The Banquet of Chestnuts

S3, E4: Newly appointed Cardinal Farnese (Cyron Melville) – promoted at the request of his sister Giulia (Lotte Verbeek) – is placed in the Treasury and quickly discovers Versucci’s theft. Micheletto (Sean Harris) is sent to find the wayward Cardinal. Meanwhile, upon hearing of Venice’s request for help against Turkish pirates, Alexander (Jeremy Irons), seeing this as an opportunity to replenish the coffers, dramatically calls for a Crusade. Concerned about the loyalty of his new Cardinals, Giulia arranges an orgy for them – the “banquet of chestnuts” – but it is a trap and details of the Cardinals’ sexual activities are recorded to extort their future loyalty. Elsewhere, King Ferdinand (Matias Varela) learns that Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger) and Alfonso’s (Sebastian De Souza) marriage has not been consummated and demands a public display of their love-making. Lucrezia is humiliated, but the experience seems to increase the incestuous attraction between her and her brother.