What are you doing here?
I wanted to see you.
Whatever for?
I thought we could still be friends.
My uncle has forbidden it.
I know, but I thought... -Thought what?
That you would ignore his wishes?
My uncle was right...
You Medici are pushy! -Stop it, Francesco!
I said stop! -Or what?
You're going to send your crippled father limping after me?
Take it back! Take it back!
You think the Pazzi are plotting against you?
Why else would Francesco be in Rome, having meetings with Salviati?
Could there not be innocent reasons for them to meet?
At night?
In secret?
No.
Thank you for coming, Messer Montesecco.
I couldn't help being curious.
What would an archbishop and a banker want with a soldier?
They'll find you more prepared than Galeazzo Sforza was.
I can't put up with these armed guards breathing down my neck!
It makes me look weak.
I have to return to Rome, speak with the Pope.
No, you're not safe in Rome.
It's too unstable.
Sforza was a brute, but he was a strong man.
While he ruled Milan,...
...the alliance might have offered some protection.
Now your alliance is with a 7-year-old boy. He...
...has a mother, acting as his regent. He has uncles...
Oh, yes! Many uncles.
Many men, many rivals.
No doubt maneuvering for position, like men always do.
And Venice will be in the same state of uncertainty,...
...wondering how Sforza's death has changed things...-
The alliance will hold, mother.
The cities will honor it.
Cut six inches off a leg.
A stool is still a stool, yes?
But would you sit on it?
Lorenzo is in league with Milan and Venice.
And he means to move against the Papal States.
And you want me to raise an army?
No.
No, it's not a military question.
And how do you propose to stop him?
He and his brother... have to die simultaneously.
Well, because if one of them is left...
...alive, he'll rally his city behind him.
Avenge the other.
Florence will celebrate the day the Medici are gone.
And my uncle becomes their new ruler.
We're not acting alone.
We have many supporters.
So why do you need me?
What's the plan?
Lorenzo will be invited to Rome to celebrate Easter with the Pope.
While he's here,...
...I'll be in Florence, taking care of Giuliano.
And you want me to kill Lorenzo?
Snuff him out like a candle?
What is it?
A trap for Lorenzo.
They lure him here,...
...count Montesecco will kill him...
...while the Pazzi kill Giuliano in Florence.
Sorry to disturb you, father.
It's alright.
But someone's just tried to kill Archbishop Salviati.
Kill?
You haven't seen a man with a knife in here?
No.
You're sure?
Yes.
Perhaps you were too engrossed in your studies.
But he hasn't got a knife!
And he wouldn't kill anyone! I know him!
So I hear.
You are not allowed to carry weapons in Rome.
Oh, look.
A murderer with a knife.
But what are we going to do about his accomplice?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Please...
They're very good, Sandro.
Very good.
Come on then. Why are we here?
I've been invited for talks with the Pope over Easter.
It might be a trap, it might be a genuine olive branch.
What does Carlo say?
I'm waiting to hear.
I've been thinking that you two could...
...go off for a diplomatic overture,...
...offer the services of the world's greatest artist to the Holy Father.
What do you say?
I will never paint again.
My muse is dead.
You think it's funny?
It's your fault.
It's all her husband's fault.
She died of the wasting disease. -Because he couldn't...
...resist another man's wife.
Whilst you made love to her with your paint brush.
And you killed her.
You and your lust,...
...and her idiot husband killed her!
You're...
...not moping about your muse! You're just jealous...
...Stop it! Stop it!
Let's console ourselves! At least she lives on in Sandro's paintings.
These daubs? These...
...insignificant little daubs?
They're not even close.
They're they're no closer...
Giuliano...
...than this...
or this,...
or this, or this,...
...or this, or this,...
...or this, or this, or this! Anyone, anyone...
...can daub pigment on a panel...
...and pretend that it means something! It means nothing!
She was just an object to you.
To me she was everything.
She made life mean something.
He's hurting and he's lashing out, Sandro.
You pay him no heed.
You need to find another way to make your peace with Rome.
Fetch Montesecco and Francesco Pazzi.
Tell him our guest from Florence has arrived.
Cardinal Orsini, I was looking for Lorenzo de1 Medici. 1
He's in Florence, your Grace.
His carriage brought my niece to Rome, as you can see.
His Holiness will be disappointed.
Lorenzo has had to decline the Holy Father's...
...kind invitation due to a prior engagement.
He is hosting eminent visitors from Venice and Milan.
You must see that his triple...
...alliance of his is an act of provocation.
It's not meant to be. -He should be here.
What's he afraid of?
If Lorenzo had anything to fear in Rome,
he wouldn't allow his wife to be here, would he?
My niece's presence is a sign of good faith.
I bring a message... A letter...
...confirming that Lorenzo supports...
...all discussions aimed at re-establishing...
...friendly relations between Rome and Florence.
And authorizing his uncle, Father Carlo,...
...to represent him in all such negotiations.
Now, do you know where I might find Father Carlo?
He isn't in his apartments.
And he hasn't been seen in the library for some time.
I was told he's on a retreat.
For lent.
He made no mention of that in his last letter.
Perhaps it was a spur of the moment decision.
Hell have to return before the peace talks can begin.
And I can't leave until I've seen him.
Did he suspect a trap?
Would he send his wife if he did?
He's no coward.
It's a calculated risk.
She's a Medici and an Orsini. He believes no one would harm her.
It would loose them support in Florence and Rome.
What kind of a man puts so much trust in his wife?
We can't shut her up.
But we can't let her tell Lorenzo...
...his bastard-priest half-uncle...
...has vanished.
And she won't leave until she's spoken to him.
And Easter's only days away.
Then we need a change of plan.
The both have to die in Florence.
It'll be much riskier.
It's not just a... double murder.
It's a coup.
You'll need an army,...
...in case the people rebel.
One big enough to make Venice anaMilan...
...think twice about coming to their...
...assistance. It'll have to be paid for.
And I'll need to get my men inside...
...the city walls without raising suspicion.
Can you do that?
With the Pope's backing.
But I'll want proof that he supports us.
You'll get it.
I don't like the idea...
...of a foreign army in the city.
It's just a precaution,...
...in case Lorenzo's alliance is more of a threat than it looks.
Make Salviati come with them.
People need to know how our uprising is led by men of Florence.
Gentlemen.
Our honored guest,...
...Gian Galeazzo Sforza, the Duke of Milan.
Your Excellency.
And his mother and regent, the Duchess Bona Di Savoia.
Honored guests indeed.
I hear... Messer Medici...
...snubbed a personal invitation from the Pope...
...to be with you today. -No snub was intended.
I do hope you don't live to regret it.
Now, has anyone explained...
...the origins of our Easter ceremony to you?
During the first crusade to the Holy Land,...
...our noble ancestor,...
...Pazzino de' Pazzi,...
...claimed Palestine for Christianity,...
...by being the very first man...
...to scale the walls of Jerusalem.
As a reward he was given three...
...small stones from the tomb of Christ.
And every year since,...
...those three flints...
...have created the spark that lights our Easter candle.
One might say, we are the oldest, most noble family...
...in Florence. -Well, one might.
If you didn't always beat one to it.
Your Excellency.
There you are.
A crust of bread for your Easter supper.
Men of faith don't fear death.
You would happily sacrifice your life...
...to save Lorenzo and Giuliano de1 Medici.
Am I right?
I'm right.
But what would you do to save Lorenzo's wife,...
...your good friend Clarice?
You wouldn't dare.
You wouldn't dare— -I would rather not.
But she's here in Rome demanding to see you.
If I was to let you speak to her,...
...and you were to tell her...
...what you know, she would have to die.
But I have strict personal rules.
I don't kill women.
Well, I would have to leave her to my men.
A fate considerably worse than death.
And if I don't tell her?
Well, then we'll have no reason to kill her.
Do I have your word on that?
Put her mind at rest, and she will live.
It's the only choice you have.
A beautiful ceremony, Your Holiness!
Your young nephew will make an excellent cardinal.
Get to your point.
You have five minutes.
It's about Lorenzo de1 Medici.
We'd like to propose a solution.
You know Count Montesecco.
I do.
He can help us...
...solve the Lorenzo problem.
I will not condone a murder.
Of course not...
But you might say he's here as my bodyguard.
Some nights ago, a man tried to kill me.
The Count was one of several witnesses...
...to see the assassin flee the scene.
He gave chase,...
...pursued him to a library... -Where I found him reporting...
...to Father Carlo de' Medici.
Why would he?
You ordained me as Archbishop of Pisa.
Lorenzo wanted his own man.
The Medici are cut-throat merchants, who use violence...
...to remove those they can't manipulate.
The new Duke of Milan is a 7-year-old boy.
Lorenzo wants complete control of Florence,...
...Milan, and Venice,...
...and then his sights will be on the Holy See itself.
He's going to poison you.
We need to act first.
I will not condone murder.
Of course not.
We invited him to Rome to discuss reconciliation.
But we won't take that as an insult.
If he won't come to us,...
...we swallow our pride,...
...and we go to him. Send a Papal emissary.
Who do you suggest?
Your newest cardinal, Raffaele.
As he's your beloved nephew,...
...it'll prove your personal commitment to finding...
...a peaceful solution.
Are you out of your mind?
He's 17.
He'll need a bodyguard.
And a large retinue.
A retinue befitting his status,...
...and the importance of his peace mission,...
...and prepared for any eventuality.
The Medici will not go without a fight.
They will try to draw their...
...allies from Venice and Milan into it.
We need at least 600 fully armed men, Your Holiness.
Are you willing to approve the funding...
...for such a large retinue?
Did your diplomatic overture...
...with the 7-year-old duke and his mother work?
Our treaty with Venice and Milan will compel the Pope to negotiate.
Violence only ever begets violence, but...
...words...
...words beget dialogue.
99 good apples turn a bad one sweet.
You know, all this cynicism,...
...it's going to destroy you, brother.
You think?
It's all meaningless.
And the only way to thrive,...
...in the real world, a world of sin,...
...is to do what Cosimo did:
and be a more ruthless sinner than your enemy.
Carlo!
Thought you were dead.
Where have you been?
I just... At a monastery, fasting.
Why didn't you tell us? We've been so worried.
I'm sorry.
Lorenzo has been waiting to hear from you.
He needs to know.
Are the Pope's desires of reconciliation genuine?
He says yes. It is.
He's sending Cardinal Riario to Florence on a diplomatic mission.
Lorenzo should make him and his retinue welcome.
Are you sure?
I'm sure.
I need to go. I have some work to do.
Is something wrong? -No.
You need to go.
I'll come with Cardinal Riario to Florence,...
...and we can speak at greater length then.
Right?
You promise?
Promise. Now go, please.
Bye, Clarice.
Right.
Good bye.
Don't cry.
You just saved her life.
Shell be expecting me to travel with the cardinal now. May I?
The Pope has authorized our bank to fund an army.
To be led from Imola by Count Riario.
You try to enter Florence...
...and there'll be a bloodbath.
Montesecco will lead a vanguard of fifty men.
Lorenzo thinks they're coming for peace talks.
They'll be disguised as the retinue of the Pope's nephew,...
...Cardinal Raffaele Riario.
There will be a banquet to welcome the Cardinal.
But the Medici brothers will not make it past the first course.
When they are dead,...
...the government palace will be seized on behalf of the people.
And my uncle will be proclaimed the new leader of Florence.
Soon after my men will enter the city,...
...ready to defend...
...the uprising against any opposition.
And the Pope has agreed to this?
He wants rid of the Medici tyrants just as much as we do.
You look worried, uncle.
Not having second thoughts, are you?
Don't call His Holiness uncle.
Sorry.
Please, don't worry, Your Holiness.
I will make the Medici abide by your will,...
...and peace will prevail. I promise.
Time to go.
God's work to do.
I can hardly believe you're entrusting...
...me with such an important mission.
Count...
By the time I return with my men,...
...you will be the new ruler of this Republic.
Should we warn Guglielmo?
Or find some excuse...
...to keep him and his wife away from the banquet?
We cannot trust him.
The Pope loves Raffaele Riario...
...like a son.
But he's very young.
He won't come alone. He'll have advisors.
Perhaps the Holy Father wants to...
...give him the chance to prove himself.
Like you,...
...sending me off to Rome.
I didn't send you off to Rome. You sent yourself.
But I knew that I could trust you.
Carlo.
Something was troubling him.
About the visit?
I don't know.
We can ask him when they get here.
Rather more than I expected...
You're most welcome, Your Eminence.
Though some of your retinue may have to sleep in the stables.
Well, if it was good enough for our Lord...
Your Eminence...
Welcome.
We must say this is a surprise.
We were only expecting Cardinal Riario.
I'm afraid I flattered myself...
...that I may have a role to play in bringing the two sides together.
Is Father Carlo not with you?
His Holiness had another assignment for him.
Father Carlo sends his apologies.
My wife will show you to your quarters.
Tonight we dine in your honor.
I look forward to it.
And I appreciate your hospitality.
You come this way.
Here is your ruffian, Madonna.
Lorenzo...
In future,...
...you'll see to it he keeps...
...away from this family and this house.
What were you thinking?
I just wanted to be friends, Grandmother.
He strikes my nephew and calls it friendship?
You were not wrong to try.
We must always try to extend a hand of friendship.
Even if it is not returned.
Come.
Grandmother!
Madonna?
You asked to see me?
Yes.
I want you to come to the banquet.
If you think that you can exploit my art to curry favors...
...with your enemies, you have...
...another thing coming- -Oh no, don't worry.
I'm offering the Curia commission to...
...a young fellow from Verrocchio s workshop,...
...Leonardo.
Everyone's talking about him, apparently.
He has some ability. He may do you a half-decent job,...
...but I hear he doesn't finish anything.
Oh, no, I don't think you understand.
I have complete confidence in him.
I think he's an exceptional talent.
I know exactly what you're doing.
I'm saying, take as long as you want before you pick up a brush.
But come to the banquet.
Do you really think so little of me?
No, really...
That I can be swayed...
...by such a transparent appeal to my vanity?
You love someone, you loose them,...
...you don't think you can carry...
...on, but then you go to work and you do.
It gets you through the day,...
...from one day to the next.
But without work, without... -Would you listen to yourself?
Help me to help Giuliano.
He needs us, the people who love him, now more than ever.
Your brother needs your help tonight.
Oh, what does he want now?
Conjuring tricks for a Cardinal...
...or marrying one of the Pope s nieces?
Ever since you were a boy, you've...
...always known that Lorenzo was the chosen one.
You think you were never given any responsibility.
Well, that's no excuse for not taking any.
I wish you'd stop drinking.
I wish I were dead.
I'd do it no if I knew I'd see her again...-
Don't say that.
Suicide is a mortal sin.
So is adultery.
I could put up with damnation.
Together in hell...
...for eternity.
Would be better than one day on Earth without her.
Oh, Giuliano.
Son, please.
Don't think like that.
You can be together in heaven.
Repent your sins, do the right thing,...
...live a good life.
You could find peace.
Peace? I don't believe in peace,...
...I don't believe in resurrection, I—
These sunny,...
...carefree days of youth,...
...they're an illusion.
The road to Christ,...
...is a dead end.
Carlo say why he hasn't come?
And the letter's here.
Why is Salviati staying here,...
...when he has family in the city?
He's chaperoning the young Cardinal.
I don't like having him under my roof.
This is addressed to me.
Yes, sorry. I didn't realize until I d opened it.
It's in Latin.
Yes, Carlo apologizes, says that he's busy.
But he's praying for us.
He knows I don't speak Latin.
Why would he write to me in Latin?
I thought we were using poison.
Wouldn't that be cleaner?
Tell me, how do we get it into their drinks?
And their drinks only?
How do we guarantee they sup them simultaneously?
I will come at Lorenzo from behind,...
...then go for his throat in case of concealed armor.
You and you take Giuliano.
The rest of you, weapons drawn, ready for guards.
You'd better go over.
Get the cardinal out of the way when the moment arrives.
I'll do the same for my brother and his wife.
You don't have to be here.
I want to see Giuliano die.
Keep your voice down.
And try to look more relaxed.
Gentlemen. -Evening.
Thank you for coining.
It means a lot.
Our pleasure, I'm sure.
I see Lorenzo, but,...
...Where's Giuliano?
I'd like to introduce you to Botticelli.
He's a wonderful artist here in Florence.
It's a great pleasure.
And a dear friend of mine.
Why so shy, brother?
Why don't you join us? Have some food.
You'll get no conversation with him.
He's taken a vow of silence.
Signora.
Please.
I was just telling Messer Medici...
...that Florence has no reason to feel threatened...
...by the Pope's purchase of Imola...
...or this business with— -Oh, let's not talk politics.
Will your brother be joining us soon?
He will, uh...
There's wine, he'll be here.
Giuliano sends his apologies.
He's been detained on business.
Oh, that's a pity.
A great pity.
Well, you'll see him on Sunday, at mass.
We should have killed Lorenzo when we had the chance.
They have to die together.
We all agreed to that.
They're suspicious.
All those guards...
What if they avoid being together in public from now on?
They'll be together on Sunday.
You can't be serious?
Why not?
At mass?
They won't be expecting it.
This may be our last chance.
No.
We just need to be patient.
Count Riario's men are on the march.
It has to be Sunday.
At mass.
I will not take a life on consecrated ground.
You need more money?
I have rules.
A code of honor.
How much would it take? -I will not do it,...
...nor will my men.
I will take the government palace for you.
But any killing...
...in a cathedral,...
...you do yourselves.
When a professional shipwright refuses...
...to come aboard,...
...think twice before setting sail.
He's on board.
He and his men will seize the palace.
Well declare a new government,...
...just as the tyrants are meeting their fate in the cathedral.
In accordance with the will of God.
And with the blessing of the Pope.
Where have you been?
You insulted our guests.
Breaking bread with the Pazzi and making...
...polite conversation with Marco Vespucci,...
...that's a recipe for insulted guests.
Well, you should have been there. -1 told him to stay away.
The mood he was in, I didn't think he'd...
...contribute much to your diplomatic efforts.
You're so obsessed with making peace,...
...you can't see your enemies preparing Tor war.
Do you know the Pope has an army at Imola?
He buys a town, he wants to defend it.
The rumor is he's marching on Florence.
Where did you hear that?
On the street.
Ah, Giuliano!
We missed you at the banquet.
Well,...
...I'm here now.
Come.
A letter?
Who is it from?
Francesco.
Delivered last night. -Is it important?
Bank business.
Hurry up. We're going to be late.
Where have you been?
Trying to warm myself on an old flame.
And did it work?
No.
I need to take responsibility.
Starting with Simonetta.
Because if there is a heaven, then she's there.
That's the only hope there is.
Where I have done wrong, I will make it right.
You don't need to worry about me anymore.
Thank God.
When Cardinal Riario...
...raises the host, you cut their throats.
In case they're wearing armor.
Bastiano?
I need you to do something for me.
They'll have no bodyguards.
And their friends, the...
...Cavalcanti cousins, are away hunting.
Sure.
If there is an army preparing for...
...war, how are you going to deal with it?
More talk,...
...with palette and brush, or with sword?
Well, I still believe that we...
...must strive for a peaceful resolution.
Come.
I know our families have had their disagreements, but...
...I hope from now on we can bury that and start anew,...
...forali our sakes.
Amen.
Come here, Lorenzo.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to fight.
I need to tell you something.
Something no one else knows.
I always meant us to be friends, Francesco.
We shall be again.
And you, Giuliano.
If I've done you wrong,...
...I'm sorry.
Please, forgive me.
I'm sorry too.
They're not wearing armor.