Cantarella (manga)
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| Cantarella | |||
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| カンタレラ | |||
| Genre | shōjo, historical, supernatural | ||
| Manga | |||
| Authored by | You Higuri | ||
| Publisher |  Akita Shoten |
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| Serialized in | Princess Gold Magazine | ||
| Original run | March 2001 – Present | ||
| No. of volumes | 10 | ||
Cantarella is an ongoing manga series by You Higuri, serialized in the Japanese monthly comic magazine Princess Gold Magazine and published in tankoubon format by Akita Shoten. The first volume was published March of 2001 and there have been 10 volumes published in Japan so far. Cantarella has also been translated into French by Asuka Comics (first volume May of 2005), German by Carlsen Comics, and English by Go! Comi (first volume October of 2005).
[edit] Series summary
Canterella is the story of Cesare Borgia, an Italian aristocrat during the Renaissance. In the manga, Cesare's father Rodrigo Borgia, a Cardinal, sells his infant son's soul to the Devil as part of a deal that will one day make him Pope (Pope Alexander VI). Cesare is consequently shunned by his father, who is unable to see him as anything but an agent of darkness and reminder of his sin. Increasingly alienated, Cesare eventually comes to rely on the dark powers within himself. He becomes obsessed with the idea of conquest, and is aided in his political machinations by the assassin Don Michelotto.
[edit] History references
Cesare Borgia is a real historic figure, and the major events of the manga are based on real historic events (albeit with supernatural embellishment). Some of the other the real people playing major or minor roles in Cantarella are:
- Pope Alexander VI: Cesare's father. Also known as Rodrigo Borgia.
- Lucrezia Borgia: Cesare's younger half-sister.
- Juan Borgia: Cesare's younger half-brother, chosen to inherit the Duchy of Vellentenois by their father.
- Giovanni Sforza: Italian nobleman, marries Lucrezia.
- Prince Jem of Turkey, in self-exile after losing the battle for succession with his brother Beyazit.
Don Michelotto (Chiaro) is based on the literary figure Miguel, who is mentioned as Cesare Borgia's right-hand man in several plays. There are also references naming him as Pope Alexander VI's executioner.
La cantarella is described in the manga as a "sweet but paralyzing" poisonous plant, a metaphor for Cesare Borgia's demonic side. Historically, la cantarella referred to the secret poison of the Borgia family. The exact recipe and method of preparation has been lost, but it is thought that the main ingredient was arsenic. The Borgia family were allegedly masters of the use of poison and thought the use of straight arsenic to be too obvious and crude; once they perfected their cantarella, the symptoms normally seen in arsenic victims were much more subtle. This poison was used only on those closest to the Borgia (for example, those cardinals that were bribed to elect Pope Alexander VI) and as such, was ironically called the "liquor of succession" by some.
