It was the age of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, of enlightened creativity and unparalleled intellectual achievement. But it was also the age of Machiavelli, or rampant lawlessness, incessant war and unspeakable depravity. At the heart of the world order was the Vatican, and at the center of the Vatican was Rodrigo Borgia, a man whose quest for power would propel him to seek the ultimate prize, the Chair of Saint Peter. His name would become synonymous with ruthlessness, and his reign as pope would be remembered as the most infamous chapter in the history of the Catholic Church.