Borgia, Lucrezia

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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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'''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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[[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'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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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 stories casting Lucrezia as the ''[[femme fatale]]'', portrayed later and variously through artwork, novels and films.  
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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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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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===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.
  
−
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 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]]). Rumor has it that Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples and that Cesare had him murdered after his political value waned.
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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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It has also been rumored that Lucrezia was in possession of 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] [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4350755 A Brief History of Poisoning]</ref>
 
  
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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. <ref>[http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999876&workid=2837&searchid=9046 Lucretia Borgia Reigns in the Vatican in the Absence of Pope Alexander VI  1908-14] by Frank Cadogan Cowper</ref>
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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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===Giovanni Sforza (The Unconsummated Marriage)===
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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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In 1491, at the tender age of thirteen, 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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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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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, but, in actuality, was not much more extravagant than many other [[Renaissance]] celebrations.
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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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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. Alexander allied himself with Naples, and Milan with the French. Both the Pope and the Milanese family sought out more advantageous political alliances.
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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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After a series of events that included Giovanni, fearing for his life, fleeing from Rome and charging paternal and fraternal [[incest]], 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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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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=== Infans Romanus===
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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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There has been speculation that during the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia consummated a relationship with someone, either Alexander's messenger [[Perotto]] or Alexander himself. The result was that she was actually pregnant when her marriage was annulled, despite it having never been consummated. This is one of the facts that her detractors have cited to support their derogatory view (and rumors) surrounding 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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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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Some believe that 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.  Cesare at the time was a cardinal of the Holy Church.  
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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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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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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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===Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie)===
 
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At his first meeting with Alfonso, before the marriage took place, Cesare was very impressed by his good looks and gentle nature. This reportedly soon changed to jealousy and hatred. It has been said that Cesare did not like Alfonso because Lucrezia, since her marriage to him, had stopped giving Cesare as much attention. At around the same time, Cesare had contracted and recovered from a bout of [[syphilis]] leaving the remains of scars on his face. This made him very self-conscious of his appearance and 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 him a visit in Rome, Cesare's men had attacked Alfonso 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 he lay in a 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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While the reason for Alfonso's murder might have mostly been jealousy, it did have a political background.  As in the case of Lucrezia's first marriage, the second one soon became a useless alliance and a reason for embarrassment to the Pope and his son. Cesare had just allied himself with the king of France [[Louis XII]], who had 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 devastated by his death.
 
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===Alphonso d'Este (Prince of Ferrara)===
 
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After the death of her second husband, Lucrezia's father, Pope Alexander VI, arranged a third marriage for her.  She was subsequently married to Alphonso [[d'Este]] (Prince of Ferrara). She gave her third husband a number of children and proved to be amazingly resilient, effectively rising above her tragic past while also surviving the fall of the power of the Borgias following her father's death. During her marriage to Alphonso, it is reported that she entered into a love affair with the poet [[Pietro Bembo]].
 
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She died on 24th June 1519 after a difficult pregnancy and childbirth.
 
  
 
==Children==
 
==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).
Line 56: Line 54:
 
* 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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==Legacy==
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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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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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==Her Story in Film ==
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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)
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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]].
 +
* ''[[Los Borgia]]'' (2006), a Spanish-Italian film with [[María Valverde]] as Lucrezia
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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== References ==
 
== References ==
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* Bradford, Sarah. ''Lucrezia Borgia - Life, Love And Death In Renaissance Italy''.  Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 1, 2005). ISBN 978-0143035954.
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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 (March 1989). ISBN 978-0531151013.
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* Cloulas, Ivan. ''The Borgias''. Franklin Watts, 1989. ISBN 9780531151013
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* Erlanger, Rachel. ''Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography''. Dutton Adult (June 3, 1985).  ISBN 978-0801547256.
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* Erlanger, Rachel. ''Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography''. Dutton Adult, 1985.  ISBN 9780801547256
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*Faunce, John. ''Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel''. Three Rivers Press (March 23, 2004). ISBN 978-1400051229.
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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 (June 1987). ISBN 978-0897332385.
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* Mallett, Michael Edward. ''The Borgias: The Rise and Fall of a Renaissance Dynasty''. Academy Chicago Publishers, 1987. ISBN 9780897332385
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 +
All links retrieved November 4, 2022.
  
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* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/borgia/borgialucrezia.htm On-line biography]
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*[http://www.musicwithease.com/lucrezia-borgia-synopsis.html Lucrezia Borgia] – An Opera by Gaetano Donizetti
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*[http://www.musicwithease.com/lucrezia-borgia-synopsis.html Lucrezia Borgia] - An Opera by Gaetano Donizetti - Synopsis
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*[https://www.thoughtco.com/lucrezia-borgia-bio-3529703 Biography of Lucrezia Borgia] – ''ThoughtCo.''
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*[http://www.dragonrest.net/histories/lucrezia.html Lucrezia Borgia] An Essay by Marguerite L. M. Wolf.
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*[http://www..newadvent.org/cathen/01289a.htm Pope Alexander VI] – ''Catholic Encyclopedia''.
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*[http://mo.essortment.com/lucreziaborgia_rldl.htm Lucrezia Borgia, infamous murderess or political pawn?]
 
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*[http://cronologia.leonardo.it/storia/biografie/borgialu.htm  Lucrezia Borgia] Biographia - Cronologia (Italian) by Anna Jannello
 
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*[http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/borgialucrezia/Borgia_Lucrezia.htm Lucrezia Borgia] About.com European History
 
  
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== Films ==
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[[Category:biography]]
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{{Credit|132181927}}
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* ''[[Lucrezia Borgia (1926 movie)|Lucrezia Borgia]]'' (1922) a [[silent movie]] with [[Liane Haid]], directed by [[Richard Oswald]].
 
−
* ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|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.
 

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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