Borgia, Lucrezia

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:''This article is about the historical person. For the biographical opera, see [[Lucrezia Borgia (opera)]]. Lucrezia Borgia is also the name [[Buffalo Bill]] gave to his gun.''
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[[Image:A Glass of Wine with Caesar Borgia - John Collier.jpg|thumb|350px|Not so holy family: Lucrezia Borgia with father Rodrigo (Pope Alexander VI) and brother Caesare. The figure in the foreground may be a depiction of the messenger Perotto. All three men were rumored to be the father of Lucrezia's first son.]]
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[[Image:Lucrezia borgia bartolomeo veneziano.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Portrait of a Woman'' by [[Bartolomeo Veneziano]], traditionally assumed to be '''Lucrezia Borgia'''.]]
 
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[[Image:Grave of Duke Alfonso I d'Este, Lucretia Borgia, etc. - Ferrara, Italy.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Tomb of [[Alfonso I d'Este]] and Lucrezia Borgia, [[Ferrara]].]]
 
  
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'''Lucrezia Borgia''' April 18, 1480 - June 24, 1519) was the daughter of [[Pope Alexander VI|Rodrigo Borgia]], the powerful [[Renaissance]] Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and [[Vannozza dei Cattanei]]. Her brothers included [[Cesare Borgia]], [[Giovanni Borgia (1474)|Giovanni Borgia]], and [[Gioffre Borgia]].<ref>The Borgias by Ivan Cloulas page 52</ref>
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'''Lucrezia Borgia''' (April 18, 1480 - June 24, 1519) was the daughter of [[Pope Alexander VI|Rodrigo Borgia]], the powerful [[Renaissance]] figure who later became Pope Alexander VI, and [[Vannozza dei Cattanei]]. Her brothers included [[Cesare Borgia]], [[Giovanni Borgia (1474)|Giovanni Borgia]], and [[Gioffre Borgia]]. She served for a time as ''de facto'' ruler of the [[Holy See]] during her father's absence and was infamous for her alleged involvement in various political and sexual intrigues.
  
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Lucrezia's family later came to epitomize the ruthless [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Machiavellian]] politics and sexual corruption alleged to be characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. In this story Lucrezia was cast as a ''[[femme fatale]]'', a role she has been portrayed as in many artworks, novels and films.  
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Lucrezia's family came to epitomize the ruthless [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Machiavellian]] politics and sexual corruption alleged to be characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. She reportedly bore her first child out of wedlock, and both her brother and her father were widely suspected to be the father. It was also rumored that Lucrezia possessed a hollow ring that she used frequently to [[poison]] drinks at the family's elaborate dinner-parties.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4349740,00.html Renaissance villain given a makeover], ''www.guardian.co.uk'', [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4350755 A Brief History of Poisoning], ''www.bbc.co.uk'', Retrieved November 14, 2007.</ref>
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{{toc}}
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Not enough is known about the historical Lucrezia to be certain whether any of the more notorious 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 and to augment the political and territorial power of the Borgias. Lucrezia was married to [[Giovanni Sforza]] (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of [[Bisceglie]]), and [[Alphonso d'Este]] (Prince of [[Ferrara]]).  
  
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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. Often these images are simply part of Lucrezia's myth. 
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==Biography==
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[[File:Lucretia Borgia Pinturicchio.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Lucrezia Borgia by Pinturicchio]]
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In 1491, at the tender age of 13, Lucrezia was [[betrothed]] to two different Spanish nobles. However, by 1492, her father had become pope and both engagements had successively been called off.
  
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Not enough is known about the historical Lucrezia to be certain whether any of 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 [[Alphonso 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.  
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===First marriage===
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After Rodrigo became [[Pope Alexander VI]], he decided that Lucrezia would marry [[Giovanni Sforza]], Lord of Pesaro, to establish an alliance with the powerful [[Milan|Milanese]] family. The wedding took place in 1493 and was considered a scandalous event by some because of its ostentation. In actuality, it was not much more extravagant than many other [[Renaissance]] celebrations.
  
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== Marriages ==
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Before long, it appears that the Borgia family no longer needed the [[Sforza]]s, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza in the papal court was considered superfluous. Pope Alexander allied himself with [[Naples]], while Milan was allied with the [[France|French]]. Both the Pope and the Milanese Sforza family sought out more advantageous political alliances.
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===First marriage: Giovanni Sforza===
 
  
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By the time she was thirteen, she had been [[betrothed]] twice, but both times her father had called off the engagements.
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After a series of events—including Giovanni fearing for his life, fleeing from Rome, and charging paternal and fraternal [[incest]] by Lucrezia—Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal [[Ascanio Sforza]], to persuade Giovanni to agree to a divorce. Since the marriage had supposedly not been [[consummate|consummated]], the Pope declared that the marriage was not valid. He offered Giovanni all of Lucrezia's [[dowry]] to seal the agreement. The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection of Giovanni if he refused Alexander's offer. Having no choice, Giovanni Sforza signed both a confession of [[impotence]] and the documents of [[annulment]] before witnesses in 1497.
  
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After Rodrigo became [[Pope Alexander VI]], he had Lucrezia marry [[Giovanni Sforza]] to establish an alliance with that powerful [[Milan|Milanese]] family. The wedding was a scandalous event but was not much more extravagant than many other [[Renaissance]] celebrations.
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===The 'Infans Romanus'===
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[[File:Pope Alexander Vi.jpg|thumb|left|Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father]]
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During the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia may have consummated a relationship with someone, either Alexander's messenger, Pedro Calderon, aka [[Perotto]] or—more infamously—Alexander himself, her own father. The result was that she was rumored to be pregnant when her marriage was annulled, despite it having never been consummated. That she even gave birth to a child remains a debated question. In any case, a child, named [[Giovanni Borgia (1498)|Giovanni]], but known to historians as the [[Roman Infante]] (Infans Romanus), was born in secret (1498) before Lucrezia's second marriage. Some believe that the child was her brother Cesare's, who at the time was a cardinal, but that Perotto, due to his fondness for Lucrezia, reportedly claimed that it was his. After the divorce, she stayed away from [[Rome]] at a convent, lending credence to the idea that she was attempting to hide her pregnancy; and Perotto would bring her messages from her father in [[Rome]].  
  
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Before long, the Borgia family no longer needed the [[Sforza]]s, 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 Borgia|Cesare]], and she warned her husband who then fled [[Rome]]. Possibly Pope Alexander never made such an order, and it was a plot on the part of Cesare and Lucrezia to drive her boring husband away. Whichever way it was, Alexander and Cesare were pleased with the chance of [[arranged marriage|arranging]] another advantageous marriage for Lucrezia. But before that could occur, they needed to get rid of Giovanni Sforza.
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In 1501, two [[papal bull]]s were issued concerning Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair before his marriage. The second bull recognized him as the son of Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia's name is not mentioned in either, and rumors that she was his mother have never been proven. The second bull was kept a secret for many years, and Giovanni was presumed to be Cesare's son. This version is supported by the fact that in 1502, he became Duke of [[Camerino]], one of Cesare's recent conquests (amidst the backdrop of the [[Italian Wars]]), 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.
  
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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 [[consummate|consummated]], the Pope said that the marriage was not valid, and he offered Giovanni all of 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 both a confession of [[impotence]] and the documents of [[annulment]] before witnesses.
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===Alfonso of Aragon===
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[[Image:Cesareborgia.jpg|thumb|Cesare Borgia]]
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In order to strengthen ties with [[Naples]], Pope Alexander in 1498 arranged a marriage between Lucrezia and the 17-year-old Alfonso, duke of Bisceglie, an illegitimate son of Alfonso II of Naples.
  
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===Affair with Perotto===
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However, after Cesare's alliance with the French king [[Louis XII]] (1499) and his subsequent campaign in the Duchy of Romagna, which threatened Naples, Alfonso fled Rome, returning with Lucrezia in October. While visiting Lucrezia's family in July 1500, he was wounded by four would-be assassins on the steps of [[St. Peter's Basilica]]. While recovering, he was reportedly strangled by one of Cesare's servants. The murder provoked the desired rupture with Naples. Lucrezia and Alfonso of Aragon had only one child, Rodrigo, who was destined to die before his mother, in August 1512 at the age of 12.
  
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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 not having been consummated, and this is one of the facts her detractors have cited to support their derogatory view of her character. The child, named [[Giovanni Borgia (1498)|Giovanni]] but known to historians as the [[Roman Infante]], was born in secret (1498) before Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso of Aragon.
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Around the same time, Alexander took the opportunity, with the help of the powerful [[Orsini]] (family), to force the rival [[Colonna]] family to obedience; leaving Lucrezia in charge of the [[Holy See]] as his representative or regent. This worked to give Lucrezia the air of political stature while Alexander concurrently worked to secure Lucrezia's marriage to her next husband.
  
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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 of her state, 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.
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===Alphonso d'Este and the Fall of the Borgias===
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Lucretia's third marriage helped consolidate her brother Cesare's position in the Romagna by opening the road to [[Tuscany]], an important trade route of the day. This third marriage, to Alphonso [[d'Este]] (Prince of Ferrara), proved to be a lasting one, and she bore him six children.
  
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In 1501, two [[papal bull]]s were issued concerning Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair before his marriage. The second 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 a secret for many years, and Giovanni was presumed 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.
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The fall of the power of the Borgias followed with her father's death in 1503 despite Cesare's immense capabilities. Cesare, gravely ill, was planning the conquest of Tuscany, but could do nothing without continued papal patronage. The new pope, [[Pius III]], supported him, but his reign was short and was followed with the accession of the Borgias' deadly enemy, [[Julius II]].
  
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===Second marriage: Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie)===
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While moving to Romagna to quell a revolt, Cesare was seized and imprisoned near Perugia. All Borgia lands were subsequently acquired by the [[Papal States]]. After exile to [[Spain]], in 1504, followed by imprisonment and escape, Cesare joined his brother-in-law, [[King John III]] of Navarre; dying in his service during a military campaign in 1507.
  
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Though 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 a lot of 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 own condition is said to have  made him hate [[Alfonso of Aragon]] all the more, and once when the prince was paying them a visit 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 was destined to die before his mother in August 1512 at the age of thirteen.
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Meanwhile, Lucrezia, no longer needing to play a major political role at the court of Ferrara—which became a center for the arts and letters of the [[Italy|Italian]] [[Renaissance]]—was able to live a more normal life and turned to religion in her final years. She died on June 24, 1519 at the age of 39, due to complications occurring during the birth of her eighth child.
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While the reason for Alfonso's murder might have also 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 the king of France [[Louis XII]], 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.
 
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===Third marriage: Alphonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara)===
 
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After the death of her second husband, Lucrezia's father, Pope Alexander VI, wanted to arrange a third marriage.  She was then married to her third husband, Alphonso [[d'Este]] (Prince 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. During her marriage to Alphonso she embarked on a love affair with the poet [[Pietro Bembo]]. She died on 24th June 1519 after a difficult pregnancy.
 
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== Issue ==
 
  
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==Children==
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[[Image:Grave of Duke Alfonso I d'Este, Lucretia Borgia, etc. - Ferrara, Italy.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Tomb of [[Alfonso I d'Este]] and Lucrezia Borgia, [[Ferrara]]]]
 
Lucrezia was mother to eight children:
 
Lucrezia was mother to eight children:
  
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*[[Giovanni Borgia (1498)|Giovanni Borgia]], "infans Romanus" ("Child of [[Rome]]," c. 1498 - 1548). Paternity acknowledged by Perotto; however Alexander and Cesare have also been identified as the father.
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*[[Giovanni Borgia (1498)|Giovanni Borgia]], the "infans Romanus" ("Child of [[Rome]]," c. 1498 - 1548). Paternity acknowledged by Perotto; however Alexander and Cesare have also been identified as the father
 
* Rodrigo Borgia of Aragon (November 1, 1499 - August, 1512). Son by Alfonso of Aragon.
 
* Rodrigo Borgia of Aragon (November 1, 1499 - August, 1512). Son by Alfonso of Aragon.
 
* [[Ercole II d'Este]], [[List of Dukes of Ferrara and of Modena|Duke of Ferrara]] (April 5, 1508 - October 3, 1559).
 
* [[Ercole II d'Este]], [[List of Dukes of Ferrara and of Modena|Duke of Ferrara]] (April 5, 1508 - October 3, 1559).
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* Leonora d'Este (July 3, 1515 - July 15, 1575). A [[nun]].
 
* Leonora d'Este (July 3, 1515 - July 15, 1575). A [[nun]].
 
* Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Massalombarda (November 1, 1516 - February 2, 1578).
 
* Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Massalombarda (November 1, 1516 - February 2, 1578).
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*Isabella Maria d'Este (Born and deceased on June 14, 1519). Complications at birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later.
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*Isabella Maria d'Este (Born and deceased on June 14, 1519).
  
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==References==
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==Legacy==
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<references/>
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The various stories surrounding the life of Lucrezia Borgia have made her a virtual icon for corruption and death within the halls of power, particularly, within the Roman [[Catholic Church]]. Rumors and exaggeration over time have only added to such.
  
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== Legends and Rumors ==
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It should be noted that Lucrezia, in those the years after the death of her father and in the ensuing years with her third husband, found her religion at last and lived out her live as a wife, mother, and Christian woman. Her legacy is perhaps, therefore, that in all life there is the hope of ultimate (and eternal) redemption if one is but willing to seek it.
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Several legends and rumors have persisted throughout the years, primarily speculating as to the nature of the extravagant parties thrown by the Borgia family.
 
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* It is rumored that Lucrezia was in possession of a hollow ring that she used frequently to [[poison]] drinks. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/netnotes/article/0,,645370,00.html] [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-et-poisonweb28nov28,0,7700288.story?coll=la-home-headlines] [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4350755]
 
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* There has been much speculation of an incestuous relationship between Lucrezia and her father and brothers. The rumours were started by her first husband, in an attempt to clean his image after being declared impotent by the Pope. The fact that the Borgias were very close to each other was taken as a proof to support the rumours. However, there is no concrete evidence. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
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* An early [[20th-century]] painting by Cadogan Cowper that hangs in the [[London]] art gallery [[Tate Britain]] portrays Lucrezia taking the place of her father, [[Alexander VI]] at an official [[Vatican City|Vatican]] meeting. This apparently documents an actual event, although the precise moment depicted, (a [[Franciscan]] friar kissing Lucrezia's feet), was invented by the artist.[http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999876&workid=2837&searchid=9046]
 
  
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== Biographies ==
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==Her Story in Film ==
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*''Lucrezia Borgia - Life, Love And Death In Renaissance Italy'' by Sarah Bradford ; Viking 2004 ISBN 0-670-03353-7
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* ''[[Lucrezia Borgia (1926 movie)|Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1922) a [[silent movie]] with [[Liane Haid]], directed by [[Richard Oswald]]
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*''Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography'' (©1978) by Rachel Erlanger (ISBN 0-8015-4725-3)
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* ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|Don Juan]]'' (1926), one of the first [[Vitaphone]]/Silent films starring [[John Barrymore]] features the Borgia as villains
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* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/borgia/borgialucrezia.htm External link to on-line biography]
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* ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1935), a French film version with [[Edwige Feuillère]], directed by [[Abel Gance]]
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* ''The Borgias'' (1971) by Michael Mallett
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* ''Lucrezia Borgia'' (1940), an Italian film with Isa Pola, directed by Hans Hinrich
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* ''Bride of Vengeance'' or ''A Mask for Lucretia'' (1949) starred [[Paulette Goddard]] as Lucretia (and [[Macdonald Carey]] as Cesare)
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* ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1953), a French movie with [[Martine Carol]], directed by [[Christian-Jaque]]
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* ''[[Le Notti segrete di Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1982), a Spanish-Italian film with Finnish actress [[Sirpa Lane]] as Lucrezia, directed by [[Roberto Bianchi Montero]].
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* ''[[Los Borgia]]'' (2006), a Spanish-Italian film with [[María Valverde]] as Lucrezia
  
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[[Image:bride_vengeance_poster.jpg|right|]]
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==Notes==
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<references/>
  
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== Plays, Operas, Films, and Novels ==
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== References ==
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=== Plays and Operas ===
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* Bradford, Sarah. ''Lucrezia Borgia - Life, Love And Death In Renaissance Italy''. Penguin, 2005. ISBN 9780143035954
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* Cloulas, Ivan. ''The Borgias''. Franklin Watts, 1989. ISBN 9780531151013
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* [[Victor Hugo]]'s tragedy, loosely based on Lucrezia's myth, was transformed into a libretto by [[Felice Romani]] for
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* Erlanger, Rachel. ''Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography''. Dutton Adult, 1985. ISBN 9780801547256
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* [[Gaetano Donizetti|Donizetti]]'s opera, ''[[Lucrezia Borgia (opera)|Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1834), first performed at [[La Scala]], Milan, 26 December 1834. When it was produced in Paris, in 1840, Hugo obtained an injunction against further productions. The libretto was then rewritten and retitled ''La Rinegata'', with the Italian characters changed to Turks, and the performances were resumed. The first English-language production was in London on 30 December 1843. The 1980 [[Covent Garden]] production, with [[Dame Joan Sutherland]] as Borgia and [[Richard Bonynge]] conducting the Orchestra of the [[Royal Opera House]] met with great success. [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000640T8?v=glance&n=130].
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* Faunce, John. ''Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel''. Three Rivers Press, 2004. ISBN 9781400051229
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* Mallett, Michael Edward. ''The Borgias: The Rise and Fall of a Renaissance Dynasty''. Academy Chicago Publishers, 1987. ISBN 9780897332385
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=== Films ===
 
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* ''[[Lucrezia Borgia (1926 movie)|Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1922) a [[silent movie]] with [[Liane Haid]], directed by [[Richard Oswald]].
 
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* ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|Don Juan]]'' (1926), one of the first [[Vitaphone]]/Silent films starring [[John Barrymore]] features the Borgia as villains.
 
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* ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1935), a French film version with [[Edwige Feuillère]], directed by [[Abel Gance]].
 
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* ''Lucrezia Borgia'' (1940), an Italian film with Isa Pola, directed by Hans Hinrich.
 
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* ''Bride of Vengeance'' or ''A Mask for Lucretia'' (1949) starred [[Paulette Goddard]] as Lucretia (and [[Macdonald Carey]] as Cesare) in a fictionalized portrayal of her as her brother's tool who went straight once she had the chance, a view many historians endorse.
 
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* ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1953), a French movie with [[Martine Carol]], directed by [[Christian-Jaque]].
 
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* ''[[The Shaggy Dog]]'' (1958), a [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney]] film  features a ring that was owned by Lucretia Borgia that has the power to turn men into dogs when its inscription is read aloud.
 
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* ''[[Le Notti segrete di Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1982), a Spanish-Italian film with Finnish actress [[Sirpa Lane]] as Lucrezia, directed by [[Roberto Bianchi Montero]].
 
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* ''[[Los Borgia]]'' (2006), a Spanish-Italian film with [[María Valverde]] as Lucrezia.
 
  
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=== Novels ===
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==External Links==
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All links retrieved November 4, 2022.
  
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* The historical novel, [[Prince of Foxes]], made into a [[Prince of Foxes (film)|movie of the same name]] starring [[Orson Welles]] and [[Tyrone Power]].
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*[http://www.musicwithease.com/lucrezia-borgia-synopsis.html Lucrezia Borgia] – An Opera by Gaetano Donizetti
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* [[F.M. Klinger]]´s 1791 novel ''Fausts Leben, Thaten und Höllenfahrt'' features an episode in which the Borgias figure, including an affair between [[Faust]] and Lucrezia.
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*[https://www.thoughtco.com/lucrezia-borgia-bio-3529703 Biography of Lucrezia Borgia] – ''ThoughtCo.''  
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* [[Rafael Sabatini]]'s novel ''The Shame of Motley'' features Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia as supporting characters.
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*[http://www..newadvent.org/cathen/01289a.htm Pope Alexander VI] – ''Catholic Encyclopedia''.
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* [[Rafael Sabatini]] wrote a novel {{gutenberg|no=3467|name=The Life of Cesare Borgia}} that attempts to treat the Borgias historically.
 
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* [[Gregory Maguire]]'s novel ''[[Mirror, Mirror (novel)|Mirror, Mirror]]'' is a historical fantasy that retells the story of [[Snow White]], in which Lucrezia figures prominently as the evil stepmother. She is depicted as a decadent, vain and beautiful woman with a mind for politics and little regard for others. Her affair with her father is hinted at but never confirmed, but her relationship with Cesare is a major plot point.
 
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*Jeanne Kalogridis's book ''The Borgia Bride'' tells the story of [[Sancha of Aragon]] (sister of Alfonso who later married Lucrezia) married to [[Jofre Borgia]] about her life in Rome and her involvement with Cesare and Lucrezia.  The latter is depicted as having an incestuous relationship with her father and brother but not as a vicious person. She's mostly manipulated by her family.
 
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* [[Jean Plaidy]]'s two novels, "Madonna of the Seven Hills" and "Light On Lucrezia" follow the story of Lucrezia and her entanglement with her father and brothers.  Plaidy's writing is well-supported by research and her extensive knowledge of European history; based on her understanding, Plaidy portrays Lucrezia as a pawn of her father and brother Cesare.
 
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* [[Kerri Hawkins]]' 2002 novel [http://www.bloodlegacy.com/novels.html ''Blood Legacy: The Story of Ryan''] includes Lucrezia, her father and brother Cesare as minor characters.
 
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* At different times both [[Scarlett Johansson]] and [[Christina Ricci]] have been slated to appear as Lucrezia in the as-yet-unmade film [[Borgia (film)|''Borgia'']].
 
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* A novel titled "The Family," written by [[Mario Puzo]], was centered around the Borgia family.  Although this novel was started early in his career, it was his last novel to be completed.  Puzo called the Borgias "the first crime family" and incorporated many of their exploits and characteristics into his blockbuster novel, "The Godfather"; most prominently the notion that family loyalty was of primary importance above all else. 
 
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* [[David Davalos]]' 2002 play ''Daedalus'' features Lucrezia Borgia involved in a secret love affair with Leonardo da Vinci, who is working as a military engineer for her brother Cesare.
 
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* [[Milo Manara]], an Italian comic book creator, drew a comic book divided in three parts depicting the story of the Borgia family. The texts were written by [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]].
 
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* A fictionalized version of Lucrezia appeared in issues 98-100 of ''[[West Coast Avengers|Avengers West Coast]]'' as the [[supervillain]] Cyana, a member of the fourth incarnation of the [[Lethal Legion]].
 
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* She appears as a side character in the Dutch book ''[[De Scharlaken Stad]]'', by ''[[Hella S. Haasse]]''. The book tells the story of her brother [[Giovanni Borgia]].
 
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* A fictionalized version of Lucrezia, along with her brother Cesare, appeared as villains in the 2005 [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] novel [[Queen of the Slayers (Buffy novel)|Queen of the Slayers]].
 
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* The novel ''Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons'', [[Roberta Gellis]], Forge Books, 2004. Depicts Lucrezia as an amateur sleuth tracking down who is doing the poisoning and learning about the properties of [[aconite]], [[wolfbane]], [[monksblood]] along the way.
 
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* The novel ''Lucrezia Borgia'', [[John Faunce]], Three Rivers Press; Reprint edition 2004
 
  
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Latest revision as of 02:28, 5 November 2022

Not so holy family: Lucrezia Borgia with father Rodrigo (Pope Alexander VI) and brother Caesare. The figure in the foreground may be a depiction of the messenger Perotto. All three men were rumored to be the father of Lucrezia's first son.

Lucrezia Borgia (April 18, 1480 - June 24, 1519) was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance figure who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia. She served for a time as de facto ruler of the Holy See during her father's absence and was infamous for her alleged involvement in various political and sexual intrigues.

Lucrezia's family came to epitomize the ruthless Machiavellian politics and sexual corruption alleged to be characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. She reportedly bore her first child out of wedlock, and both her brother and her father were widely suspected to be the father. It was also rumored that Lucrezia possessed a hollow ring that she used frequently to poison drinks at the family's elaborate dinner-parties.[1]

Not enough is known about the historical Lucrezia to be certain whether any of the more notorious 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 and to augment the political and territorial power of the Borgias. Lucrezia was married to Giovanni Sforza (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie), and Alphonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara).

Biography

Lucrezia Borgia by Pinturicchio

In 1491, at the tender age of 13, Lucrezia was betrothed to two different Spanish nobles. However, by 1492, her father had become pope and both engagements had successively been called off.

First marriage

After Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI, he decided that Lucrezia would marry Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro, to establish an alliance with the powerful Milanese family. The wedding took place in 1493 and was considered a scandalous event by some because of its ostentation. In actuality, it was not much more extravagant than many other Renaissance celebrations.

Before long, it appears that the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza in the papal court was considered superfluous. Pope Alexander allied himself with Naples, while Milan was allied with the French. Both the Pope and the Milanese Sforza family sought out more advantageous political alliances.

After a series of events—including Giovanni fearing for his life, fleeing from Rome, and charging paternal and fraternal incest by Lucrezia—Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to persuade Giovanni to agree to a divorce. Since the marriage had supposedly not been consummated, the Pope declared that the marriage was not valid. He offered Giovanni all of Lucrezia's dowry to seal the agreement. The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection of Giovanni if he refused Alexander's offer. Having no choice, Giovanni Sforza signed both a confession of impotence and the documents of annulment before witnesses in 1497.

The 'Infans Romanus'

Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father

During the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia may have consummated a relationship with someone, either Alexander's messenger, Pedro Calderon, aka Perotto or—more infamously—Alexander himself, her own father. The result was that she was rumored to be pregnant when her marriage was annulled, despite it having never been consummated. That she even gave birth to a child remains a debated question. In any case, a child, named Giovanni, but known to historians as the Roman Infante (Infans Romanus), was born in secret (1498) before Lucrezia's second marriage. Some believe that the child was her brother Cesare's, who at the time was a cardinal, but that Perotto, due to his fondness for Lucrezia, reportedly claimed that it was his. After the divorce, she stayed away from Rome at a convent, lending credence to the idea that she was attempting to hide her pregnancy; and Perotto would bring her messages from her father in Rome.

In 1501, two papal bulls were issued concerning Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair before his marriage. The second bull recognized him as the son of Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia's name is not mentioned in either, and rumors that she was his mother have never been proven. The second bull was kept a secret for many years, and Giovanni was presumed to be Cesare's son. This version is supported by the fact that in 1502, he became Duke of Camerino, one of Cesare's recent conquests (amidst the backdrop of the Italian Wars), 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.

Alfonso of Aragon

Cesare Borgia

In order to strengthen ties with Naples, Pope Alexander in 1498 arranged a marriage between Lucrezia and the 17-year-old Alfonso, duke of Bisceglie, an illegitimate son of Alfonso II of Naples.

However, after Cesare's alliance with the French king Louis XII (1499) and his subsequent campaign in the Duchy of Romagna, which threatened Naples, Alfonso fled Rome, returning with Lucrezia in October. While visiting Lucrezia's family in July 1500, he was wounded by four would-be assassins on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. While recovering, he was reportedly strangled by one of Cesare's servants. The murder provoked the desired rupture with Naples. Lucrezia and Alfonso of Aragon had only one child, Rodrigo, who was destined to die before his mother, in August 1512 at the age of 12.

Around the same time, Alexander took the opportunity, with the help of the powerful Orsini (family), to force the rival Colonna family to obedience; leaving Lucrezia in charge of the Holy See as his representative or regent. This worked to give Lucrezia the air of political stature while Alexander concurrently worked to secure Lucrezia's marriage to her next husband.

Alphonso d'Este and the Fall of the Borgias

Lucretia's third marriage helped consolidate her brother Cesare's position in the Romagna by opening the road to Tuscany, an important trade route of the day. This third marriage, to Alphonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara), proved to be a lasting one, and she bore him six children.

The fall of the power of the Borgias followed with her father's death in 1503 despite Cesare's immense capabilities. Cesare, gravely ill, was planning the conquest of Tuscany, but could do nothing without continued papal patronage. The new pope, Pius III, supported him, but his reign was short and was followed with the accession of the Borgias' deadly enemy, Julius II.

While moving to Romagna to quell a revolt, Cesare was seized and imprisoned near Perugia. All Borgia lands were subsequently acquired by the Papal States. After exile to Spain, in 1504, followed by imprisonment and escape, Cesare joined his brother-in-law, King John III of Navarre; dying in his service during a military campaign in 1507.

Meanwhile, Lucrezia, no longer needing to play a major political role at the court of Ferrara—which became a center for the arts and letters of the Italian Renaissance—was able to live a more normal life and turned to religion in her final years. She died on June 24, 1519 at the age of 39, due to complications occurring during the birth of her eighth child.

Children

Tomb of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia, Ferrara

Lucrezia was mother to eight children:

  • Giovanni Borgia, the "infans Romanus" ("Child of Rome," c. 1498 - 1548). Paternity acknowledged by Perotto; however Alexander and Cesare have also been identified as the father
  • 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).

Legacy

The various stories surrounding the life of Lucrezia Borgia have made her a virtual icon for corruption and death within the halls of power, particularly, within the Roman Catholic Church. Rumors and exaggeration over time have only added to such.

It should be noted that Lucrezia, in those the years after the death of her father and in the ensuing years with her third husband, found her religion at last and lived out her live as a wife, mother, and Christian woman. Her legacy is perhaps, therefore, that in all life there is the hope of ultimate (and eternal) redemption if one is but willing to seek it.

Her Story in Film

  • Lucrezia Borgia (1922) a silent movie with Liane Haid, directed by Richard Oswald
  • Don Juan (1926), one of the first Vitaphone/Silent films starring John Barrymore features the Borgia as villains
  • Lucrèce Borgia (1935), a French film version with Edwige Feuillère, directed by Abel Gance
  • Lucrezia Borgia (1940), an Italian film with Isa Pola, directed by Hans Hinrich
  • Bride of Vengeance or A Mask for Lucretia (1949) starred Paulette Goddard as Lucretia (and Macdonald Carey as Cesare)
  • Lucrèce Borgia (1953), a French movie with Martine Carol, directed by Christian-Jaque
  • Le Notti segrete di Lucrezia Borgia (1982), a Spanish-Italian film with Finnish actress Sirpa Lane as Lucrezia, directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero.
  • Los Borgia (2006), a Spanish-Italian film with María Valverde as Lucrezia

Notes

  1. ↑ Renaissance villain given a makeover, www.guardian.co.uk, A Brief History of Poisoning, www.bbc.co.uk, Retrieved November 14, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bradford, Sarah. Lucrezia Borgia - Life, Love And Death In Renaissance Italy. Penguin, 2005. ISBN 9780143035954
  • Cloulas, Ivan. The Borgias. Franklin Watts, 1989. ISBN 9780531151013
  • Erlanger, Rachel. Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography. Dutton Adult, 1985. ISBN 9780801547256
  • Faunce, John. Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel. Three Rivers Press, 2004. ISBN 9781400051229
  • Mallett, Michael Edward. The Borgias: The Rise and Fall of a Renaissance Dynasty. Academy Chicago Publishers, 1987. ISBN 9780897332385

External Links

All links retrieved November 4, 2022.

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