Rehabilitation at last...

There is an old adage that with the passage of time anything can and will be forgiven. Apparently this is not without some truth. In Spain there are plans now afoot to re-inter Cesare Borgia. Yes, that Cesare Borgia. The illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI who made him a Cardinal at 17. Biographies claim he was an accomplished murderer (poison being one of his favorite methods) by his mid twenties. He was a ruthless ruler with no limits on ambition. He was however also an extremely effective, if very cold and calculating ruler. He is reputed to have been the model for Machiavelli's "Prince" in his book of the same title.

After his death at the age of 31 (1507) he was interred in the church of Santa Maria in Viana in an elaborate tomb under the high altar. However the local bishop later (1527) objected that such a notorious individual should be so honored and at his command Cesare Borgia was disinterred and buried in unhallowed ground under a local street where his body would be trampled on for all eternity by men and beasts. His tomb was destroyed.

Now after decades of petitions from the local citizenry the body of this man, regarded as a local hero by some, is to be returned to the church. The current bishop has relented and approved the reburial of Alexander VI's most famous bastard within the walls of Santa Maria. I am not superstitious by nature, but I hope someone checks the body before interring it again. And on the off chance it was overlooked back when they put him under the street; someone should drive a wooden stake through his heart. Just to be careful you know.