Woman of the Month: Giulia Farnese

Giulia Farnese from The Borgias

Watching all three seasons of The Borgias gave me plenty of candidates for Woman of the Month, most obviously in Lucrezia, the girl who goes from naïve innocent to political player, and Caterina Sforza, the woman who proudly identifies herself as a freak of nature due to the fact she lives her life with the power and freedom of a man. Either one would have been a shoe-in for this post, but instead I found my thoughts turning to Giulia Farnese, a woman who begins the drama in the rather inauspicious role of mistress to the Pope.

She may seem like an odd choice for Woman of the Month, but across the course of the three seasons, Giulia manages the impressive feat of surviving her relationship with a Borgia. Other assorted lovers, associates and enemies of the family do not fare as well, but Giulia is characterized right from the start as a woman of cool intelligence – more than that, a woman devoid of jealousy or resentment when it comes to potential rivals. And it's perhaps this very trait that secures her future.

Having pointed out to Lucrezia that the lack of control women have over their own destinies often pits them against each other, she elegantly defies this stereotype by befriending (or at least allying herself with) the Pope's former mistress Vanozza Dei Catteni, seeking out her advice and assistance on more than one occasion. It is Vanozza who counsels her to accept Rodrigo's wandering eye and to procure for herself a palace and pension, so that when the Pope's affection finally does wane, she has the means to carry on her comfortable lifestyle. In return, Giulia passes much of her wisdom on to Vanozza's daughter Lucrezia, teaching her how to use her charms and beauty to her advantage.

It's a welcome change from the usual role you would expect a character like Giulia to play – that of the jealous mistress, hateful of any competition and terrified of losing her position in her lover's affections. Instead she's portrayed as a deeply pragmatic woman, well aware that her position as Rodrigo's mistress is a temporary affair, and clever enough to prepare for the winter of her life while she has the chance.

Hers is a story of quiet, dignified survival; an outcome achieved with so much poise and composure that it's almost soothing to watch.