Plot

Prologue

In Venice a group of educated young men are preparing for a journey. They are setting off on a diplomatic mission to Ferrara, to the court of Duke Alfonso d’Este, fourth husband of the infamous Lucrezia Borgia. Maffio Orsini speaks of his hatred for the Borgia family. He also describes the friendship between himself and young Gennaro, who saved his life at the battle of Rimini. The two young men vowed to remain friends for life. Orsini recalls that a mysterious male figure suddenly stood before them and warned them against the Borgias. As Orsini continues his story, Gennaro walks away to the canal bank and falls asleep from fatigue. A masked woman approaches. It is Lucrezia Borgia. She has come secretly from Ferrara specially to see Gennaro, if only from afar. Awakening, Gennaro notices the beautiful stranger and compliments her on her looks. He confesses to Lucrezia that above all, he loves his mother whom he has never seen, having been brought up by a poor fisherman. Gennaro doesn’t know that Lucrezia herself is his mother and is concealing her son’s existence from her current husband. Gennaro’s friends approach and recognize the mystery woman as Borgia - murderess and poisoner. Now knowing who he has been talking to, Gennaro turns away from Lucrezia. The humiliated woman vows she will have her revenge on the young men.

Act 1

Scene 1
Lucrezia has no idea that the revenge she wants to wreak on the young men will also affect her son. She doesn’t know that her jealous husband has found out about her secret trip to Venice; convinced that Gennaro is Lucrezia’s lover, he wants to take revenge on him for her infidelity. He is quickly offered an opportunity to carry out his plan. Gennaro and his friends have just arrived in Ferrara, where they are followed by the duke’s spy Rustighello. Though Lucrezia’s servant Astolfo does his best to guard Gennaro, Rustighello arrests the young man for insulting the Borgia family. The young man removed the letter “B” from the sign on the Borgia palace gate, leaving the clearly obscene “orgia”.

Scene 2
Offended by the unknown perpetrator’s deed, Lucrezia asks her husband that his punishment be severe. It turns out the guilty man is Gennaro. Horrified, Lucrezia now begs the duke for mercy, but he refuses. Certain he is holding his wife’s lover, he orders that Lucrezia choose the manner of Gennaro’s execution. The duchess chooses poison. Alfonso pretends to pardon Gennaro and allows him to leave, first offering him some poisoned wine. Once they are alone, Lucrezia manages to persuade Gennaro to take an antidote, and thus saves his life. She begs the young man to flee the city as soon as possible.

Act 2

Scene 1
Gennaro decides to leave Ferrara but wants to take his friend Orsini with him. His friend refuses because he has been invited to a banquet at the Negroni palace that evening. The young men don’t want to part, so Gennaro agrees to stay in the city for just one more night. Rustighello, who is still tailing Gennaro, sees this and withdraws with his henchmen; he knows the young man’s tragic fate will now run its course even without his assistance. At the Negroni palace, Lucrezia Borgia has set a trap for the young men from Venice.

Scene 2
Lucrezia has sent the feasting men - anonymously of course - a bottle of special “Syracusan wine”. This is the famous “Borgia wine” - the wine of death. Unaware of anything wrong, the young men continue their merrymaking. At the sound of a bell Lucrezia appears in the doorway, to enjoy her revenge to the full. Among the guests she sees Gennaro, who has also drunk the poisoned wine. The duchess wants to give him the antidote once more and confesses she is his mother, but the young man decides to die with his friends.

Poster design - Adam Żebrowski