The French army sacks the city of Lucca with extreme violence, an atrocity that leaves Della Rovere horrified by the consequences of his own machinations.

is the seventh episode of the first season of the historical drama series The Borgias , which originally aired on May 8, 2011 , on Showtime . The episode title references the biblical Horseman of Death, reflecting the devastating French invasion of Italy depicted in the story. Plot Summary

Lucrezia discovers she is pregnant with the stable boy Paolo’s child. Her husband, Giovanni Sforza, plans to defect to the French, prompting Giulia Farnese to help Lucrezia plan an escape from Pesaro.

The episode was directed by and written by series creator Neil Jordan . Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia / Pope Alexander VI François Arnaud as Cesare Borgia Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia Colm Feore as Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere Michel Muller as King Charles VIII Death, on a Pale Horse | The Borgias Wiki

The episode focuses on the brutal advance of King Charles VIII of France into Italy, fueled by Cardinal Della Rovere’s desire to depose Pope Alexander VI.

Negotiating passage through Florence, Della Rovere rides into the city on a white horse while hearing the fire-and-brimstone preaching of Savonarola, leading him to the grim realization that he has become the "Death" described in prophecy. The Borgia Family Struggles:

Juan continues a secret affair with Sancia, the wife of his young brother Gioffre.