The Puppeteers

- Season 1

(2017)

Richard, a bastard from Augsburg's immensely rich Fugger family, is raised as novice in a far-way German monastery' school, near his converted Saracene mother Zobeida, but the open-minded abbot's hands are tied when the papal-mandated inquisitor Heinrich Insistoris imposes a reign of heresy-paranoid terror. Zobeida is raped by a frustrated monk, who delivers her to the stake to save his own neck. Grief-maddened, Richard stabs the inquisitor half-blind and flees, but is rescued from death row dungeon by Fugger's discrete minder Eberding, who starts his mundane ...

'Chief accountant' Richard assists Jakob Fugger on their Italian campaign to buy the succession of the ailing pope, starting in Florence even before his death prompts a conclave. Counting on pro-crusade cardinal Sforza they need the support of vice chancellor Borgia, to stop off ruthless conservative rival della Rovere of the Inquisition party, for one buying dodgy ratification of a cardinal appointment 'in pettore'. In Rome the intrigue is merciless, even deadly, but Richard bluntly disappoints Fugger and his minder Eberding, even risks everything to save gypsy ...