| Country | Italy, Spain |
|---|---|
| Titles |
|
| Founder | Alfons de Borja |
| Current head | Extinct |
|
Members of the Family |
The Borgias, also known as the Borjas, Borjia, were a European Papal family of Italian and Spanish origin with the name stemming from the familial fief seat of Borja belonging to their Aragonese Lords; they became prominent during the Renaissance. The Borgias were patrons of the arts, and their support allowed many artists of the Renaissance to realize their potential. The most brilliant personalities of this era regularly visited their court.
The Borgias became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 1400s and 1500s. They produced two popes during this period, Alfons de Borja who ruled as Pope Calixtus III during 1455–1458, and Rodrigo Lanzol Borgia, as Pope Alexander VI, during 1492–1503. Today they are remembered for their corrupt rule during the reign of Alexander VI. They have been accused of many different crimes, including adultery, simony, theft, rape, bribery, incest, and murder (especially murder by arsenic poisoning[1]). Because of their search for power, they made enemies of other powerful families such as the Medici and the Sforza, as well as the influential Dominican friar Savonarola.
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The Borgias emerged from Aragonese Valencia in Spain. Alfons de Borja, later known as Pope Callixtus III (1378 – 1458), was born in La Torreta, Canals, which was then situated in the Kingdom of Valencia. There were numerous unsubstantiated claims that the family was of Jewish origin. These underground rumours were propagated by, among others, Giuliano della Rovere, and the family were frequently described as marranos by political opponents: the rumours persisted in popular culture for centuries, listed as such for example in the Semi-Gotha of 1912.[2][3][4]
Alfons de Borja worked as a professor of law at the University of Lleida and later on as a diplomat of the Kings of Aragon, before he finally became a cardinal. He was elected Pope Callixtus III in 1455, at an advanced age; his pontificate was expected to be rather short. He reigned as the pope for 3 years.
Rodrigo Borgia (1431 – 1503), one of Alfons’s nephews, was born in Xàtiva, also in the Kingdom of Valencia. While a cardinal, he maintained an illicit relationship with Vanozza dei Cattanei from the House of Candia, and they had four children: Cesare, Giovanni, Lucrezia and Gioffre. He also had children by women other than Vannozza; Giulia Farnese was among his other mistresses. He was raised to the papal chair in 1492 and he chose the name of Alexander VI.
He was considered a good politician and diplomat, but he was also criticized for over-spending, simony and nepotism. His main interests lay in acquiring more wealth, seducing women, and making his family as powerful as possible. He planned to establish an empire with the assistance of his second oldest son, Giovanni, who was appointed captain-general of the papal army. Rodrigo had also honored his eldest son, Cesare, by nominating him cardinal when he was 18.
Alexander organized alliances through the marriages of his children. The Sforza family, which comprised the Milanese faction, was at the time one of the most powerful in Europe. Alexander married Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza; in so doing, he united the Borgia and Sforza families. He also found another way of establishing his position – he married his youngest son from Vannozza, Gioffre, to Sancia of Aragon of the Kingdom of Aragon and Naples.
Rodrigo Borgia was said to have died in 1503 in Rome from a poisoned apple, but the actual cause of death was malarial fever. His pontificate is frequently characterized in extremities – he is often said to have been the worst of all Popes. The era in which Alexander VI held supreme papal power was full of scandals, infringements and signs of moral offense among the highest authorities of the Latin Church.
Cesare's education was precisely planned by his father. Until his 12th birthday, he was educated by tutors in Rome. He studied law and 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 that he committed this crime. 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 a cardinal, he left the holy orders to gain power and take over the position Giovanni once held – Cesare became a condottiero. He was finally married to French princess Charlotte d'Albret.
After Alexander’s death in 1503, Cesare affected the choice of a next Pope. He needed a candidate who would not be a threat to his plans of creating his own principality in Central Italy. Cesare’s candidate did become Pope; however, he also died a month after the selection. Cesare was now forced to support Giuliano della Rovere. The cardinal promised Cesare that he could keep all of his titles and honors. Despite all of his promises, 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 Lerin. The castle was held by Louis de Beaumont at the time it 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. However, he not only failed to take the castle but also was killed during the battle.
Lucrezia was 13 years old when her father married her to Giovanni Sforza in 1493. It was a typical political marriage, however, the relationship was annulled in 1497, when Pope Alexander VI did not need the Sforzas any more. While terms of the divorce were being bargained, Lucrezia was resting in a convent. She was completely isolated from the world, and the only contact she had with the members of her family was through Perotto, a young chamberlain. Half a year later she attended a ceremony in which judges from Vatican stated that she was a virgin. The divorce could be permitted, since as a putative virgin Lucrezia could not have consummated her marriage with Giovanni. On the other hand, at the time of examination Lucrezia was pregnant, carrying a baby by Perotto. The child was born in secret, and given the name of Giovanni. He was passed from one protector to another, and finally resided with Lucrezia as her half-brother.
Lucrezia’s second marriage, to young and wealthy 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 off those with Kingdom of Naples. As Alfonso's father was the ruler of the Kingdom of Naples, the young husband was in great danger. Although the first attempt at murder did not succeed, Alfonso was eventually strangled in his own quarters.
The third and final husband of Lucrezia was Alfonso d'Este. Though there appeared to be an emotional connection between the couple, and Lucrezia became a beloved wife, she had a few affairs on the side. All of them eventually ended.
Lucrezia gave birth to many children; most of whom died soon after birth. When she died in 1519, she was buried in a tomb with her husband and one of her prematurely deceased children, Isabella Maria. Lucrezia Borgia died ten days after the death of her daughter, Isabella, of complications during childbirth.
The Borgian era, or the time period when the Borgia family had its greatest influence, started in the early 16th century, about the time of the death of Lucrezia in 1519. The Borgia family had influence during the age of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Age of Discovery. This was the era of many artists, writers and rulers who have influenced the modern age.
Gioffre Borgia (1482-1516), son of Pope Alexander VI and younger brother of Cesare Borgia and Lucrezia Borgia married Sancia (Sancha) of Aragon, daughter of Alfonso II of Naples, obtaining as dowry the both the Principality of Squillace (1494) and the Duchy of Alvito (1497).
Although Gioffre was deprived of Alvito after the death of Sancia in 1506, he managed to retain Squillace. He subsequently married Maria de Mila, and passed it on to their son Francesco Borgia.
The Borgia Princes were: Gioffre, Francesco, Giovanni, Pietro and finally Anna e Donna Antonia Borgia D’Aragona on whose death, in 1735, it passed to Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicily’s. Living either in Naples or Spain the Borgia’s ruled their fief through governors.
Not all of the Borgias were corrupt or violent. Francis Borgia (1510–1572), a great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, did not follow his relatives. He had fathered a number of children and after his wife died, Francisco determined to enter the Society of Jesus, recently formed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. As a reward for his efforts, the Church canonized the Jesuit Francisco on 20 June 1670.
Pope Innocent X (1574–1655) was the great-great-great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI. However, he was not as cruel as his ancestors. His surname was not Borgia, so the burdens of the past did not follow him during his papacy.
Another Borgian who lived after the Borgian era was Gaspar de Borja y Velasco (1580–1645). Unlike many of his relatives, Gaspar preferred to use the Spanish spelling of Borgia: Borja. He was born at Villalpando in Spain. He was related to both Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI, and some historians believe that Gaspar wished, like his relatives, to become Pope. He served as Primate of Spain, Archbishop of Seville, and Archbishop and viceroy of Naples.
There are many controversies connected with Rodrigo. He was not only accused of simony and nepotism, but also of attending public orgies, along with his daughter Lucrezia. The "Banquet of Chestnuts" (also called the "Ballet of the Chestnuts") is considered one of the most disreputable balls of this kind. It was held on October 30, 1501. Not only Pope Alexander VI was present, but also two of his children, Lucrezia and Cesare.
Rodrigo is also remembered for other crimes, many of them including torture and execution. The famous Florentine preacher Savonarola was executed under Rodrigo's reign. He accused Alexander VI of corruption and called for his removal as Pope. Savonarola was tortured and then hanged and burned publicly. Alexander VI is also remembered for bringing his mistresses to the papal court. One of them, Vanozza Cattanei gave him four children, and another two were born by Giulia Farnese. Alexander took Giulia as his mistress when she was a fifteen-year-old girl and he was over 60.
After Cesare became a leading general of the French King Louis XII, he returned to Rome. Behind him, dragged in golden chains, was Caterina Sforza, the Lady of two of the cities Cesare had conquered. She was imprisoned and held hostage in awful conditions. She would have died had the French not interceded for her release.
When Lucrezia’s second husband, Alfonso, the Duke of Bisceglie, was no longer important to the Borgias, Cesare strangled him (or had him strangled) when he was still recovering from another attempt of assassination on his life. The first attack was also most likely organised by Cesare and his men.
Between 1501 and 1503 Cesare hired Leonardo da Vinci as military architect and engineer, which means that da Vinci helped him conquer and then fortify fortresses. It is said that Leonardo invented war machines for Cesare and da Vinci received protection in return. Cesare allowed Leonardo to have full control over all planned and ongoing construction in his domain. Thanks to Leonardo’s merits, he received a vineyard from the family, which he later had to abandon, because of the fall of the Borgia empire. When Leonardo completed his work for Cesare, he had difficulties finding another patron in Italy. Finally, Francis I of France was able to convince him to enter his service, where Leonardo would work for the final three years of his life.
Some historians say that Cesare Borgia also murdered his brother Giovanni; however there is no clear evidence that he actually did. There is also the case of Perotto, Lucrezia's lover. When Cesare found out about Lucrezia’s pregnancy, he was so furious that he had the father of the child murdered. The body of Perotto (young chamberlain, the father of the child) was fished out of the Tiber. Also the body of a chambermaid was found in the river – because she had given the lovers a chance to meet in secret. Both murders are believed to have been commissioned by Cesare. Historian Johann Burchard, a contemporary of Alexander VI, who lived in the Vatican, states about Cesare:
One day he went so far as to have the square of St Peter enclosed by a palisade, into which he ordered some prisoners - men, women and children - to be brought. He then had them bound, hand and foot, and being armed and mounted on a fiery charger, commenced a horrible attack upon them. Some he shot, and others he cut down with his sword, trampling them under his horse's feet. In less than half-an-hour, he wheeled around alone in a puddle of blood, among the dead bodies of his victims, while his Holiness and Madam Lucrezia, from a balcony, enjoyed the sight of that horrid scene.
She was rumored to be a notorious poisoner and she became famous for her skill at political intrigue. However, recently historians have started to look at her in a more positive light: she is often seen as a victim of her family’s deceptions. Many people believe that she was a criminal, but the crimes of her father, Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI), and some of her other siblings including Cesare Borgia are what gave her a bad name. Also, it is believed that Cesare and Lucrezia committed incest[5]
| Name | Portrait | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alfons de Borja | Pope Callixtus III, uncle of Rodrigo Borgia. | |
| Rodrigo Borgia | Pope Alexander VI, father of Lucrezia, Cesare, Giovanni and Gioffre. | |
| Giovanni Borgia | The oldest son of Rodrigo, Giovanni was murdered by an unknown perpetrator. | |
| Cesare Borgia | Son of Rodrigo. Took over Giovanni's responsibilities after his death. | |
| Lucrezia Borgia | Daughter of Rodrigo. She was married three times, mostly to strengthen the position of her family. | |
| Francisco Borgia | Saint Francis was the great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI. | |
| Innocent X | Great-great-great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI. | |
| Gaspar de Borja y Velasco | Related to Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI. |
The Borgias were infamous in their time, and inspired numerous references in popular culture including novels, plays, operas, films, television series and video games.