here

on behalf of Cardinal d'Estouteville.

I am here on behalf of myself.

I am listening.

What's to be gained by your continued opposition to Cardinal d'Estouteville's

candidacy if he is going to win in the end anyway?

You will just succeed in making the new ruler of the Church your enemy.

But if you come to terms with him now,

What terms?

I don't know.

Should that not come from you?

I could relay your conditions to Cardinal d'Estouteville, if you request.

That's very helpful of you.

Could you ask him to promise me your job, the Vice- Chancellorship?

I could ask him for that.

You can ask him, but he can't give it to me.

That's because he's already pledged it to another.

And I don't mean you.

That stung didn't it?

Whatever Cardinal Guillaume d'Estouteville is, he is not stupid.

He will not entrust the treasury of the Roman Catholic Church

throughout the world to a twenty-seven year old Spaniard of little reputation.

The Vice-Chancellorship will go to his loyal poodle, Alain of Avignon.

Pointing out the obvious to the young and inexperienced

is one of the few pleasures of growing old.

You've hitched your team to the wrong wagon, Borgia,

I'm not doing very well for myself am I?

About as well as could be expected of a Cardinal-Nephew.

Or should I call you Cardinal- Boy?

But we are stuck in a deadlock.

You cannot win and d'Estouteville cannot lose.

Yes he can.

No he can't. His support is solid.

No it is not.

And a conclave always goes somewhere.

It can not last forever.

Are there no terms I can propose to him?

You can propose that he take confessions in the Abbey of San Cristophoro

in the Brenner Pass and I take the job of pope.

And tell him San Christophoro's a grim and miserable tower at the top

of a very high mountain and that many a monk has been known to freeze to death.

I could have snapped my fingers any time in the last fifteen years

and had that worm put to a miserable death in the Castello!

So let's review.

Who do we have?!

Ten for sure.

Not including de Mella.

You may still have his vote.

He will not say.

That's correct.

I asked him myself and he told me he would vote according to his conscience,

and the man's name is a matter between himself and his God.

Keep working on him.

And Barbo? Cardinal Calandrini what of Barbo?

He says his 'intentions' are favourable to you.

They better be! I just signed a note on behalf of the King of France

promising him two hundred thousand golden ducats.

But that is simony!

The only language he understands.

And in the technical, proper, Canon Law sense, it was not simony.

I agreed to help him with a debt..

Owed to him for diplomatic services he rendered some time ago.

The Venetian spice trader is what he is.

I cannot change his character.

But I can put a better man in his place when I am made pope.

My reign will mark the end of merchant-cardinals the likes of Pietro Barbo.

The Greek and the Slav cardinals hold the keys to Saint Peter's.

Come.

Let us win them over to our side.

(praying)

One or the other of you always casts your vote for Piccolomini.

Why?

You would make a good father of the Church, Guillaume.

As would Cardinal Piccolomini.

It is a difficult choice.

It is not a difficult choice!

Piccolomini is nothing more than an ill-bred churl who has read a few thick books!

Look at the ridiculous name his parents gave him 'Silvius Aeneas Piccolomini'.

As if naming him thus would make their piglet son a modern Virgil!

The man is lame in both legs and handicapped between the ears.

Driven by nothing more than a bottomless well of personal vanity.

If Piccolomini is made pope, your crusade will be equipped by little

more than a few injured ponies left over from the Palio race in Siena

and Constantinople will remain in Moslem hands for the next thousand years!

I can deliver you the army of France!

So if you care anything

for your beloved Constantinople, you will fall down at my feet

as I am the only man in this conclave who can hope to free the City from the Turk!

(speaking foreign language)

Speaking frankly, neither Isidore or myself have ever seen the King of France

demonstrate any real interest in launching a crusade

capable of freeing Constantinople from the grip of the Turk.

Under a Spanish pope.

That Spanish pope, Calixtus of blessed memory, is deserving of much criticism,

but he was deeply passionate for a crusade to free the Christian capital of the east.

But he did not achieve his crusade because other men, practical men,

like you and your king, always stood in his way.

Recently it has been my good luck to have gained possession of a copy

of an oration given by Demosthenes to the Athenians.

It was salvaged from wreckage of Constantinople, whose new Moslem rulers

care little for such things.

In his speech, Demosthenes urged the Athenians to join forces with their rival

Greek cities against Philip of Macedon before Philip

became too powerful and consumed them all.

We all know the outcome.

The Greeks did not join forces and stand as one against the common foe

and my homeland has not regained true freedom for almost two thousand years.

Guillaume, the city of Constantine, the holy chalice of all the accumulated

wisdom of Rome and Greece has been under the heel of the Turk for five years now.

If the City is not soon recovered, the scourge of Islam will flood deep into Europe

and our whole civilization will be lost.

The re-taking of the City is not an issue of concern in this conclave,

it is the only issue that matters for the future the Christian world.

Let the cardinals of the Sacred College bear witness as I swear before God

that I will dedicate my life to uniting Western Christianity in a holy crusade

to free Constantinople from the Turk.

And, further, I can tell you that once the City is re-taken,

the King Charles I know will not lay down his sword until Jerusalem is back in Christian hands.

My condolences, Cardinal Borgia.

Regarding what, Cardinal Orsini?

Regarding the death of your brother.

What?

While awaiting ship in Ostia, Pedro Luis passed away from fever.

Liar.

Sadly--or perhaps happily--I speak the truth.

Murderer! murder!

Cardinal Orsini has murdered no one!

Cardinal Orsini has not been out of the room since the start of the conclave!

Cardinal Orsini has no more knowledge of events outside

of this conclave than the rest of us.

He says Pedro Luis has died in Ostia.

Borgia!

I will speak with him.

(speaking foreign language)

Why are we dragging this out?

We all know Cardinal d'Estouteville is going to win in the end

so let's just get it over with.

And if it's not going to win, let's get it over with anyway

so that I can go home and RELIEVE MY ACHING BOLLOCKS!!

Do you think that the Orsinis murdered my brother?

I would not put it past them.

May I speak my mind freely Cardinal d'Estouteville.

Piccolomini says that you have promised the Vice-Chancellery to Alain of Avignon.

I have promised it only to you.

But how do I know that you will not take it away from me after a short while,

allowing you to technically keep your word and at the same time

put the Vice-Chancellorship in more trusted hands.

Are you implying that you are not trustworthy?

It is normal practice for a new pontiff to make a loyal countryman,

if not a blood relative, cardinal vice-chancellor.

Neither of which describes me.

If my oath is not good enough for you, perhaps my written word will be.

Cardinal Borgia, be aware that if you decide to betray me at the last moment

and I am still elected pope, you will lose my protection against the Orsinis.

I am sure that you are capable of imagining what will happen to you very quickly after that.

Did you vote for me?

No.

Why not?

I will not be in the same party as Cardinal Orsini.

When a conclave divides into two factions, the Orsini go to one side

the Colonna to the other.

Both are equally repellent, and, in effect, cancel each other out.

I would happily trade the Orsini for the Colonna, but the Orsini are on my side

because Prospero sold his vote to d'Estouteville in exchange for his palace.

There is no love involved, in either case.

If Pietro Barbo and both Bessarion and Isidore vote for d'Estouteville

but your cousin de Mella does not he'll still only have eleven.

It'll take another round to get his two thirds majority.

If he gets eleven votes, I am sure the prevailing wind

will quickly blow the twelfth cardinal his way.

The total is..

Cardinal d'Estouteville ten, Cardinal Piccolomini eight.

If any man who voted against the cardinal with the most votes

wishes to accede to him..

I never thought much of you d'Estouteville

but I never suspected you were a cheat!!

Let me see. let me see!

It's nine to nine!!

It has my name on it as any man can read

who can see well enough to make his way out the door of this chapel,

which is exactly what you should do right now!

I resent your tone, Cardinal Piccolomini.

My eyesight is weak.

That is well known.

I have erred and I apologize to you for any damage my error might have caused.

I am not damaged!

You have been caught cheating and you are the one who is damaged!

Tell me!!

Can we make a cheat the new Holy Father of the Church?!!

I swear before God that I did not cheat.

I cannot see well in this light and I read a ballot incorrectly!

A man will swear anything before a God that he does not fear!!

A God whose wrath has no meaning for him!!

A God he does not believe in!!

Cardinal Piccolomini.

You can accuse me fairly of many sins, but to accuse a cardinal of the Catholic Church

of abandoning a God he has devoted his life to is an insult that lowers

this conclave to a new and heretofore unknown level of baseness.

It is not my accusation that has brought us to this

level of baseness, it is your actions!

Very well, Let us behave like drunken peasants

brawling over a cut of meat.

It will be more comfortable for you, I'm sure.

It will.

I prefer an honest fight to the lies,

the cheating and the simony that is your noble way!

How dare you accuse me of simony!!

How dare I?

What about the paper you gave Pietro Barbo.

promising to pay him 200,000 golden ducats! Yes!

But Cardinal Barbo, do not forget the Florentine banking houses

and they had the signature of Edward, King of England.

Did he pay? No! And the greatest banks in the world came down in ruin!

How do you propose to collect when the King of France chooses

not to cover d'Estouteville's debt?

Would you go to Paris and seize it from him?

Be careful before you reach too far, friar from Siena.

If you make an enemy of me, then you may also make the King of France

an enemy of this 'Holy See'.

And how long has it been since we had two popes,

simultaneously claiming the throne of St. Peter?

Our divided Church just barely escaped dangerous flood waters

that can easily rise another day.

We are powerful men who represent powerful interests

and we must weigh those interests carefully when we cast our votes.

Fine and slippery words.

But not an argument for making a cheat the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church!

In reference to your accusation of simony, it is beneath my dignity

to respond to such a charge, except to say that the King of France

owed the cardinal from Venice such a sum before we entered this room.

And that I, as a gentleman of honour, see no simony in agreeing

to use my considerable influence to help a friend collect money fairly owed to him.

And I need hardly point out that the King of France

is the most honourable of men, whereas I have never met an honourable Englishman,

since such a man does not exist.

(laughter)

Gentlemen!

We have had three ballots now and nothing much is changing.

Will we have four, five, six?

Or nineteen

all with the same result?

We can only proceed by accession!

I agree to proceed by accession!

I agree also to accession.

We are in deadlock.

Two cardinals, d'Estouteville of Rouen and Piccolomini of Siena,

have both received the same number of votes.

Any cardinal who wishes to accede to the man

that he did not vote for may do so until one man

receives the required majority of two thirds

twelve votes

and becomes Christ's Vicar on Earth.

(music)

I accede to the cardinal from Siena.

I accede to the cardinal from Siena.

I accede to the Cardinal of Siena.

And I make him pope!

(music)

Holy Father.

Ha-be-mus Pap-am!

(cheering and bell tolling)

Congratulations.

What for cardinal Orsini?

For having survived your first conclave.

We start a new chapter now.

(cheering)

It is done.

Piccolomini of Siena is Pope Pius the Second

and I am his cardinal Vice- Chancellor.

God is smiling on you, Rodrigo Borgia.

Yes he is.. .Are you?

(music)