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28-523: The Borgias became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 15th and 16th centuries, producing two popes: Alfons de Borja , who ruled as Pope Callixtus III during 1455–1458, and Rodrigo Lanzol Borgia , as Pope Alexander VI , during 1492–1503. Especially during the reign of Alexander VI, they were suspected of many crimes, including adultery , incest , simony , theft , bribery , and murder (especially murder by arsenic poisoning ). Because of their grasping for power, they made enemies of

56-486: A cardinal, he left the holy orders to gain power and take over the position Giovanni once held: a condottiero . He was finally married to French princess Charlotte d'Albret . After Alexander's death in 1503, Cesare affected the choice of the next Pope. He needed a candidate who would not threaten his plans to create his own principality in Central Italy . Cesare's candidate ( Pius III ) did become Pope, but he died

84-706: A cardinal. Alexander used the marriages of his children to build alliances with powerful families in Italy and Spain. At the time, the Sforza family , which comprised the Milanese faction, was one of the most powerful in Europe, so Alexander united the two families by marrying Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza . He also married Gioffre, his youngest son from Vannozza, to Sancha of Aragon of the Crown of Aragon and Naples . He established

112-503: A disease, generally believed to have been malaria . Two of Alexander's successors, Sixtus V and Urban VIII , described him as one of the most outstanding popes since St. Peter . Cesare was Rodrigo Borgia's second son with Vannozza dei Cattanei. Cesare's education was precisely planned by his father: he was educated by tutors in Rome until his 12th birthday. He grew up to become a charming man skilled at war and politics. He studied law and

140-460: A month after the selection. Cesare was then forced to support Giuliano della Rovere . The cardinal promised Cesare that he could keep all of his titles and honors. Later, della Rovere betrayed him and became his fiercest enemy. Cesare died in 1507, at Viana Castle in Navarre , Spain, while besieging the rebellious army of Count de Lerín . The castle was held by Louis de Beaumont at the time it

168-504: A scandal involving her alleged relationship with Pedro Calderón, a Spaniard generally known as Perotto. His body was found in the Tiber on February 14, 1498, along with the body of one of Lucrezia's ladies. It is likely that Cesare had them killed as an affair would have damaged the negotiations being conducted for another marriage. During this time rumors were also spread suggesting that a child born at this time, Giovanni Borgia , also known as

196-681: A second familial link to the Spanish royal house through Giovanni's marriage during what was a period of on-again/off-again conflict between France and Spain over the Kingdom of Naples . It is reported that under Alexander VI's rule the Borgias hosted orgies in the Vatican Palace. The " Banquet of Chestnuts " is considered one of the most disreputable balls of this kind. Johann Burchard reports that fifty courtesans were in attendance for

224-534: The Infans Romanus (child of Rome) was Lucrezia's. Lucrezia's second marriage, to wealthy young Prince Alfonso of Aragon , allowed the Borgias to form an alliance with another powerful family. However, this relationship did not last long either. Cesare wished to strengthen his relations with France and completely break with the Kingdom of Naples . As Alfonso's father was the ruler of the Kingdom of Naples,

252-589: The Medici , the Sforza , the Shoarbs and the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola , among others. They were also patrons of the arts who contributed to the development of Renaissance art . The Borgia family stands out in history as being infamously steeped in sin and immorality, yet there is evidence to suggest that this one-dimensional characterization is a result of undeserved contemporary critiques. The Borja

280-520: The Semi-Gotha of 1912. The family themselves propagated a spurious genealogical descent from a 12th-century claimant to the crown of the Kingdom of Aragon , Pedro de Atarés , Lord of Borja, who actually died childless. Alfons de Borja (1378–1458) was born to Francina Llançol and Domingo de Borja in La Torreta, Canals , which was then situated in the Kingdom of Valencia . Alfons de Borja

308-640: The Borgia family annulled the marriage once the Sforza family were no longer needed. In 1499, in the course of the Italian Wars , the army of Louis XII of France took Milan from Ludovico Sforza (known as Ludovico il Moro , famous for taking Leonardo da Vinci into his service). After Imperial German troops drove out the French , Maximilian Sforza , son of Ludovico, became Duke of Milan (1512–1515) until

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336-582: The Borgia family, discussing the well known and lesser known members of the Borgia family. Pope Callixtus III Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 184756551 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:35:05 GMT House of Sforza The House of Sforza ( Italian: [ˈsfɔrtsa] )

364-625: The French returned under Francis I of France and imprisoned him. In 1521 Charles V drove out the French and restored the younger son of Ludovico, Francesco II Sforza to the duchy. Francesco remained the ruler of Milan until his death in 1535 and as he was childless the Duchy reverted to the Emperor, who passed it to his son Philip II in 1540, thus beginning the period of Spanish rule in Milan. While

392-461: The age of 13, she was engaged to two Spanish princes. After her father became Pope she was married to Giovanni Sforza in 1493 at the age of 13. It was a typical political marriage to improve Alexander's power; however, when Pope Alexander VI no longer needed the Sforzas, the marriage was annulled in 1497 on the dubious grounds that it had never been consummated. Shortly afterwards she was involved in

420-402: The birth and death of her last child, Isabella Maria. She was buried in a tomb with Isabella and Alfonso. Lucrezia was rumored to be a notorious poisoner and she became famous for her skill at political intrigue. However, some recent revisionists have looked at her in a more sympathetic light, claiming her to be a victim of her family's deceptions. One branch of the family established itself in

448-650: The branch of Santa Fiora , who held the title of count of Cotignola ; the Sforza ruled the small county of Santa Fiora in southern Tuscany until 1624. Members of this family also held important ecclesiastical and political positions in the Papal States , and moved to Rome in 1674, taking the name of Sforza Cesarini. The Sforza became allied with the Borgia family through the arranged marriage (1493–1497) between Lucrezia Borgia and Giovanni (the illegitimate son of Costanzo I of Pesaro ). This alliance failed, as

476-585: The city of Velletri where for many years they served in the administration of the Papal States . Pietro Borgia, married Madonna Filomena The Borgias were infamous in their time, and have inspired numerous references in popular culture. They include novels, such as City of God: A Novel of the Borgias (1979) by Cecelia Holland , The Family (2001) by Mario Puzo , and Summer of Night (1991) by Dan Simmons , plays, operas, comics, films like The Borgia (2006), television series like Borgia (2011) and The Borgias (2011) on Showtime , and video games

504-453: The entertainment of the banquet guests. It is alleged not only was the Pope present, but also two of his children, Lucrezia and Cesare. Other researchers however, such as Monsignor Peter de Roo (1839–1926), have rejected the rumors of the "fifty courtesans" as being at odds with Alexander VI's essentially decent but much maligned character. Pope Alexander VI died in Rome in 1503 after contracting

532-521: The humanities at the University of Perugia , then went to the University of Pisa to study theology. As soon as he graduated from the university, his father made him a cardinal. Cesare was suspected of murdering his brother Giovanni, but there is no clear evidence to confirm this. However, Giovanni's death cleared the path for Cesare to become a layman and gain the honors his brother received from their father, Pope Alexander VI. Although Cesare had been

560-545: The likes of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010) by Ubisoft . In series 4 of the sketch comedy TV show Horrible Histories , a song called "the Borgia Family" was featured in the section 'Radical Renaissance'. The song is a parody of the theme song to the Addams Family . The family lore and artifacts are essential to the plot of the 1959 Disney film The Shaggy Dog . UsefulCharts on Youtube featured

588-484: The young husband was in great danger. Although the first attempt at murder did not succeed, Alfonso was eventually strangled in his own quarters. Lucrezia's third and final husband was Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara . After her father died in 1503, she lived a life of freedom in Ferrara with her husband and children. Her pregnancies were difficult and she lost several babies after birth. She died in 1519, 10 days after

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616-449: Was appointed as cardinal by his uncle , Alfons Borgia, Pope Callixtus III. He was elected Pope in 1492, taking the regnal name Alexander VI. While a cardinal, he maintained a long-term illicit relationship with Vannozza dei Cattanei , with whom he had four children: Giovanni ; Cesare ; Lucrezia ; and Gioffre . Rodrigo also had children by other women, including one daughter with his mistress, Giulia Farnese . As Alexander VI, Rodrigo

644-492: Was a noble house with origin in the town of Borja (Zaragoza) in the then Crown of Aragon . During this time, there were numerous unsubstantiated claims that the family was of originally Jewish descent, and were pretending to be pious Roman Catholics. These underground rumours were propagated by, among others, Giuliano della Rovere , and the family was frequently described as marranos by political opponents. The rumours have persisted in popular culture for centuries, listed in

672-562: Was a professor of law at the University of Lleida , then a diplomat for the Kings of Aragon before becoming a cardinal. At an advanced age, he was elected Pope Callixtus III in 1455 as a compromise candidate and reigned as Pope for just three years, until his death in 1458. Rodrigo Borgia (1431–1503) was born in Xàtiva , also in the Kingdom of Valencia, to Isabel de Borja i Cavanilles and Jofré Llançol i Escrivà . He studied law at Bologna and

700-587: Was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy , based in Milan . Sforza rule began with the family's acquisition of the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century and ended with the death of the last member of the family's main branch, Francesco II Sforza , in 1535. The first son of Muzio Attendolo Sforza , Francesco I Sforza , married Bianca Maria (1425–1468) in 1441. She

728-458: Was besieged by Cesare Borgia and King John 's army of 10,000 men in 1507. In order to attempt to breach the extremely strong, natural fortification of the castle, Cesare counted on a desperate surprise attack. He was killed during the battle, in which his army failed to take the castle. Lucrezia was born in Subiaco , Italy to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and Roman mistress Vannozza dei Catanei. Before

756-465: Was recognized as a skilled politician and diplomat. However, he was widely criticized during his reign for his over-spending, sale of Church offices , lasciviousness, and nepotism . As Pope, he sought to acquire more personal and papal power and wealth, often ennobling and enriching the Borgia family directly. He appointed his son, Giovanni, as captain-general of the papal army , his foremost military representative, and established another son, Cesare, as

784-474: Was the daughter and only heir of the last Duke of Milan , Filippo Maria Visconti . He thus acquired the title of Duke of Milan (1450–1466), ruled Milan for 16 years, and made the Sforzas the heirs of the house of Visconti. The family also held the seigniory of Pesaro , starting with Muzio Attendolo's second son, Alessandro (1409–1473). The Sforza held Pesaro until 1512, after the death of Costanzo II Sforza . Muzio's third son, Bosio (1411–1476), founded

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