Hamburg – What can history, literature, and cinema tell us about women’s roles in Rome through the ages? This question inspires the lecture series Women and Power in Rome: Cinematic Representations from Messalina to Mamma Roma, hosted by the Italian Cultural Institute in Hamburg. On Tuesday, June 24 at 7 PM, a special lecture by Francesca Bravi—professor of Italian language, culture, and literature at Kiel University—will explore the multifaceted figure of Lucrezia Borgia. Film clips will complement the talk, which is free to attend with registration via Eventbrite.

Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (later Pope Alexander VI), has inspired writers, artists, and composers across centuries. Her life—marked by political marriages, intrigue, and accusations of scandal—has been portrayed in cinema, from Osvaldo Civirani’s 1968 film to major international productions in 1953 and 2006. Between 2011 and 2014, two television series—one Canadian and one Franco-German—revisited the story of this controversial Renaissance figure. Through these portrayals, the lecture will explore how the narrative of Lucrezia Borgia has shifted over time and across media.

On Monday, June 30, the Institute will also screen the documentary Die Tochter des Papstes, Lucrezia Borgia by director Cuini Amelio Ortiz, who will join Francesca Bravi for a Q&A with the audience.