Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei Vannozza dei Cattanei Mother of Borgias Lucrezia Borgia with her father Pope Alexander VI. Painting by Giuseppe Boschetto (1841-1918). De Agostini Picture Library / DEA / L. PEDICINI /Getty Images By Jone Johnson Lewis Updated December 23, 2016. Known for: mother of Lucrezia Borgia , Cesare Borgia and two (or maybe one) other child of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI Occupation: mistress, innkeeper Dates: July 13, 1442 - November 24, 1518 Also known as: Vanozza dei Cattenei, Giovanna de Candia, Countess of Cattenei Vannozza dei Cattanei Biography: Vannozza dei Cattanei, as she was called, was born Giovanna de Candia, daughter of two nobles of the house of Candia.

(Vannozza is a diminutive of Giovanna.) We know nothing of her early life, other than that she was born in Mantua. She may have been an innkeeper with several establishments in Rome when she became mistress of Rodrigo Borgia , then a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church (or the inns may have been property obtained with his support). He had many other mistresses before, during and after their relationship, but his with Vannozza was his longest relationship. He honored his children by her above his other illegitimate offspring. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Rodrigo Borgia had been appointed a cardinal by Pope Callixtus III in 1456 -- his uncle, born Alfonso de Borja, who died in 1458. Rodrigo Borgia did not take Holy Orders and become a priest until 1468 -- but that did include a vow of ceibacy. Borgia was not the only cardinal to have mistresses; one rumor at the time had Vanozza being the mistress first of another cardinal, Giulio della Rovere.

Rovere was a rival of Borgia in his papal election in 1492, and later was elected pope, taking office in 1503 as Julius II, known among other things in his papacy for his opposition to the Borgias. Vannozza bore four children during her relationship with Cardinal Borgia. The first, Giovanni or Juan, was born in Rome in 1474. In September 1475, Cesare Borgia was born. Lucrezia Borgia was born in April of 1480 in Subiaco. In 1481 or 1482, a fourth child, Gioffre, was born. Rodrigo publicly acknowledged paternity of all four children, but more privately expressed doubts about whether he fathered the fourth, Gioffre. As was common, Borgia saw that his mistress was married to men who would not object to the relationship. He officiated at her marriage in 1474 to Domenico d'Arignano -- the same year her first Borgia child was born.

d'Arignano died after a few years, and Vannozza then was married to Giorgio di Croce about 1475 -- the dates are given differently in different sources. There may have been another husband, Antonio de Brescia, between d'Arignano and Croce (or, according to some histories, after Croce). Croce died in 1486. Sometime around or after 1482, with Vannozza turning forty years old, the relationship of Vannozza and Borgia cooled. That was around the time that Borgia expressed his belief that Croce was the father of Gioffre. Borgia no longer lived with Vannozza, but he continued to take care that she was comfortable financially. Her property, much acquired during her relationship with Borgia, speaks to that. She, in turn, kept his confidences. Her children were raised apart from her after the relationship ended. Lucrezia was given into the care of Adriana de Mila, a third cousin of Borgia.

Giulia Farnese, as Borgia's newest mistress, moved into the household with Lucrezia and Adriana no later than 1489, the year Giulia was married to the stepson of Adriana. That relationship continued until after Alexander was selected Pope in 1492. Giulia was the same age as Lucrezia's eldest brother; Lucrezia and Giulia became friends. Vannozza had one more child, Ottaviano, by her husband Croce. After Croce died in 1486, Vannozza remarried, this time to Carlo Canale. In 1488, Vannozza's son Giovanni became the heir of the Duke of Gandia, inheriting the title and holdings from an older half-brother, one of Borgia's other children. In 1493 he would marry a bride who had been betrothed to that same half-brother. Vanozza's second son, Cesare, was made a bishop of Pamplona in 1491, and early in 1492, Lucrezia was betrothed to Giovanni Sforza.

Vannozza's former lover Rodrigo Borgia was elected Pope Alexander VI in August of 1492. Also in 1492, Giovanni became the Duke of Gandia and Vannozza's fourth child, Gioffre, was given some land. The next year, Giovanni married a bride who had been betrothed to the same half-brother from whom he'd inherited his title, Lucrezia married Giovanni Sforza and Cesare was appointed a cardinal. While Vannozza was apart from these events, she was building her own status and holdings. Her eldest son Giovanni Borgia died in July 1497: he was killed and his body thrown into the Tiber River. Cesare Borgia was widely thought to have been behind the assassination. That same year, Lucrezia's first marriage was annulled on the grounds that her husband was unable to consummate the marriage; she remarried the next year. In July of 1498, Vannozza's son Cesare became the first Cardinal in church history to renounce his office; resuming secular status, he was named a Duke the same day.

The next year, he married a sister of king John III of Navarre. And about that time, Giulia Farnese's time as the Pope's mistress had ended. In 1500, Lucrezia's second husband was assassinated, likely on the orders of her older brother, Cesare. She appeared in public with a child in 1501, named Giovanni Borgia, probably the child that she was pregnant with at the end of her first marriage, probably by a lover. Alexander muddied already muddy waters about the child's parentage by issuing two bulls saying he was fathered by an unknown woman and Alexander (in one bull) or Cesare (in the other). We have no record of what Vannozza thought about this. Lucrezia remarried in 1501. Vannozza was occasionally in touch with her daughter after during her long and relatively stable marriage. Gioffre was appointed prince of Squillace. In 1503, the Borgia family fortunes reversed with the death of Pope Alexander; Cesare was apparently too ill to move quickly to consolidate fortune and power.

He was asked to be away during the subsequent election of a Pope, one who lasted mere weeks. The following year, with yet another Pope -- this one, Julius III, with decidedly anti-Borgia sentiments -- Cesare was exiled Spain. He died in a battle at Navarre in 1507. Vannozza's daughter, Lucrezia, died in 1514, probably of childbed fever. In 1517, Gioffre died. Vannozza herself died in 1518, surviving all four of her Borgia children. Her death was followed with a well-attended public funeral. Her tomb was at Santa Maria del Popolo, which she had endowed along with a chapel there. All four of the Borgia children -- even Gioffre -- are mentioned on her tombstone. Lucrezia Borgia Is Born ⋆ History Channel Podcasts Lucrezia Borgia Is Born On this day in 1480, Lucrezia Borgia was born as an illegitimate child of the Spanish Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of his many Roman mistresses.

The Borgias were an infamous family in Renaissance Italy, and so scandalous were their alleged crimes that they have even managed to completely infiltrate modern pop culture. The family is immortalised in the historical TV soap, The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia, Joanne Whalley as Vannozza dei Cattanei, and Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia. More telling, perhaps, is that Lucrezia appears in the best-selling video game Assassins Creed: Brotherhood as an evil character. Over time she has achieved the status of a femme fatale: accused of having affairs, of murdering her husband, and even of incest. In her short life of only 39 years, Lucrezia had three husbands and at least seven children, and was embroiled in countless scandals. Her first marriage to Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro and Count of Cotignola, was a politically motivated affair; the result of her father, the Pope, seeking to ally the Borgias with princely families and the founding dynasties of Italy.

However, the influence of the Borgias soon outgrew that of the noble Sforzas, and so her father sought to have the marriage annulled. The rumours swirled as Giovanni accused Lucrezia of incestuous relationships with her brother Cesare, and Pope Alexander countered with claims that the marriage had never even been consummated. Eventually he just bought the Sforzas off with a vast dowry, and so Giovanni signed “confessions” of impotence to “prove” that the marriage was never consummated. Afterwards, in 1498, Lucrezia was married to Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie, but only a couple of years later he was murdered in mysterious circumstances. It is thought that he was killed by Lucrezia and her brother Cesare, although this has never been proven. There are all sorts of rumours about Lucrezia, such as that she wore a hollowed-out ring of poison and often used it to poison an enemy’s—and perhaps her husband’s—drinks. In 1502, Lucrezia was married to Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrera.

She became Duchess and stayed with him until her death (during childbirth in 1519) but it was common knowledge that both were conducting all manner of extramarital affairs. Lucrezia started a long-lasting relationship with her brother-in-law Francesco Il Gonzaga, the Marquess of Mantua—who was married to Alfonso’s sister Isabella d’Este—and also had a passionate affair with the poet Pietro Bembo. To this day Lucrezia and Pietro’s love letters are stored in the Ambrosian Library in Milan. When Lord Byron visited the library to read them, on 15 October 1816, he wrote that they were, “The prettiest love letters in the world.” Today some, including the video game industry, see Lucrezia Borgia as an incestuous sinner and a poisonous murderess, while others see her as a beautiful romantic. Credit: © INTERFOTO / Alamy Caption: “Portrait of a Woman” by Bartolomeo Veneto is thought to be a portrait of Lucrezia Borgia.

This Day in History Lucrezia Borgia Biography - life, family, children, history, mother, young, son, old, information, born, contract, husband Lucrezia Borgia Biography Ferrara, Italy Italian duchess Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, earned a reputation as a political schemer in fifteenth century Italy. In actuality, she was simply used by her father and brother to further their own political goals. Early life Lucrezia Borgia was born during Italy's Renaissance period (1320–1520), a time when artists, architects, and scientists rose to world appreciation. She was born into one of the most well-known families in world history: the Borgias, who sought to control as much of Italy as they could. The Borgias legacy, however, is not one to be desired, as they earned a reputation for being evil, violent, and politically corrupt. Lucrezia Borgia was born on April 18, 1480, the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (c.

1431–1503), later to become Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza Cattanei, who was also the mother of Lucrezia's two older brothers, Cesare and Giovanni. The task of raising Lucrezia, however, was given to Rodrigo's cousin, the widow Adriana daMila. While living in a palace in Rome, Lucrezia was educated at the Convent of St. Sixtus on Via Appia. Lucrezia was slender with light blue-green eyes and golden hair, which she later bleached to maintain its goldenness. A painting by Pinturicchio (1454–1513), "Disputation of Saint Catherine," is said to be modeled after her. It portrays a slender, young woman with wavy, blonde hair cascading down her back. The first marriage Young Lucrezia was no more than eleven when she was first affected by the political ambitions of her father (who had by this time become Pope Alexander VI) and her older brother, Cesare. Her father annulled (can-celled) a marriage contract between Lucrezia and a Spanish nobleman.

Instead he gave Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, a twenty-seven-year old with a fierce temper. By the time Lucrezia was seventeen, Alexander and Cesare, were looking to align themselves with Spain and Naples against France and the Sforza family. Sensing he was losing favor with the Borgia family, Giovanni fled for his life. Soon Lucrezia's marriage was annulled and Giovanni was humiliated. The second marriage For Lucrezia's next husband, Cesare and Rodrigo chose seventeen-year-old Alfonso of Aragon, the Duke of Bisceglie and son of the late king of Naples. But by the time her first marriage was officially annulled on December 27, 1497, Lucrezia was six months pregnant. Lucrezia Borgia. . Rumors swirled throughout Italy as to who the father was. Alfonso of Aragon was reputed to be a handsome youth with fine manners, and by all evidence Lucrezia truly loved him. But only a year later, political changes were once again stirring. Alexander and Cesare now looked to align with France, and Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso stood in the way.

Fearing for his life, Alfonso also fled Rome. Lucrezia met up with her husband in Nepi and soon the two returned to Rome. On July 15, 1500, hired killers attacked Alfonso, stabbing him several times. On August 18, as Alfonso was recovering, Cesare reportedly came to him and whispered in his ear that "what was not finished at breakfast would be complete by dinner." Returning to Alfonso's room later that day, Cesare ordered everyone out and directed his strongman to strangle Lucrezia's young husband. Left a widow at the age of twenty, Lucrezia spent most of her time weeping over the loss of her husband. Tired of watching her mourn, her father and brother sent her to Nepi in the Etruscan Hills. On her return to Rome in November 1500, she began assisting her father as a sort of secretary, often opening and responding to his mail when he was not in residence. A new husband Once again politics determined Lucrezia's marriage to the twenty-four-year-old widower Alfonso d'Este, eldest son of Ercole d'Este, Duke of Ferrara.

Lucrezia was eager for the marriage. She regarded Rome as a prison and thought she would have a better chance of leading her own life in Ferrara, away from her ambitious father and brother. On February 2, 1502, Lucrezia and Alfonso were wed. Lucrezia had married a man who not only was interested in artillery, tournaments, dogs, and horses, but who also played the viol (a musical instrument that was popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries) and made pottery. On the other hand, he was also known for his cruelty, stinginess, and strange behavior. Life in Ferrara The people of Ferrara adored Lucrezia, praising her for her beauty and "inner grace of personality." Content to socialize with artists, courtiers, poets, and citizens of the Renaissance court, she helped make Ferrara a center for artists and writers. In 1503 Alexander died, along with many of Cesare's political plans. Finally, some stability appeared in Lucrezia's life. When Ercole died in 1505, she and Alfonso became the reigning duke and duchess of Ferrara.

Lucrezia had several children by Alfonso d'Este. In 1512 Lucrezia withdrew from public life, possibly from the news that Rodrigo, her son by Alfonso of Aragon, had died. She began to spend more time in her apartments or in nearby convents, and turned to religion. As the years progressed, her body thickened, and she was said to have aged greatly. She also suffered from spells of deep sadness. On June 14, 1519, while giving birth to a stillborn girl (dead upon birth), she developed a fever that caused her to lose much of her strength. She died ten days later at the age of thirty-nine. Many historians view Lucrezia Borgia as a political pawn whose marriages were used for her family's political gains. Born into a vicious and greedy family, Lucrezia was very much a product of her times, and she accepted these ambitions and their consequences for the good of the family. For More Information Ferrara, Italy Italian duchess Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara, earned a reputation as a political schemer in fifteenth century Italy.

In actuality, she was simply used by her father and brother to further their own political goals. Early life Lucrezia Borgia was born during Italy's Renaissance period (1320–1520), a time when artists, architects, and scientists rose to world appreciation. She was born into one of the most well-known families in world history: the Borgias, who sought to control as much of Italy as they could. The Borgias legacy, however, is not one to be desired, as they earned a reputation for being evil, violent, and politically corrupt. Lucrezia Borgia was born on April 18, 1480, the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (c. 1431–1503), later to become Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza Cattanei, who was also the mother of Lucrezia's two older brothers, Cesare and Giovanni. The task of raising Lucrezia, however, was given to Rodrigo's cousin, the widow Adriana daMila. While living in a palace in Rome, Lucrezia was educated at the Convent of St. Sixtus on Via Appia.

Lucrezia was slender with light blue-green eyes and golden hair, which she later bleached to maintain its goldenness. A painting by Pinturicchio (1454–1513), "Disputation of Saint Catherine," is said to be modeled after her. It portrays a slender, young woman with wavy, blonde hair cascading down her back. The first marriage Young Lucrezia was no more than eleven when she was first affected by the political ambitions of her father (who had by this time become Pope Alexander VI) and her older brother, Cesare. Her father annulled (can-celled) a marriage contract between Lucrezia and a Spanish nobleman. Instead he gave Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, a twenty-seven-year old with a fierce temper. By the time Lucrezia was seventeen, Alexander and Cesare, were looking to align themselves with Spain and Naples against France and the Sforza family. Sensing he was losing favor with the Borgia family, Giovanni fled for his life. Soon Lucrezia's marriage was annulled and Giovanni was humiliated.

The second marriage For Lucrezia's next husband, Cesare and Rodrigo chose seventeen-year-old Alfonso of Aragon, the Duke of Bisceglie and son of the late king of Naples. But by the time her first marriage was officially annulled on December 27, 1497, Lucrezia was six months pregnant. Lucrezia Borgia. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Rumors swirled throughout Italy as to who the father was. Alfonso of Aragon was reputed to be a handsome youth with fine manners, and by all evidence Lucrezia truly loved him. But only a year later, political changes were once again stirring. Alexander and Cesare now looked to align with France, and Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso stood in the way. Fearing for his life, Alfonso also fled Rome. Lucrezia met up with her husband in Nepi and soon the two returned to Rome.

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name: Lucrezia Borgia - Illegitimate Daughter of a Pope Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia Illegitimate Daughter of a Pope Lucrezia Borgia with her father Pope Alexander VI. Painting by Giuseppe Boschetto (1841-1918). De Agostini Picture Library / DEA / L. PEDICINI /Getty Images By Jone Johnson Lewis Updated December 23, 2016. Known for: illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia ) by one of his mistresses, Lucrezia Borgia gained a reputation as a poisoner and plotter. She was more likely a victim of malicious gossip that exaggerated her actual misdoings, and likely was not an active participant in her father's and brother's infamous plots. Accusations of incest with her father and/or brother are suspect. She had three political marriages, arranged for her family's advantage, and likely had several adulterous alliances including, probably, one illegitimate child.

She was also for a time a papal secretary, and her later years were spent in relative stability as the "Good Duchess" of Ferrara, sometimes acting as de factor ruler in her husband's absence. Lucrezia Borgia Facts Mother: Vannozza dei Cattanei , also mother of two older full siblings of Lucrezia: Giovanni and Cesare, and a younger full sibling Gioffre (though Rodrigo Borgia apparently harbored some doubts he was the father). continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World Father: Rodrigo Borgia ( Pope Alexander VI ), a nephew of Pope Callixtus III , and member of a Catalan (Spanish) family rising in power. He had other children by several other mistresses; the total is sometimes given as eight and sometimes nine. A son, Gioffre, may also have been Vannozza's. The name of an earlier mistress, mother of three of his children (Pere-Lluis, Girolama and Isabella) is not known.

A later mistress, Giulia Farnese, was the mother of Orsino Orsini and Laura Orsini, thought to be Rodrigo's children (she married Orsino Orsini). Siblings: her older full siblings (Rodrigo's children by Vannozza de Cattanei) were Giovanni (Juan) and Cesare Titles: Lady of Pesaro and Gradara, 1492 - 1497; Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, 1505 - 1519. How Do We Know About Lucrezia's Life? We know of Lucrezia's life mostly through tales told by others, some of them enemies of her family. She is mentioned in some letters by others -- again, some of the mentions are possible exaggerations or misrepresentations, given the power struggles around her. Lucrezia left a few letters, but some of these were likely written knowing that they would be intercepted and read, so most don't give us any deep insight into her motivations or even details about her activities. Other sources of information include such records as account books. Her will does not survive, though references to it in some other documents do survive.

A timeline of Lucrezia's life follows this biography. Family Background Lucrezia Borgia lived in the last half of the Italian Renaissance period . Italy was not a united kingdom, but had many rulers of city-states, republics, and other jurisdictions. Alignments shifted, including with French or other powers, in attempts by each local ruler and their family to build and maintain power. Murder was not an uncommon way of dealing with enemies. The Roman Catholic church of that time was part of these power struggles; having control of the papacy meant control of many appointments, including lucrative bishoprics and other offices. While celibacy rules kept married men from the priesthood, it was common to have mistresses, often quite openly. The Borgia family was from Valencia in what later became unified into Spain. Alfons de Borja was elected as Pope Callixtus III in 1455. His sister, Isabel, was the mother of Rodrigo who adopted the Italianized version, Borgia, of his mother's name, Borja. Lucrezia's father Rodrigo was a Cardinal when she was born. He was a nephew of Pope Calixtus III.

Lucrezia's mother was his mistress of some years, Vannozza Cattanei, who was also the mother of two older children by Rodrigo, Giovanni (in Spanish, Juan) and Cesare. After Rodrigo became Pope as Alexander VI, he advanced the career within the church of many Borja and Borgia relatives. A daughter's value in such a time was primarily to cement political relationships, and to add to the family's power. Certainly Lucrezia's life reflected the family's shifting alliances. What Did Lucrezia Borgia Look Like? Lucrezia Borgia was described as beautiful, with long, flowing golden hair which, as an adult, she spent a long time grooming, and bleached to keep it light. Unlike for her sister-in-law Isabelle d'Este , we don't have portraits that we are certain are of Lucrezia, other than on a bronze medal. In 2008, an art historian announced that he was convinced that a portrait long known merely as "Portrait of a Youth" by an unknown painter, was painted by Ferraro-based Dosso Dossi.

Several other paintings have long been thought to have been based on Lucrezia Borgia, notably Pinturicchio 's Disputation of Saint Catherine and Portrait of a Woman by Bartolomeo Veneto. Early Life Lucrezia was born in Rome in 1480. Not much is known about her childhood, but by about 1489, she was living with her father's third cousin, Adriana de Mila, and her father's new mistress, Giulia Farnese, who was married to Adriana's stepson. Adriana, a widow, had care of Lucrezia, who was educated at the nearby Convent of St. Sixtus . As an adult, she was able to write in French, Spanish and Italian; this was likely part of that early education. Already in 1491, Lucrezia's father was arranging her marriage with a Valencian noble, with a dowry set at 100,000 ducats. Two months later, Rodrigo broke that contract, with no reason give, but presumably he had other ideas for her marriage.

Rodrigo then arranged a marriage for Lucrezia with a son of a count in Navarre, and then that contract was also annulled. When Cardinal Rodrigo was elected Pope in 1492, he began to use that office to his family's advantage. Cesare, one of Lucrezia's brothers who was at the time 17 years old, was made an archbishop, and in 1493 was made a cardinal. Giovanni was made a Duke and was to head up papal armies. Gioffre was given lands taken from the kingdom of Naples. And a new marriage alliance was arranged for Lucrezia. First Marriage The Sforza family of Milan was one of the most powerful families in Italy, and had supported the election of Pope Alexander VI. They also were allied with the French king against Naples. A member of the Sforza family, Giovanni Sforza, was lord of a small Adriatic fishing town, Pesano; he was the illegitimate son of Costanzo I Sforza and thus a nephew of Ludovico Sforza who was the ruler of Milan.

It was with Giovanni Sforza that Alexander arranged a marriage for Lucrezia, to reward the Sforza family for their support and to bind their families together. Lucrezia was 13 when she married Giovanni Sforza on June 12, 1493. The wedding was elaborate, including 500 ladies in attendance. Lavish gifts were given. And scandalous behavior was noted. The marriage was not a happy one. Within four years, Lucrezia was complaining of his behavior. Giovanni also accused Lucrezia of misconduct. The Sforza family was no longer in favor with the Pope; Ludovico had provoked an attack by the French that had almost cost Alexander his papacy. Lucrezia's father and her brother Cesare began to have other plans for Lucrezia: Alexander wanted to switch alliances from France to Naples. Early in 1497, Lucrezia and Giovanni separated. Some reports have Lucrezia warning Giovanni that her father had ordered his execution. Giovanni went to Pesaro, presumably to escape any plans Cesare or Alexander might have to eliminate him; Lucrezia went to the Convent of St.

Sixtus where she had been educated. End of First Marriage The Borgias began the process of annulling the marriage, charging Giovanni with impotence and nonconsummation of the marriage. Giovanni, who had a child from his first marriage, boasted of having had sex with Lucrezia at least 1,000 times in their short marriage. He also began spreading accusations that Alexander and Cesare had incestuous designs on Lucrezia. The Pope enlisted the aid of the powerful Cardinal Ascanio Sforza (who had been his rival at the papal election) to persuade Giovanni to agree to annul the marriage; the Sforza family pressured Giovanni to end the marriage, as well. Eventually, Giovanni agreed to the annulment. He agreed to acknowledge impotence in exchange for keeping the substantial dowry Lucrezia had brought to the marriage. He may also have feared the consequences of further resistance. In mid-1497, Lucrezia's brother Giovanni Borgia was killed and his body dumped in the Tiber river; Cesare was rumored to have had his brother murdered in order to inherit his titles and land.

The marriage of Lucrezia Borgia and Giovanni Sforza was officially ended on December 27, 1497. Marriage Negotiations In the meantime, the Pope and his son, Cesare, had been arranging a second marriage for Lucrezia. This time, the husband was Alfonso d'Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie, who was 17 years old. He was said to be the illegitimate son of the King of Naples. A Spaniard, Pedro Caldes, was in charge of the negotiations for the marrriage. Pregnancy By the time of the annulment of her first marriage on grounds of nonconsummation of the marriage, Lucrezia was apparently pregnant. Pedro Caldes admitted being the father, though rumors were that either Cesare or Alexander was the actual father. Pedro Caldes and one of Lucrezia's maids were killed and thrown into the Tiber; rumors blamed Cesare. Some scholars doubt that Lucrezia was pregnant or had a son at this time, though her giving birth was mentioned in a letter of the time.

Second Marriage Lucrezia, age 21, married Alfonso d'Aragon by proxy on June 28, 1498, and in person on July 21. A feast much like that at her first marriage celebrated this second marriage. In August, Lucrezia's brother Cesare became the first person in church history to renounce his cardinalate; he was named the Duke of Valentinois on the same day by the French king Louis XII. The second marriage soured more quickly than the first. Only a year later, other alliances were tempting the Borgias. Alfonso left Rome, but Lucrezia talked him into returning. She was appointed as governor of Spoleto. On November 1, 1499, she gave birth to Alfonso's son, naming him Rodrigo for her father. On July 15 of the next year, Alfonso survived an assassination attempt. He had been at the Vatican and was on his way home when hired killers stabbed him repeatedly. He managed to make it home, where Lucrezia cared for him and hired armed guards to protect him.

About a month later, on August 18, Cesare Borgia visited Alfonso, who was recuperating, promising to "complete" that which had not been finished earlier. Cesare returned later with another man, cleared the room, and, as the other man later recounted the story, had his associate strangle or smother Alfonso to death. Lucrezia was reportedly devastated at the death of her husband. Her father and brother were so upset by her constant grieving that they sent her to Nepi in the Estruscan hills on a kind of retreat. The Roman Infant Lucrezia, at this time, appeared in the company of a three year old. Many believe this was a child she gave birth to after her first marriage ended. The Pope, probably to try to protect Lucrezia's reputation, issued a public papal bull stating that the child was Cesare's by an unnamed woman, and thus Lucrezia's nephew. For unknown reasons, Alexander privately published, at the same time, another papal bull, naming himself as the father. The child was named Giovanni Borgia, also known as the Infans Romanus (Roman child).

The presence of the child, and these acknowledgements, added fuel to the fire of the incest rumors begun by Sforza. Papal Secretary Back in Rome, Lucrezia began to work in the Vatican at her father's side. She handled the pope's mail and even answered it when he was not in town. Rumors about Lucrezia were fed by her work with her father, as well as by the presence of the child. Cesare held scandalous parties at the Vatican, with reports of such antics as 50 male servants and 50 nude prostitutes entertaining the party with sexual play. Whether the pope and Lucrezia attended these parties or not, or left before the most scandalous parts, is debated by historians. Some at the time commented on her piety and called her virtuous; was that genuine? Historians disagree, but most today lean towards the view that Lucrezia was not the active participant she was portrayed as by earlier historians. During these years, Cesare served as commander of the papal armies, and several of his enemies were found dead in the Tiber. In one campaign, he defeated and unseated Giovanni Sforza, Lucrezia's former husband.

Third Marriage Negotiated A still-young daughter of the pope remained a prime candidate for an arranged marriage to solidify Borgia power. The eldest son, and presumed heir, of the Duke of Ferrara was a recent widower. (This son's first wife was related to Lucrezia's first husband.) The Borgias saw this as an opportunity for an alliance with a region that was physically between their current power base and another they wanted to add to the family's lands. Ercole d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, was understandably hesitant to marry his son, Alfonso d'Este, to a woman whose first two marriages had ended in scandal and death, or to marry their more established family to the newly-powerful Borgias. Ercole d'Este was allied with the King of France, who wanted the alliance with the Pope. The Pope threatened Ercole with loss of his lands and title if he did not consent. Ercole drove a hard bargain in consenting, at last: a very large dowry, a position in the church for his son, some additional lands, and reduced payments to the church.

Ercole even considered marrying Lucrezia himself if his son, Alfonso, did not agree to the marriage -- but Alfonso did. Lucrezia apparently welcomed the marriage. She brought a large and expensive trousseau with her, as well as jewels and other valuable goods -- all of which Ercole d'Este carefully inventoried and inspected. Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este were married by proxy at the Vatican on December 30, 1501. In January, she traveled with 1,000 in attendance to Ferrara, and on February 2, the two were married in person in another luxury-ridden ceremony. Death: the Pope and the Duke The summer of 1503 was oopressively hot in 1503, and mosquitos rampant. Lucrezia's father died unexpectedly of malaria on August 18, 1503, ending the Borgia plans for solidifying power. (Some accounts have Cesare accidentally poisoning his father with a potion intended for someone else.) Cesare was also infected but survived, but he was too ill at his father's death to move quickly to secure treasure for his family.

Cesare was supported by Pius III, the next pope, but that pope died after 26 days in office. Giuliano Della Rovere, who had been a rival of Alexander and long an enemy of the Borgias, tricked Cesare into supporting his election as pope, but as Julius II, he reneged on his promises to Cesare. The Vatican apartments of the Borgia family were sealed by Julius who was revolted by the scandalous behavior of his predecessor. They remained sealed until the 19th century. Children The main responsibility of a Renaissance ruler's wife was to bear children, who would in turn either rule or be married into other families to cement alliances. Lucrezia was pregnant at least 11 times during her marriage to Alfonso. There were several miscarriages and at least one stillborn child, and two others died in infancy -- syphilis infecting either the father or both parents is blamed by some historians for these reproductive failures. But five other children survived infancy, and two -- Ercole and Ippolito -- both survived to adulthood.

Lucrezia's son Rodrigo from her marriage to Alfonso d'Aragon was raised in his father's family, heir to Alfonso's title as Duke. Lucrezia took a very active role, though from a distance, in his upbringing. She selected staff (governesses, tutors) who would take care of him and the duchy he was heir to. Giovanni, the infamous "Roman infant," came to live with Lucrezia a few years after her marriage. She supported him financially; he was officially recognized as her brother. Politics and War Lucrezia, meanwhile, was relatively safe in Ferrara. When her husband became embroiled with a war with Pope Julius II and with Venice from 1509, Lucrezia pawned her jewelry in order to help finance the effort. At the end of the war, when Julius II died, she began a rather ambitious effort to reclaim agricultural lands as well as to reclaim her pawned property. Patron of the Arts, Businesswoman In Ferrara, Lucrezia associated with artists and writers, including the poet Ariosto, and helped bring many to the court, distant as it was from the Vatican.

Poet Pietro Bembo was one of those she patronized, and from the letters surviving to him, it's clear that their relationship was more than friendship. Recent studies have shown that during her years in Ferrara, Lucrezia was a shrewd businesswoman, building up her own fortune quite successfully. She used some of her wealth to build hospitals and convents, winning the respect of her subjects. She sometimes inspected her husband's property for him. She invested in marshy land, then drained it and recovered it for agricultural use. Lucrezia also was reported to have had several affairs, including that with Bembo. Her husband Alfonso d'Este was also not faithful. Lucrezia had, early in her marriage, tried to make friends with her sister-in-law, Isabella d'Este , and Isabella was at first welcoming towards Lucrezia. But Cesare Borgia overthrew Isabella's sister's husband, and Isabella became quite cool towards Lucrezia. Isabella's husband, Francesco Gonzaga, was not cool towards Lucrezia, and the two had a long affair beginning as early as 1503 that ended only when Francesco realized that he had syphilus.

Later Years Lucrezia received word in 1512 that her son Rodrigo d'Aragon had died. She withdrew from most social life, though she continued her business enterprises including investing her inheritance from her son in livestock, canal construction and drainage of wetlands. She turned more to her religion, spending more time at convents, and even began wearing a hair shirt (an act of penance) under her fancy gowns. Visitors to Ferrara commented on her melancholy, and that she seemed to age rapidly. She also pursued her brother Giovanni's inheritance in Spain, and continued her effort to retrieve her jewelry she had pawned during the war, before 1513. She had four more pregnancies and perhaps two miscarriages from 1514 to 1519. In 1518, she wrote, in one of her surviving letters, to her son Alfonso who was in France. Death of Lucrezia Borgia On June 14, 1519, Lucrezia gave birth to a daughter who was stillborn. Lucrezia contracted a fever and died ten days later. During this illness, she sent a letter to the Pope commending her husband and children to him.

She was mourned genuinely by her husband, family and subjects. Reputation Some of the most outrageous charges against Lucrezia come from her first husband, when he was responding to charges that he was impotent and did not consummate their marriage in four years Pope Julius II, who followed Alexander VI and against whom Lucrezia's husband fought Niccolo Macchiavelli, who stated the charges of incest as fact Francesco Guicciardini, historian, who also reported the incest and other scandalous rumors as fact Victor Hugo's play, Lucrezia Borgia Donizetti's opera, Lucrezia Borgia In 1505, already in Ferrara, Lucrezia had a bronze medal cast with her likeness on one side. On the other was portrayed Cupid bound in an oak tree, a "bound cupid," representing the need to control physical passions. That, and her more circumspect behavior for most of her time in Ferrara, speaks to what was likely her personal religious and ethical orientation during the time of her last marriage, once she was out of the control of her father and brother. Television Series In 1981, the BBC Two television series The Borgias was aired.

In 2011, a fictionalized version of the history of the Borgia family debuted first on Showtime in the United States and then on Bravo! in Canada. This series, also called The Borgias , was planned as a four-season arc. Only three seasons aired, due to the expense and ratings of the series. Holliday Granger played Lucrezia Borgia, one of the main characters. The series implies that she and her brother had a relationship that was at least emotionally incestuous, and eventually physical. An incident of Lucrezia being captured by the King of France, and charming him to save Rome, is a fiction. Her first marriage and her affair, producing a child, are depicted in the three seasons. Timeline / Chronology January 1, 1431: Rodgrigo Borgia born as Roderic Llançol i de Borja. July 13, 1442: Vannozza dei Cattanei born, mother of Lucrezia Borgia. April 1455: Alfons de Borja, Rodrigo Borgia's uncle, elected Pope Callixtus III .

About 1468: Pere-Lluis Borgia was born, son of Rodrigo Borgia and an unnamed mistress. 1474: Giovanni (Juan) Borgia was born in Rome, son of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. 1474: Giulia Farnese born: mistress of Pope Alexander VI who displaced Vannozza dei Cattanei. September 1475: Cesare Borgia was born in Rome, son of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vannozzadei Cattanei. April 1480: Lucrezia Borgia born in Subiaco, daughter of Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress Vannozzadei Cattanei. 1481 or 1482: Gioffre born in Rome, son of Vannozza Cattanei and possibly Rodrigo. Rodrigo accepted him as his son when he legitimized him, but expressed doubts about his paternity. 1481: Cesare was legitimized by Ferdinand II. 1488: Pere-Lluis died in Rome.

He had held the title of Duke of Gandia, and left his title and holdings to his half-brother Giovanni. May 21, 1489: Giulia Farnese married Orsino Orsini. He was a stepson of Adriana de Mila, third cousin to Rodrigo Borgia. 1491: Cesare became bishop of Pamplona . 1492: Lucrezia betrothed to Giovanni Sforza. August 11, 1492: Rodrigo Borgia elected as Pope Alexander VI . Ascanio Sforza and Giuliano della Rovere were his strongest rivals in that election. 1492: Cesare Borgia became archbishop of Valencia; Giovanni Borgia became Duke of Gandia in Spain, the Borgia homeland; Gioffre Borgia was given lands taken from Naples . by 1493: Giulia Farnese was living with Adriana de Mila and Lucrezia Borgia in a palace next to, and accessible from, the Vatican . June 12, 1493: Lucrezia Borgia married Giovanni Sforza.

1493: Giovanni married Maria Enriquez, who had been betrothed to Pere-Lluis. September 20, 1493: Cesare appointed a cardinal. July 1497: Giovanni Borgia died in Rome: he was the victim of assassination, and his body was thrown into the Tiber. Cesare was rumored to have been behind the killing. December 27, 1497: Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza was officially annulled. 1498: Giovanni Borgia born, presumably the son of Lucrezia Borgia and Pedro Caldes, though Alexander and Cesare were both named in legal documents as the father, and the mother may have been other than Lucrezia. June 28, 1498: Lucrezia married Alfonso d'Aragon by proxy. July 21, 1498: Lucrezia and Alfonso married in person. August 17, 1498: Cesare renounced his ordination -- the first person in church history to renounce a cardinalate -- and adopted lay status.

He was named Duke of Valeninois the same day by King Louis XII of France. May 10, 1499: Cesare married Charlotte d'Albret, sister of John III of Navarre. November 1, 1499: Rodrigo d'Aragona born to Lucrezia and Alfonso. 1499 or 1500: Giulia Farnese had fallen out of favor with her lover, Pope Alexander. July 15, 1500: Alfonso survived assassination attempt. August 18, 1500: Alfonso assassinated. 1500: Lucrezia sent to Nepi in the Etruscan hills. 1501: War of Naples: Cesare fought on the side of France against Ferdinand of Spain 1501: Lucrezia appeared with Giovanni, Infans Romanus (the Roman child), and the Pope issued two bulls asserting that the child was the son of an unnamed woman and Cesare or Alexander December 30, 1501: Lucrezia and Alfonso d'Este were married by proxy at the Vatican.

February 2, 1502: Lucrezia and Alfonso d'Este were married in person in Ferrara. 1502: Gioffre confirmed by Ferdinand of Spain as prince of Squillace. August 18, 1503: Alexander VI died of malaria; Cesare was infected but did not succumb. First Pius III then Julius II succeeded Alexander as pope. 1504: Cesare Borgia exiled to Spain. 15 June 1505: Ercole d'Este died, and Alfonso d'Este became Duke and Lucrezia became the Duchess consort. 1505: Laura Orsini, daughter of Giulia Farnese and possibly Alexander VI, married a niece of Pope Julius II. March 12, 1507: Cesare died in the Battle of Viana at Navarre. 1508: Ercole d'Este II born to Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d'Este; he was to be his father's heir.

1510: Pope Julius II excommunicated Alfonso d'Este for his role in fighting against Venice on the side of the French, and declared that he and his heirs had no claim on Modena and Reggio. 1512: Rodrigo d'Aragon died. June 14, 1514: Lucrezia Borgia died of a fever contracted after delivering a stillborn daughter. 1517: Gioffre died in Squillace. 1518: Vannozza dei Cattenei, Lucrezia's mother, died. March 23, 1524: Giulia Farnese died. 1526 - 1527: Alfonso d'Este fought with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, against Pope Clement VII, to win back Modena and Reggio 1528: Ercole d'Este (Ercole II) married Renée of France, daughter of King Louis XII of France and the wealthy heiress Anne of Brittany .

Due t Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara (1480 - 1519) - Genealogy Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara Also Known As: Ferrara, Province of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy Immediate Family: Apr 18 1480 - Subiaco, Italy Death: June 24 1519 - Ferrara, Italy Parents: Rodrigo Lançol Borgia, Giovanna Cattanei Husband: Giovanni Sforza d'Aragona, Alfonso of Aragon, Alfonso d'Este Children: daughter About Lucrezia Borgia, duchessa di Ferrara, Modena e Reggio Lucrezia BORGIA (April 18, 1480-1519 June 24) was the daughter of Rodrigo BORGIA, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei CATTANEI. Her brothers included Cesare BORGIA, Giovanni BORGIA, and Gioffre BORGIA.

Lucrezia's family later came to epitomize the ruthless Machiavellian politics and sexual corruption alleged to be characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. Lucrezia was cast as a femme fatale, a role she has been portrayed in many artworks, novels and films. NO authentic portrait of Lucrezia is known, though several paintings, such as Bartolomeo VENEZIANO's fanciful portrait (see illustration) have been said to depict her. She is described as having heavy blonde hair which fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes which constantly changed colour, a full, high bosom and a natural grace which made her appear to "walk on air" ; these were the physical attributes that were highly appreciated in Italy during that period. Not enough is known about the historical Lucrezia to be certain that the stories about her active involvement in her father's and brother's crimes are true. Her father and/or brother certainly arranged several marriages for her, to important or powerful men, in order to advance their own political ambitions.

Lucrezia was married to Giovanni SFORZA (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of ARAGON (Duke of Bisceglie), and Alfonso d'ESTE (Prince of Ferrara). Tradition has it that Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples and that Cesare may have had him murdered after his political value waned... --- Marriages [edit] First marriage: Giovanni Sforza Lucrezia Borgia was born at Subiaco, near Rome. By the time she was thirteen, she had been betrothed twice, but her father called off both engagements. After Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI, he had Lucrezia marry Giovanni Sforza to establish an alliance with that powerful Milanese family. The wedding was a scandalous event but was not much more extravagant than many other Renaissance celebrations. Before long, the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza in the papal court was superfluous. The Pope needed new, more advantageous political alliances, so he may have covertly ordered the execution of Giovanni.

The generally accepted version is that Lucrezia was informed of this by her brother Cesare, and she warned her husband, who fled Rome. Possibly Pope Alexander VI never made such an order, and it was a plot on the part of Cesare and Lucrezia to drive her husband away. Regardless, Alexander and Cesare were pleased with the chance to arrange another advantageous marriage for Lucrezia. But before that could occur, they needed to get rid of Giovanni Sforza. Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to persuade Giovanni to agree to a divorce. Giovanni refused and accused Lucrezia of paternal and fraternal incest. Since the marriage had supposedly not been consummated, the Pope said that the marriage was not valid, and offered Giovanni Lucrezia's dowry to agree. The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection of Giovanni if he refused Alexander's offer. Having no choice, Giovanni Sforza signed confessions of impotence and documents of annulment before witnesses. [edit] Affair with Perotto There has been speculation that during the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia consummated a relationship with someone, probably Alexander's messenger Perotto.

The result was that she was actually pregnant when her marriage was annulled for non-consummation, and this is one of the facts her detractors have cited to support their derogatory view of her character. The child, named Giovanni but known to historians as the Roman Infante, was born in secret (1498) before Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso of Aragon. Some believe the child was her brother Cesare's, but that Perotto, due to his fondness for Lucrezia, claimed that it was his. During her pregnancy, she stayed away from Rome at a convent, so no one would know, and Perotto would bring her messages from her father in Rome. According to this theory, Lucrezia was worried that if news of her pregnancy reached the citizens of Rome, they would surely know it was Cesare's child. Cesare, at the time, was a Cardinal of the Holy Church; if he had been sharing an illicit sexual relationship with his sister during her marriage to Giovanni, it would have to be concealed from everyone, especially their father (the Pope). In 1501, two papal bulls were issued concerning the child, Giovanni Borgia.

In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair before his marriage. The second, contradictory, bull recognized him as the son of Alexander VI. Lucrezia's name is not mentioned in either, and rumours that she was his mother have never been proven. The second bull was kept secret for many years, and Giovanni was assumed to be Cesare's son. This is supported by the fact that in 1502, he became Duke of Camerino, one of Cesare's recent conquests, hence the natural inheritance of the Duke of Romagna's oldest son. However, some time after Alexander's death, Giovanni went to stay with Lucrezia in Ferrara, where he was accepted as her half-brother. Second marriage: Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie) At his first meeting with Alfonso, before the marriage took place, Cesare was very impressed by his good looks and nature. This soon changed to jealousy and hatred. It was said that Cesare did not like Alfonso because Lucrezia was very happy with him and had, since her marriage to him, stopped giving Cesare as much attention.

Also, Cesare himself had a bout of syphilis and many scars remained on his face, even after recovery. This made him very conscious of his appearance, and so he started wearing masks and dressing in black. His condition is said to have made him hate Alfonso of Aragon all the more, and once when the Prince was visiting them in Rome, Cesare's men had attacked him during the night. To retaliate, Alfonso's men shot arrows at Cesare one day while he strolled in the garden. This infuriated Cesare, and he had his servant(s) strangle Alfonso while in the recovery room. Lucrezia and Alfonso had only one child, Rodrigo, who predeceased his mother in August 1512 at the age of twelve. While the reason for Alfonso's murder could have been jealousy, it did have a political background. Just like Lucrezia's first marriage, the second one soon became a useless alliance and a reason for embarrassment for the Pope and his son. Cesare had just allied himself with King Louis XII of France, who claimed the duchy of Naples, which was in the hands of Alfonso's family at the time.

Whatever the reasons for his murder, Lucrezia was genuinely fond of her husband and broken–hearted upon his death. [edit] Third marriage: Alfonso d'Este (Duke of Ferrara) After the death of her second husband, Lucrezia's father, Pope Alexander VI, wanted to arrange a third marriage. She then married Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. She gave her third husband a number of children and proved to be a respectable and accomplished Renaissance duchess, effectively rising above her questionable past and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death. Neither partner was faithful: Lucrezia enjoyed a long relationship with her bisexual brother-in-law, Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua [10][11] as well as a love affair with the poet Pietro Bembo. Francesco's wife was the cultured intellectual Isabella d'Este, the sister of Alfonso, to whom Lucrezia had made overtures of friendship to no avail. The affair between Francesco and Lucrezia was passionate, more sexual than sentimental as can be attested in the fevered love letters the pair wrote one another.

The affair ended when Francesco contracted syphilis and had to perforce end sexual relations with Lucrezia.[12] Lucrezia met the famed French soldier, the Chevalier Bayard while the latter was co-commanding the French allied garrison of Ferrara in 1510. According to his biographer, the Chevalier became a great admirer of Lucrezia's; considering her a "pearl amoung women". How much she returned his admiration is unknown. Lucrezia Borgia died in Ferrara on 24 June 1519 from complications after giving birth to her eighth child. She was buried in the convent of Corpus Domini.[13] On 15 October 1816, the Romantic poet Lord Byron visited the Ambrosian Library of Milan. He was delighted by the letters between Borgia and Bembo ("The prettiest love letters in the world"[14][15]) and claimed to have managed to steal a lock of her hair ("the prettiest and fairest imaginable."[15]) held on display[16][17][18].

[edit] Children Lucrezia was mother to seven or eight known children: Giovanni Borgia, "infans Romanus" ("Child of Rome", c. 1498–1548). The child's paternity was acknowledged by Perotto, but Alexander and Cesare have also been identified as the father. It is also possible that this child (identified in later life as Lucrezia's half-brother) was the result of a liaison between Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father) and an unknown mistress, as averred in a Papal Bull, and was not Lucrezia's child. Rodrigo Borgia of Aragon (November 1, 1499 — August, 1512). Son by Alfonso of Aragon. Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (April 5, 1508 — October 3, 1559). Ippolito II d'Este (August 25, 1509 — December 1, 1572). Archbishop of Milan and later Cardinal.

Alessandro d'Este (1514–1516). Leonora d'Este (July 3, 1515 — July 15, 1575). A nun. Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Massalombarda (November 1, 1516 — February 2, 1578). Isabella Maria d'Este (Born and deceased on June 14, 1519). Complications at birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later. At least one biographer (Maria Bellonci) claims that Lucrezia gave birth to three more children, one by Alfonso of Aragon and two by Alfonso d'Este, who did not survive infancy. She is also thought to have had at least four miscarriages. Lucrezia is the ancestress of many notable people, including American Civil War general P.G.T. Beauregard[19] and actress Brooke Shields.[20] She is a collateral relative of most of the royal families of modern Europe including that of the United Kingdom.

The Borgias or Borjas were an Italian noble family of Spanish origin remembered today for their corrupt rule of the Papacy during the Renaissance. They are in fact thought to be "history's first criminal family", and a forerunner to the Italian Mafia.[1] The patriarch of the family, Rodrigo Borgia (1431-1503), "became a bishop, cardinal and vice-chancellor of the church."[2] He was later elected Pope, taking the name Alexander VI and kept that position for at least eleven years. Other members of the Borgia family were Lucrezia Borgia and Cesare Borgia, daughter and son of Rodrigo Borgia, respectively. Among the many accusations against the Borgia family, some are of incest, adultery, murder, and scandal. Second marriage: Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie) At his first meeting with Alfonso, before the marriage took place, Cesare was very impressed by his good looks and nature. This soon changed to jealousy and hatred. It was said that Cesare did not like Alfonso because Lucrezia was very happy with him and had, since her marriage to him, stopped giving Cesare as much attention.

Also, Cesare himself had a bout of syphilis and many scars remained on his face, even after recovery. This made him very conscious of his appearance, and so he started wearing masks and dressing in black. His condition is said to have made him hate Alfonso of Aragon all the more, and once when the Prince was visiting them in Rome, Cesare's men had attacked him during the night. To retaliate, Alfonso's men shot arrows at Cesare one day while he strolled in the garden. This infuriated Cesare, and he had his servant(s) strangle Alfonso while in the recovery room. Lucrezia and Alfonso had only one child, Rodrigo, who predeceased his mother in August 1512 at the age of twelve. While the reason for Alfonso's murder could have been jealousy, it did have a political background. Just like Lucrezia's first marriage, the second one soon became a useless alliance and a reason for embarrassment for the Pope and his son. Cesare had just allied himself with King Louis XII of France, who claimed the duchy of Naples, which was in the hands of Alfonso's family at the time.

Whatever the reasons for his murder, Lucrezia was genuinely fond of her husband and broken–hearted upon his death. [edit] Third marriage: Alfonso d'Este (Duke of Ferrara) After the death of her second husband, Lucrezia's father, Pope Alexander VI, wanted to arrange a third marriage. She then married Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. She gave her third husband a number of children and proved to be a respectable and accomplished Renaissance duchess, effectively rising above her questionable past and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death. Neither partner was faithful: Lucrezia enjoyed a long relationship with her bisexual brother-in-law, Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua [10][11] as well as a love affair with the poet Pietro Bembo. Francesco's wife was the cultured intellectual Isabella d'Este, the sister of Alfonso, to whom Lucrezia had made overtures of friendship to no avail. The affair between Francesco and Lucrezia was passionate, more sexual than sentimental as can be attested in the fevered love letters the pair wrote one another.

The affair ended when Francesco contracted syphilis and had to perforce end sexual relations with Lucrezia.[12] Lucrezia met the famed French soldier, the Chevalier Bayard while the latter was co-commanding the French allied garrison of Ferrara in 1510. According to his biographer, the Chevalier became a great admirer of Lucrezia's; considering her a "pearl amoung women". How much she returned his admiration is unknown. Lucrezia Borgia died in Ferrara on 24 June 1519 from complications after giving birth to her eighth child. She was buried in the convent of Corpus Domini.[13] On 15 October 1816, the Romantic poet Lord Byron visited the Ambrosian Library of Milan. He was delighted by the letters between Borgia and Bembo ("The prettiest love letters in the world"[14][15]) and claimed to have managed to steal a lock of her hair ("the prettiest and fairest imaginable."[15]) held on display[16][17][18].

[edit] Children Lucrezia was mother to seven or eight known children: -1. Giovanni Borgia, "infans Romanus" ("Child of Rome", c. 1498–1548). The child's paternity was acknowledged by Perotto, but Alexander and Cesare have also been identified as the father. It is also possible that this child (identified in later life as Lucrezia's half-brother) was the result of a liaison between Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father) and an unknown mistress, as averred in a Papal Bull, and was not Lucrezia's child. -2. Rodrigo Borgia of Aragon (November 1, 1499 — August, 1512). Son by Alfonso of Aragon. -3. Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (April 5, 1508 — October 3, 1559). -4. Ippolito II d'Este (August 25, 1509 — December 1, 1572). Archbishop of Milan and later Cardinal.

-5. Alessandro d'Este (1514–1516). -6. Leonora d'Este (July 3, 1515 — July 15, 1575). A nun. -7. Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Massalombarda (November 1, 1516 — February 2, 1578). -8. Isabella Maria d'Este (Born and deceased on June 14, 1519). Complications at birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later. At least one biographer (Maria Bellonci) claims that Lucrezia gave birth to three more children, one by Alfonso of Aragon and two by Alfonso d'Este, who did not survive infancy. She is also thought to have had at least four miscarriages. Lucrezia is the ancestress of many notable people, including American Civil War general P.G.T. Beauregard[19] and actress Brooke Shields.[20] She is a collateral relative of most of the royal families of modern Europe including that of the United Kingdom.

F, #331583, b. 18 April 1480, d. 24 June 1519 Last Edited=19 Jan 2009 Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18 April 1480. (1) She was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei. (1) She married, thirdly, Alfonso I d'Este, Duca di Ferrara, son of Ercole I d'Este, Duca di Ferrara. (1) She married, secondly, Alfonso de Aragón, son of Alfonso II, King of Naples and Truzia Gazzela. (1) She married, firstly, Giovanni Sforza, son of Costanzo I Sforza, on 12 June 1492. (1) She died on 24 June 1519 at age 39 at Ferrara, Italy, from birth complications. (1) Her marriage to Giovanni Sforza was annulled. (1) Child of Lucrezia Borgia -1. Giovanni Borgia (1) b.

1498, d. 1548 Child of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso de Aragón -1. Rodrigo Borgia de Aragón (1) b. 1 Nov 1499, d. Aug 1512 Children of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso I d'Este, Duca di Ferrara -1. Ercole II d'Este, Duca di Ferrara+1 b. 5 Apr 1508, d. 3 Oct 1559 -2. Ippolito II d'Este1 b. 25 Aug 1509, d. 1 Dec 1572 -3. Alessandro d'Este (1) b. 1514, d. 1516 -4. Leonora d'Este1 b. 3 Jul 1515, d. 15 Jul 1575 -5. Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Massalombarda (1) b. 1 Nov 1516, d. 2 Feb 1578 -6. Isabella Maria d'Este (1) b.

14 Jun 1519, d. 14 Jun 1519 Forrás / Source:

Question: Who was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of his many mistresses?
Answer: Lucrezia Borgia