The Prince: The Struggle of House Borgia

Relive the struggle of Renaissance Italy. Intrigue, warfare and betrayal was the order of the day among the Renaissance Papal States of Italy. Cesare Borgia has long been considered the model of the Renaissance noble, the prototype of Niccolo Machiavelli's Prince-intelligent, cruel, treacherous, and ruthlessly opportunistic. It is the XV-XVIth century, and you, the player, represent one of the great, powerful Italian families-the della Rovere, Colonna, de Medici, Orsini, or the newly-arrived Spanish house of Borgia. Your goal is to attain the one position that will guarantee you, and your family, fame, wealth and power: The Papacy. The Prince is a game of making the best of available resources. Using the members of your family who are cardinals, Papal offices, strongholds in the patrimony of St. Peter, alliances with other families, and even patronage of the remarkable artists who lived at that time, players jostle for position and political leverage until the time comes for the Elector Cardinals to go into their enclave and vote for a new Pope. Accommodating 3 to 5 players, this strategic cardgame brings to life the political intrigue of early Renaissance Italy. Relive the treachery, deceit, and war of Cesare Borgia and the other leaders that surrounded him.