Borgia was born during the Italian Renaissance, when artists, architects, and scientists were reaching new levels of accomplishment and transforming their world. While famous figures such as Leonardo da Vinci were innovating their way into history, the Borgia legacy, conversely, is one of violent political corruption involving a power-hungry clan who sought to control large parts of Italy.
Borgia was married for the first time before entering her teenage years. She was engaged to one nobleman and then another before her father had the engagements dissolved so that he could arrange for her to be married to Giovanni Sforza, 15 years her senior, who was Lord of Pesaro and Count of Catignola.
Four years later, Borgia's marriage became less politically advantageous, and Pope Alexander VI sought to have it annulled under the pretense of the relationship never having been consummated.
While annulment negotiations were ongoing between the Borgias and the Sforzas, Borgia rested in a nearby convent. She had clearly consummated a relationship with some individual, however, because when annulment was officially granted on December 27, , Borgia was six months pregnant.
The child's paternity was never established, and Rome's gossips later wondered whether he was the product of incest, or whether Borgia was truly his mother. Two papal decrees were issued on the matter, the first stating that Giovanni was the illegitimate son of Cesare and the next stating that he was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander.
In July , Borgia married Alfonso of Aragon, the year-old Duke of Bisceglie and son of the late king of Naples, and they had a child together. On July 15, , Alfonso was stabbed several times, but he survived. Borgia's new husband was initially hesitant because of the Borgia reputation. He persuaded the new pope Pius III served September-October to re-admit him safely, but that pontiff died after twenty-six days and Cesare had to flee.
Borgias were now thrown out of their positions, or forced into keeping quiet. Developments allowed Cesare to be released, and he went to Naples, but he was arrested by Ferdinand of Aragon and locked up again.
Cesare did escape after two years but was killed in a skirmish in He was just Lucrezia also survived malaria and the loss of her father and brother.
Her personality reconciled her to her husband, his family, and her state, and she took up court positions, acting as regent.
She organized the state, saw it through war, and created a court of great culture through her patronage. She was popular with her subjects and died in No Borgias ever rose to become as powerful as Alexander, but there were plenty of minor figures who held religious and political positions, and Francis Borgia d.
Alexander and the Borgias have become infamous for corruption, cruelty, and murder. Yet what Alexander did as pope was rarely original, he just took things to a new extreme. Indeed, Cesare was given the dubious distinction of Machiavelli, who knew Cesare, saying the Borgia general was a grand example of how to tackle power. Sources and Further Reading. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.
Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Table of Contents Expand. The Rise of the Borgias. Rodrigo: Journey to the Papacy. Juan Borgia. The Rise of Cesare Borgia. The Wars of Cesare Borgia. The Fall of the Borgias.
Lucrezia the Patron and the End of the Borgias. The Borgia Legend. Robert Wilde. History Expert. Robert Wilde is a historian who writes about European history. He is the author of the History in an Afternoon textbook series. Updated September 10, They were unsuccessful, and Cesare, pretending forgiveness, invited them to a meeting at Senigallia, where he had all of them executed. Cesare was at the height of his power in when Alexander suddenly died. Without his father's political influence and money, Cesare's resources dried up.
Hated and feared by many in Rome for his ruthless tactics and his lust for power, he found himself without friends. Ferdinand of Spain, an ally of the new pope, had Cesare arrested and imprisoned in , but in Cesare escaped to France, where he worked as a captain for his brother-in-law, the King of Navarre. He was killed in a minor battle in The Borgia reputation for cunning, decadence, sensuality, and brutality was firmly based in reality, but malicious gossip and the popular imagination exaggerated it to fantastic proportions.
For centuries, historians portrayed the Borgias as the grand villains of the Italian Renaissance. Cesare was believed to have murdered not only his brother and his rebellious captains, but also his sister's second husband and numerous others who either offended him or stood in his way. The Borgias were also believed to have been expert poisoners, and almost every unexplained death among their opponents was attributed to poison. Machiavelli's unqualified admiration for Cesare's methods reinforced both their reputations as diabolical figures.
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