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Young Lucrezia (1974) movie poster

Timeline

Young Lucrezia (1974) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1974 · 80 mins · Italian
Directed by
Luciano Ercoli
Starring
Aldo Reggiani, Massimo Foschi, Anna Orso, Paolo Malco, Raffaele Curi, Ettore Manni

Set in early‑16th‑century Italy, the powerful Borgia family dominates the political landscape under the leadership of the ambitious Cesare Borgia and his sister Lucrezia. In a cold‑hearted power struggle, Cesare schemes to eliminate Lucrezia’s husband, viewing his death as essential to consolidating the family’s control.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Young Lucrezia
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Young Lucrezia Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Young Lucrezia (1974) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Pope Alexander VI leads the Borgia power in Rome

    In early 16th-century Rome, the powerful House of Borgia is led by Rodrigo Borgia, who rules as Pope Alexander VI. The family's grip on the papacy and politics creates a climate of intrigue that will drive future schemes.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    Rome
  2. Lucrezia becomes central to Borgia intrigues and flirts with power

    Lucrezia Borgia is drawn into her family's political machinations and becomes a focal point of the Borgias' power plays. The summary notes a controversial relationship with her father that underscores the ruthlessness of the family's politics.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    Rome
  3. Cesare discovers Lucrezia's affair with Juan and murders his brother

    Cesare, consumed by jealousy and desire, discovers Lucrezia's affair with her brother Juan, the Duke of Gandía. He murders Juan and departs to wage war against the rival Sforza family, intensifying the Borgia's grip on power.

    When
    early 16th century
  4. Cesare departs to wage war against the Sforza

    With Juan dead, Cesare travels to confront Milan's rival Sforza clan, aiming to extend Borgia influence in northern Italy. The campaign showcases the aggressive expansion of the family's political reach.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    Northern Italy (Milan region)
  5. Lucrezia's engagement to Alfonso of Aragon; she falls for Pierotto

    While Cesare is away, Lucrezia becomes engaged to Alfonso of Aragon as an alliance. However, she falls in love with Pierotto, Cesare's close friend and lieutenant, complicating the match.

    When
    during Cesare's absence
    Where
    Rome
  6. Lucrezia becomes pregnant by Pierotto

    Lucrezia's romance results in a pregnancy with Pierotto, further complicating the forthcoming marriage to Alfonso. The pregnancy heightens the personal stakes within the Borgias' political plans.

    When
    during Cesare's absence
  7. Cesare returns from war and murders Pierotto

    Cesare returns from his campaign, his jealousy boiling over into violence. He murders Pierotto, removing the rival to Lucrezia's affections.

    When
    upon Cesare's return
  8. Cesare murders Alfonso

    Shortly after Pierotto's death, Cesare kills Alfonso, who is already married to Lucrezia, deepening the tragedy surrounding the Borgias' power struggle.

    When
    after Pierotto's death
  9. Lucrezia resigns herself to her fate and accepts Cesare as her lover

    Grief and coercion push Lucrezia to resign herself to her fate and accept Cesare as her lover, cementing a dangerous family dynamic. The line between politics and obsession becomes increasingly blurred.

    When
    after the killings
  10. Pope Alexander VI intervenes to restore peace

    Pope Alexander VI steps in to halt the bloodshed and restore order within the family by arranging marriages that separate the siblings and re-stabilize the Borgias' rule.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    Rome
  11. Lucrezia is married to Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara

    Lucrezia is married off to Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, as part of the peace brokered by the Pope. This alliance shifts Lucrezia away from the Borgias' internal strife and ties Ferrara to Rome.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    Ferrara
  12. Cesare is married to Princess Charlotte of Albret in France

    Cesare is betrothed and married to Princess Charlotte of Albret in France, cementing a broader alliance and moving him away from Lucrezia to solidify the political balance.

    When
    early 16th century
    Where
    France

Last updated: February 18, 2026 at 23:47

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Timeline questions answered

Young Lucrezia Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Young Lucrezia (1974): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Cesare kill his brother Juan?

Cesare murders Juan because he discovers that Lucrezia is having an affair with Juan, her own brother. Consumed by jealousy and desire, Cesare kills Juan and then leaves to wage war against the Sforza family, eliminating his rival while expanding Borgia power in northern Italy.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish the competitive rivalry between Cesare and Juan for their father's affection and political favor.

  • cesare borgia
  • juan borgia
  • murder
  • jealousy
  • incest
  • brother
Q2

Why does Cesare kill Pierotto?

When Cesare returns from his military campaign, he learns that Lucrezia has been having an affair with Pierotto, his own trusted lieutenant and friend. Enraged by this betrayal, Cesare murders Pierotto in a fit of jealousy, removing the man who fathered Lucrezia's child.

Foreshadowing: During Cesare's absence, the narrative establishes Lucrezia's growing attraction to Pierotto, setting the stage for the inevitable confrontation.

  • cesare borgia
  • pierotto
  • murder
  • jealousy
  • affair
  • lieutenant
Q3

Why does Cesare kill Alfonso of Aragon?

Cesare kills Alfonso shortly after murdering Pierotto. Alfonso was already married to Lucrezia as part of a political alliance, but Cesare eliminates him in another act of jealous violence, removing yet another man connected to his sister.

Foreshadowing: Cesare's pattern of eliminating Lucrezia's romantic interests is established through Juan's murder and intensifies with each subsequent killing.

  • cesare borgia
  • alfonso of aragon
  • murder
  • political marriage
Q4

What is the nature of Lucrezia and Cesare's relationship?

After the deaths of Juan, Pierotto, and Alfonso, Lucrezia resigns herself to her circumstances and accepts Cesare as her lover. This marks an incestuous relationship between brother and sister, driven by a combination of grief, coercion, and the twisted dynamics of the Borgia family.

Foreshadowing: The summary hints at a troubling closeness between Lucrezia and her father, and Cesare's obsessive jealousy suggests possessive feelings that extend beyond typical sibling bonds.

  • lucrezia borgia
  • cesare borgia
  • incest
  • lover
  • family relationships
Q5

Why does Pope Alexander VI arrange separate marriages for Lucrezia and Cesare?

Pope Alexander VI intervenes to halt the escalating bloodshed within his family and restore political stability. He marries Lucrezia to Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, and arranges Cesare's marriage to Princess Charlotte of Albret in France. These strategic alliances separate the siblings and reestablish the Borgias' political power through new connections.

Foreshadowing: The Pope's intervention comes after multiple murders have destabilized the family, demonstrating how personal vendettas threaten political ambitions.

  • pope alexander vi
  • marriage
  • political alliance
  • ferrara
  • france
Q6

Why does Lucrezia fall in love with Pierotto while engaged to Alfonso?

While Cesare is away at war, Lucrezia becomes engaged to Alfonso of Aragon as a political arrangement. However, she develops a genuine romantic connection with Pierotto, Cesare's trusted lieutenant, and they conceive a child together. This affair stems from authentic emotional attachment rather than political calculation.

Foreshadowing: The engagement to Alfonso is explicitly described as a political match, not a love match, creating the conditions for Lucrezia to seek genuine affection elsewhere.

  • lucrezia borgia
  • pierotto
  • affair
  • pregnancy
  • love
Q7

What happens to Lucrezia's child with Pierotto?

The summary confirms Lucrezia becomes pregnant by Pierotto during Cesare's absence, but does not detail the child's fate after Cesare returns and murders Pierotto. The pregnancy represents another complication in the Borgias' political schemes.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes Lucrezia's pregnancy as a significant development that heightens the volatile atmosphere surrounding the Borgias.

  • lucrezia borgia
  • child
  • pierotto
  • pregnancy
  • borgia family
Q8

Why is Lucrezia central to Borgia political schemes?

Lucrezia Borgia becomes a focal point for the family's political machinations because she can be used as a marriage pawn to form alliances. Her beauty and status make her a valuable commodity in the power games between the Borgias and rival Italian families.

Foreshadowing: The narrative establishes early that Lucrezia is pulled into her family's labyrinth of ambition and secrets.

  • lucrezia borgia
  • political marriage
  • borgia
  • alliances
  • power
Q9

Why does Cesare wage war against the Sforza family?

After murdering Juan, Cesare leaves Rome to wage war against the rival Sforza faction in northern Italy, specifically the Milan region. This military campaign serves to extend Borgia political influence and consolidate power beyond Rome.

Foreshadowing: The Borgia family's grip on papacy and politics creates a climate of intrigue that drives expansionist ambitions.

  • cesare borgia
  • sforza
  • milan
  • war
  • conquest
  • northern italy
Q10

What drives Cesare's obsessive jealousy?

Cesare's jealousy stems from a possessive desire for Lucrezia that goes beyond normal sibling bounds. His murder of Juan, Pierotto, and Alfonso all share a common thread: each man was romantically involved with Lucrezia. This jealousy, combined with political calculation, makes Cesare extremely dangerous to both his rivals and family members.

Foreshadowing: The meta notes describe Cesare's jealousy erupting into deadly action when he learns of Lucrezia's affair with Juan.

  • cesare borgia
  • jealousy
  • obsession
  • possession
  • lust
  • power

Movie threads

More Movies Like Young Lucrezia, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Young Lucrezia tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Ruthless Dynasties and Power Corruption like in Young Lucrezia

Families driven by ambition to shocking acts of betrayal and murder. For viewers who enjoy Young Lucrezia, this collection features movies with similar themes of family ambition and political corruption. Discover other historical or dramatic stories about powerful dynasties where moral boundaries are shattered in the pursuit of absolute control.

  • treacherous
  • oppressive
  • claustrophobic
  • desperate
  • vengeful
  • political
  • Tone: dark, treacherous
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically follow a powerful group, often a family, as they orchestrate complex plots to eliminate rivals and consolidate power. The story is propelled by a series of betrayals, assassinations, and strategic marriages, creating a relentless downward spiral into moral bankruptcy.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core focus on the corrupting nature of power within a closed system like a family or court. They create a similar vibe of high-stakes tension, claustrophobic settings, and a bleak outlook on human ambition.

Dark Desires and Forbidden Obsessions like in Young Lucrezia

Stories where taboo relationships fuel betrayal and tragic consequences. If you were captivated by the themes of forbidden desire in Young Lucrezia, this thread finds similar movies exploring dark obsessions. These stories feature heavy emotional weight, complex character dynamics, and often ambiguous or tragic endings driven by lust and power.

  • lustful
  • desperate
  • melancholic
  • forbidden
  • vengeful
  • tragic
  • Tone: dark, lustful, melancholic
  • Pacing: fast, desperate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a central, taboo relationship that acts as a catalyst for conflict. This obsession creates a web of lies, coercive acts, and vengeance, driving the plot toward an emotionally heavy climax. The journey is characterized by a sense of inevitable doom and psychological tension.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their exploration of transgressive love or lust as a primary narrative engine. They share a dark, intense tone, fast-paced developments fueled by desperation, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the consequences of breaking severe taboos.

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Every angle

Young Lucrezia (1974) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Young Lucrezia in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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