Alexander VI Borgia - the most controversial pope

Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia became Pope with the help of blackmail, extortion and trafficking. He raised all his children to be his faithful copies.

The Borgia was a Spanish noble family, originally from Aragon. They ruled the city of Gandhi in the province of Valencia before moving to Rome in the 15th century.

In those years, there were many families similar to theirs all over Italy - rich, influential with the desire to gain as much power as possible. For more than 500 years, the surname Borgia has been synonymous with debauchery, scandals and crimes of all kinds. And it all started with one "threesome" - Rodrigo Borgia and his children - Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia.

Pater familias!

Rodrigo Borgia was actually born as Rodrigo de Lanzol His mother's surname Borgia was taken after his uncle Alfonso de Borgia was elected the first Spanish pope under the name of Callistus III. Ambitious and power-loving, Rodrigo understood the power of the Catholic Church as a young man, so he focused all his attention on ascension in its hierarchy.

He became a cardinal, and when Pope Innocent and Pope Alexander VI died in 1492. He fought for this position by sending countless mules loaded with silver to bribe cardinals, and as he came to power, so he ruled - to this day he is remembered as one of the most controversial popes.

For starters, the new pope was anything but a calm and God-fearing man. Alexander VI enjoyed hunting, food, drink and, above all - women!

The 60-year-old pope already had nine children. He brought his 14-year-old mistress Giulia Farnese to the Vatican without any cover. As for the family, he moved to Rome "only" four of his favorite children - Caesar, Juan, Lucrezia and Hofre.

The name of Pope Alexander VI is forever remembered as the name of a debaucher and a man who does not shy away from anything to reach the goal. However, it is fair to say this - the reputation he has today comes mainly from his enemies - the Italian nobility and the Roman Catholic clergy whose power he took away.

It is known with certainty that he was a skilled diplomat and politician, and he will be remembered for that more than for his achievements in the field of spiritual life.

Yet another side in relation to his private life and the scandalous stories that have remained about him!

The devil with the face of an angel

According to contemporaries, the pope's son Cesare Borgia was "the most handsome man in Italy." Born from the relationship of then-Cardinal Rodrigo and his mistress Vanoza de Catanay, he was a tall, stocky young man who enjoyed beautiful attire, parties, and women. Over the years, he became the father of at least 11 children, some of whom later used the surname Borgia.

Regardless of his son’s preferences, his father intended for him a career in the Catholic Church. He became a priest at the age of 15, and when his father was proclaimed pope, he also became a cardinal when he was only 18 years old. All of this was probably Rodrigo Borgia’s idea to turn the papal crown into a hereditary one, with his family as a dynasty.

However, it seems that Caesar always wanted a military career, so on August 17, 1498, he became the first man in history to voluntarily renounce the title of cardinal in order to dedicate himself to the army.

Today, the name of this military leader is associated with the notion of a cold-blooded murderer who does not shy away from any crime. He was remembered for his cruelty and ruthlessness. Various sources suggest that he also ordered the murder of his older brother Giovanni, but these claims are difficult to prove today because they come from the enemy Borgi.

Countless more scandals are related to this nobleman. For starters, it seems that Borgius' partner sharing was common - Caesar and his brother Juan had an affair with their brother Hofre's wife. One day Juan was found stabbed and thrown into the Tiber, and Caesar was again the prime suspect.

Even more than these events, eerie stories circulated about Caesar. One was whispered that he had cut off the tongue of a satirist whom he heard joking about him. Another that he most enjoyed standing on the balcony above the prison yard and shooting at prisoners with a crossbow. The third is that he broke the resistance of the city of Froli by capturing and imprisoning Catherine Sforza, his ruler, in her bedroom. What happened between them then, neither he nor she ever found out.

However, most rumors about Caesar were circulating regarding the relationship he had with his sister - Lucretius Borgia…

Lukrecija Borgija!

Lucrezia Borgia was her father's pet born as another of his illegitimate children. By his order, she was separated from her mother and given to her father's cousin for safekeeping. Much like her brother, she is described as a beautiful girl. She was golden-haired and refined, with a white neck and pearly teeth, and also very educated - from an early age she learned Latin, became acquainted with poetry, music and painting on porcelain.

The first suitors begged her before she turned 11, but her father refused them after he became pope, asking for a more powerful individual to tie his family with him through marriage.

At the age of 12, Lucrezia was given to the ruler of Pesaro, a widower of his age, Giovanni Sforza. A magnificent wedding was held, which was attended by half of Rome. However, the marriage did not last long, and what was the reason for that is not very clear today. Most likely, the Borgias realized that they could offer Lucrezia's hand to a much better suitor. The unfortunate groom was declared impotent, that his young wife was still a virgin and that the marriage should be annulled due to "non-consumption".

Sforza swore to avenge the Borgias. He allegedly stated that he had "met his wife countless times, but that the pope had taken her away from him for no other reason than to sleep with her alone."

And indeed, there were many in Rome who believed that there was “something sick” in the relationship between the Pope and Lucretia and that Lucretia and her brother Caesar were also lovers. Whether this is true or not is impossible to determine today. Only. Sforza was forced to sign the annulment of the marriage, he left Rome, and Lucrezia was free.

And then the story spread through Rome that the young beauty was "messing around" with the Spanish nobleman Pedro Calderon, the papal chamberlain. It was even rumored that Lucrezia was pregnant, and Calderon was simply found dead in the Tiber one day. The main suspect, you guessed it, was Lucrezia's brother Caesar, but the crime, of course, was never unraveled.

Lucrezia gave birth to a son who later became the Duke of Naples. His origins remained shrouded in mystery, and it was even rumored that he was the fruit of incest and that the real father of the child was actually Caesar.

The next party for Lucrezia was also conceived for political reasons. It was Alfonso, Duke of Bisceglie, the illegitimate son of the King of Naples. The couple lived relatively harmoniously until the groom and the groom’s brother came to war.

And again, Alfonso ended up dead. However, it seems that Lucrezia had at least some dose of affection for him because it is known that she was in deep grief, withdrew from the public for a while and was allegedly angry with her brother.

If any of these rumors were true, her anger didn't last long. At the urging of her father, Lucrezia married Alfonso, the son of the Duke of Ferrara, for the third time. She was still the subject of gossip and intrigue and her name was mentioned in connection with the many lovers she had.

The infamous end of the family!

Despite their wealth and the fear they spread around them, the power of the Borgias began to fade after the death of Pope Alexander VI in 1503.

Although he was a capable military leader and statesman, Caesar had trouble continuing his successful rule without the support of the Vatican. He was arrested by the new pope - Pius III, he escaped from prison, but his final downfall was caused by the election of the mortal enemy of Borgia - Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere. He died in 1507 in the battle of Navarre.

Caesar's original tomb was in the church of Santa Maria in Viana. It read, “Here lies in a little land the one who was feared by all, the one who kept peace and war in his hand.” However, in 1537 a local priest ordered his remains to be moved to a location outside the church.

As for Lucrezia, even today the question is whether she deserves the ugly reputation that has accompanied her for centuries. It is more certain that in the hands of her father and brother she was only a tool used as needed for political purposes, and she did not have enough strength to resist it. Despite the fact that she is best known for that, there is no evidence that she has ever been poisoned.

She lived in Ferrari and had numerous children. She was considered a great connoisseur of art and a protector of artists. She died in 1519 after a premature birth. She was only 39 years old.

For centuries, their numerous descendants shaped the political image of Europe and were among the most powerful members of the nobility of the "old continent".