Fun with Google Maps
So I was bored.
Back when spain was a bunch of different kingdoms, the north-eastern area was for a while Cataloña. The area still retains a sense of separate identity, especially during the Renaissance when Spain (although ruled by los reyes católicos) wasn't really culturally unified yet--this is referenced a little in canon at the end of chapter 28 when Cesare complains of being called "Catalonians and barbaroi". By 1491 when Cesare's from, however, it's all part of Aragon and therefore all part of España.
And these are the places Cesare holds office in! (Two of his brothers also end up with positions in Gandia as well.) As you can see they're all... in the same area, save Pamplona (where there was apparently great unrest over having a twelve-year-old appointed bishop but also where Cesare is now buried, as far as anyone can tell). He's basically inheriting these positions from his father (or at least getting them through his influence), who is from this part of Spain (which is why Cesare generally speaks Catalán instead of Castilian).
The family's surname is really Borja as in from Borja. ACCORDING TO GOOGLE, Borja is tiny. And very close to Corella which I wasn't even looking for and was just an interesting surprise, as in Miguel de Corella. So, if Google Maps are anything to go by, there's a neat little geo-political side to the connection between the two of them. I'm actually fairly certain that's the right Borja, as it's close enough to the right general region and fits the very little I know about it. That might be the Corella of Miguel's name, too, or it might be a totally different one. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be able to speak Catalán as well, so it would make sense.
And here's the one screencap I did of Italy, showing the distance between Rome (where Cesare is from) and Pisa (where he is attending school). (B) is Monteriggioni, just for fun. :|b
Back when spain was a bunch of different kingdoms, the north-eastern area was for a while Cataloña. The area still retains a sense of separate identity, especially during the Renaissance when Spain (although ruled by los reyes católicos) wasn't really culturally unified yet--this is referenced a little in canon at the end of chapter 28 when Cesare complains of being called "Catalonians and barbaroi". By 1491 when Cesare's from, however, it's all part of Aragon and therefore all part of España.
And these are the places Cesare holds office in! (Two of his brothers also end up with positions in Gandia as well.) As you can see they're all... in the same area, save Pamplona (where there was apparently great unrest over having a twelve-year-old appointed bishop but also where Cesare is now buried, as far as anyone can tell). He's basically inheriting these positions from his father (or at least getting them through his influence), who is from this part of Spain (which is why Cesare generally speaks Catalán instead of Castilian).
The family's surname is really Borja as in from Borja. ACCORDING TO GOOGLE, Borja is tiny. And very close to Corella which I wasn't even looking for and was just an interesting surprise, as in Miguel de Corella. So, if Google Maps are anything to go by, there's a neat little geo-political side to the connection between the two of them. I'm actually fairly certain that's the right Borja, as it's close enough to the right general region and fits the very little I know about it. That might be the Corella of Miguel's name, too, or it might be a totally different one. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be able to speak Catalán as well, so it would make sense.
And here's the one screencap I did of Italy, showing the distance between Rome (where Cesare is from) and Pisa (where he is attending school). (B) is Monteriggioni, just for fun. :|b