Alexander VI
Birth name	Roderic Llançol de Borja i Borja (in Catalan) (Italian: Rodrigo Borgia)
Papacy began	August 11, 1492
Papacy ended	August 18, 1503
Predecessor	Innocent VIII
Successor	Pius III
Born	January 1, 1431(1431-01-01) Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain
Died	August 18, 1503 (aged 72) Rome, Italy
Other popes named Alexander

Pope Alexander VI^[1] (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Llançol, later Roderic de Borja y Borja (Italian: Borgia) was Pope from 1492 to 1503. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Pope Innocent VIII (1432 &ndash July 25, 1492) born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo) was Pope from 1484 until his death Pope Pius III ( May 29, 1439 &ndash October 18, 1503) born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, was Pope from September New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Xàtiva ( Spanish: Játiva in former days is a town of eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right bank of the river Albaida Valencia ( Spanish: Valencia /ba'lenθja/ Valencian: València /va'łen Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and He is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance, and his surname (Italianized as Borgia) became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. Secularism is generally the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from Religion or religious beliefs The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere

Birth and family

Roderic Llançol was born at Xativa, Valencia, in what is now Spain. Xàtiva ( Spanish: Játiva in former days is a town of eastern Spain, in the province of Valencia, on the right bank of the river Albaida Valencia ( Spanish: Valencia /ba'lenθja/ Valencian: València /va'łen Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. His parents were Jofré Llançol y Escrivà (died bef. 24 March 1437) and his wife and relative Isabel de Borja (y Llançol?) (died 19 October 1468). Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. His family name is written Llançol in Catalan and Lanzol in Castilian. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Roderic assumed his mother's family name of Borja on the elevation of his maternal uncle Alonso de Borja, to the papacy as Calixtus III in 1455; she was Dame de Lugar et de La Tour de Canali, daughter of Domingo de Borja and Francisca (Martì). History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Pope Calixtus III ( December 31, 1378 &ndash August 6, 1458) né Alfonso de Borja, was Pope from April

Education and election

Main article: Papal conclave, 1492

Roderic de Borja studied law at Bologna and after his uncle's election as pope, was created successively bishop, cardinal and vice-chancellor of the church, nepotistic appointments characteristic of the age. Cardinal electors Of the twenty-three cardinals participating in the conclave fourteen had been elevated by Pope Sixtus IV. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Bologna (boloɲa from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Bolognese dialect is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. A Vice-Chancellor (commonly called the VC) of a University in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Nepotism is the showing of favoritism toward relatives and friends based upon that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability Meritocracy or suitability He served in the Roman Curia under five popes (Calixtus III, Pius II, Paul II, Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII) and acquired much administrative experience, influence and wealth, though not great power. The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope Pope Calixtus III ( December 31, 1378 &ndash August 6, 1458) né Alfonso de Borja, was Pope from April Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini ( Latin Aeneas Sylvius; October 18, 1405 &ndash August 14, 1464) Pope Paul II ( February 23, 1417 &ndash July 26, 1471) born Pietro Barbo, was Pope from 1464 until his death in 1471 Pope Sixtus IV ( July 21, 1414 &ndash August 12, 1484) born Francesco Della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484 Pope Innocent VIII (1432 &ndash July 25, 1492) born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo) was Pope from 1484 until his death

On the death of Pope Innocent VIII (1484–1492), the three likely candidates for the Holy See were cardinals Borgia, Ascanio Sforza and Giuliano della Rovere. Pope Innocent VIII (1432 &ndash July 25, 1492) born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo) was Pope from 1484 until his death The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti ( March 3, 1455 - May 28, 1505) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally Pope Julius II (5 December 1443 &ndash 21 February 1513 born Giuliano Della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513 While there was never substantive proof of simony, the rumour was that Borgia, by his great wealth, succeeded in buying the largest number of votes, including that of Sforza, whom, popular rumour had it, he bribed with four mule-loads of silver. Simony is the Ecclesiastical crime of paying for Holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church named after Simon Magus, who appears in the Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen ^[2] According to some historians, however, Borgia had no need of such an unsubtle exchange - the benefices and offices granted Sforza for his support would be worth considerably more than four mule-loads of silver. John Burchard, the conclave's master of ceremonies and a leading figure of the papal household under several popes, recorded in his diary that the 1492 conclave was a particularly expensive campaign. Johann Burchard was born c 1450 at Niederhaslach, now Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. Cardinal electors Of the twenty-three cardinals participating in the conclave fourteen had been elevated by Pope Sixtus IV. Della Rovere was bankrolled to the cost of 200,000 gold ducats by the King of France, with another 100,000 supplied by the Republic of Genoa. The ducat (ˈdʌkət is a Gold coin that was used as a trade currency throughout Europe before World War I. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English ^[3] Borgia was elected on 11 August 1492, assuming the name of Alexander VI. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, later to become Pope Leo X, sharply criticized the election and warned of dire things to come:

Nepotism and opposition

At first, Alexander's reign was marked by a strict administration of justice and an orderly method of government, in contrast to the mismanagement of the previous pontificate, as well as by great outward splendour. But it was not long before his passion for endowing his relatives at the church's and his neighbours' expense became manifest. Alexander VI had four children by his mistress (Vannozza dei Cattani), three sons and a daughter: Giovanni, Cesare, Goffredo (or Gioffre or, in Catalan, Jofré) and Lucrezia. Vannozza dei Cattanei ( Giovanna de Candia contessa dei Cattanei) (1442 &ndash November 24 1518) was one of the many mistresses of the Pope Alexander Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandia ( 1474 - June 14, 1497) was the brother of the famous Cesare Borgia. ( September 13, 1475 &ndash March 12, 1507) Duke of Valentinois, and Romagna, Prince of Andria and Venafro Gioffre Borgia in Italian or Jofré Borja in Catalan (1482 &ndash 1522 Prince of Squillace, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza Gioffre Borgia in Italian or Jofré Borja in Catalan (1482 &ndash 1522 Prince of Squillace, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza This article is about the historical person For the biographical opera see Lucrezia Borgia (opera. Cesare, while a youth of seventeen and a student at Pisa, was made Archbishop of Valencia (hence the nickname of Valentino), and Giovanni received the dukedom of Gandia, the Borgias' ancestral home in Spain. Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead Valencia ( Spanish: Valencia /ba'lenθja/ Valencian: València /va'łen Gandia (the official name as in Valencian) with population over 77000 is a city and Municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain For the Duke of Gandia and for Giuffrè/Goffredo the Pope proposed to carve fiefs out of the papal states and the Kingdom of Naples. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian Among the fiefs destined for the duke of Gandia were Cerveteri and Anguillara, lately acquired by Virginio Orsini, head of that powerful house. Cerveteri is a town and Comune of the northern Lazio, in the Province of Rome. Anguillara were a baronal family of Latium, especially powerful in Rome and in the current Province of Viterbo during the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance Gentile Virginio Orsini (c 1434 &ndash 8 January 1497) was an Italian condottiero and vassal of the papal throne and the Kingdom of Naples, This policy brought Ferdinand I, King of Naples, into conflict with Alexander, who was also opposed by Cardinal della Rovere, whose candidature for the papacy had been backed by Ferdinand. Ferdinand I of Naples should not be confused with Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, a latter king of Naples Della Rovere fortified himself in his bishopric of Ostia at the Tiber's mouth as Alexander formed a league against Naples (25 April 1493) and prepared for war. The Bishop of Ostia is the ecclesiastical head of the Catholic Diocese of Ostia, one of the seven Suburbicarian sees of Rome The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar.

Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, was given an opulent wedding at the Vatican Palace.

Ferdinand allied himself with Florence, Milan, and Venice. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the He also appealed to Spain for help; but Spain was anxious to be on good terms with the papacy in order to obtain the title to the newly discovered continent of America. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Alexander, in the bull Inter Caetera, 4 May 1493, divided the title between Spain and Portugal along a demarcation line. Inter caetera ("Among other " was a Papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on 4 May 1493, which granted to Spain Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. (This and other related bulls are known collectively as the Bulls of Donation. )

Alexander VI arranged great marriages for his children. Lucrezia had been promised to the Venetian Don Gasparo da Procida, but on her father's elevation to the papacy the engagement was cancelled and in 1493 she married Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, the ceremony being celebrated at the Vatican Palace with unparalleled magnificence. Giovanni Sforza d'Aragona ( 1466 - July 27, 1510) was an Italian Condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara from 1483 until Pesaro is a town and Comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic.

In spite of the splendours of the Pontifical court, the condition of Rome became every day more deplorable. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The city swarmed with Spanish adventurers, assassins, prostitutes and informers; murder and robbery were committed with impunity, and the Pope himself cast aside all show of decorum, living a purely secular life; indulging in the chase, and arranging dancing, and stage plays. The wild orgies that Alexander was reported to have sponsored within the papal palaces has now been found to be purely of the imaginations of his enemies. ^[5] One of his close companions was Cem, the brother of the Sultan Bayazid II (1481–1512), detained as a hostage. Prince Cem (Jem ( December 22 1459 - February 25 1495) sometimes written Djem, was a Pretender to the Sultan (سلطان is an Islamic title with several historical meanings Bayezid II (1447/48 May 26, 1512) ( Ottoman Turkish: بايزيد ثانى Bāyezīd-i sānī, Turkish: II The general outlook in Italy was of the gloomiest and the country was on the eve of foreign invasion.

French involvement

Alexander VI made many alliances to secure his position. He sought help from Charles VIII of France, who was allied to Ludovico il Moro Sforza, the de facto ruler of Milan who needed French support to legitimise his regime (1483–1498). Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death As King Ferdinand I of Naples was threatening to come to the aid of the rightful duke Gian Galeazzo — the husband of his granddaughter Isabella — Alexander VI encouraged the French king in his scheme for the conquest of Naples.

But Alexander VI, always ready to seize opportunities to aggrandize his family, then adopted a double policy. Through the intervention of the Spanish ambassador he made peace with Naples in July 1493 and cemented the peace by a marriage between his son Giuffre and Doña Sancha, another granddaughter of Ferdinand I. In order to dominate the Sacred College of Cardinals more completely, Alexander, in a move that created much scandal, created twelve new cardinals, among them his own son Cesare, then only eighteen years old, and Alessandro Farnese (later Pope Paul III), the brother of one of the Pope's mistresses, the beautiful Giulia Farnese. The College of Cardinals (verbose Sacred College of the Holy Roman Church, Sancta Romana Ecclesia, S Pope Paul III ( February 29, 1468 &ndash November 10, 1549) born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Giulia Farnese ( 1474 - 23 march 1524) was one of the mistresses of the Pope Alexander VI.

On 25 January 1494 Ferdinand I died and was succeeded by his son Alfonso II (1494–1495). Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Alfonso II of Naples ( November 4, 1448 &ndash December 18, 1495) also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, though he was King of Naples Charles VIII of France now advanced formal claims on the kingdom, and Alexander VI authorized him to pass through Rome ostensibly on a crusade against the Turks, without mentioning Naples. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish But when the French invasion became a reality he was alarmed, recognized Alfonso II as King, and concluded an alliance with him in exchange for various fiefs for his sons (July 1494). A military response to the French threat was set in motion: a Neapolitan army was to advance through the Romagna and attack Milan, while the fleet was to seize Genoa; but both expeditions were badly conducted and failed, and on 8 September Charles VIII crossed the Alps and joined Lodovico il Moro at Milan. Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz The papal states were in turmoil, and the powerful Colonna faction seized Ostia in the name of France. The Colonna family was a powerful noble family in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other leaders Ostia is a large neighborhood in the XIII Municipio of the comune of Rome, Italy. Charles VIII rapidly advanced southward, and after a short stay in Florence, set out for Rome (November 1494). Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2

Alexander VI appealed to Ascanio Sforza for help, and even to the Sultan. Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti ( March 3, 1455 - May 28, 1505) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally He tried to collect troops and put Rome in a state of defence, but his position was precarious. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 When the Orsini offered to admit the French to their castles, Alexander had no choice but to come to terms with Charles, who on 31 December entered Rome with his troops, the cardinals of the French faction, and Giuliano della Rovere. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Alexander now feared that the king might depose him for simony and summon a council, but he won over the bishop of Saint-Malo, who had much influence over the king, with a cardinal's hat. Simony is the Ecclesiastical crime of paying for Holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church named after Simon Magus, who appears in the The former Breton and French Catholic diocese of Saint-Malo existed from at least the seventh century until the French Revolution. Alexander VI agreed to send Cesare, as legate, to Naples with the French army, to deliver Cem to Charles VIII and to give him Civitavecchia (16 January 1495). Civitavecchia is a town and Comune of the Province of Rome in the central Italian region of Latium. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. On 28 January Charles VIII departed for Naples with Cem and Cesare, but the latter slipped away to Spoleto. For the festival in South Carolina see Spoleto Festival USA. Spoleto ( Latin Spoletium) is an ancient city in the Napolitan resistance collapsed; Alfonso II fled and abdicated in favour of his son Ferdinand II, who also had to escape, abandoned by all, and the kingdom was conquered with surprising ease. Ferdinand II or Ferrante II of Naples ( 26 August, 1469 - September 7, 1496) sometimes known as Ferrandino, was King

The French in retreat

A reaction against Charles VIII soon set in, for all the powers were alarmed at his success, and on 31 March 1495 a so-called Holy League was formed between the pope, the emperor, Venice, Lodovico il Moro and Ferdinand of Spain, ostensibly against the Turks, but in reality to expel the French from Italy. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor The First Italian War ( 1494 – 95) sometimes referred to as the Italian War of 1494 or Charles VIII's Italian War, was the opening phase Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Ludovico Sforza Duke of Milan ( Ludovico il Moro, "The Moor" July 27, 1452 &ndash May 27, 1508) a member Ferdinand II of Aragon the Catholic (Fernando II de Aragón y V de Castilla "el Católico" Ferran II d'Aragó "el Catòlic" Ferrando II d'Aragón Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Charles VIII had himself crowned King of Naples on 12 May but a few days later began his retreat northward. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. He encountered the allies at Fornovo and after a drawn battle cut his way through them and was back in France by November. The Battle of Fornovo took place 30 km southwest of the city of Parma on 6 July 1495. Ferdinand II was reinstated at Naples soon afterwards, with Spanish help. Ferdinand II is the name of Ferdinand II of Leon (1132-1188 king from 1157 Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic (1452-1516 Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the The expedition, if it produced no material results, demonstrated the foolishness of the so called 'politics of equilibrium' (the Medicean doctrine of preventing one of the Italian principates from overwhelming the rest and uniting them under its hegemony), since it rendered the country unable to defend itself against the powerful nation states, France and Spain, that had forged themselves during the previous century. Alexander VI, following the general tendency of all the princes of the day to crush the great feudatories and establish a centralized despotism, now took advantage of the defeat of the French to break the power of the Orsini and begin building himself an effective power base in the papal states.

Castel Sant'Angelo is where Pope Alexander VI secluded himself after the death of the Duke of Gandia.

Virginio Orsini, who had been captured by the Spaniards, died a prisoner at Naples, and the Pope confiscated his property; but the rest of the clan still held out, defeating the papal troops sent against them under Guidobaldo, Duke of Urbino and Giovanni Borgia, Duke of Gandia, at Soriano (January 1497). Gentile Virginio Orsini (c 1434 &ndash 8 January 1497) was an Italian condottiero and vassal of the papal throne and the Kingdom of Naples, Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region in Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical Giovanni Borgia may refer to Giovanni Borgia (1474, born in 1474 Duke of Gandia son Pope Alexander VI Giovanni Borgia (1498, born Peace was made through Venetian mediation, the Orsini paying 50,000 ducats in exchange for their confiscated lands, while the Duke of Urbino, whom they had captured, was left by the Pope to pay his own ransom. The Orsini remained very powerful, and Alexander VI could count on none but his 3,000 Spaniards. His only success had been the capture of Ostia and the submission of the Francophile cardinals Colonna and Savelli. The Savelli ( de Sabellis in documents were a rich and influential Roman family who rose to prominence in the twelfth century and were extinct in the male line in

Then occurred the first of those ugly domestic tragedies for which the house of Borgia remains notorious. On 14 June the Duke of Gandia, lately created Duke of Benevento, disappeared: the next day his corpse was found in the Tiber. Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples.

Alexander, overwhelmed with grief, shut himself up in Castel Sant'Angelo and then declared that the reform of the church would be the sole object of his life henceforth – a resolution he did not keep. For the town with the same name see Castel Sant'Angelo (RI The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering Every effort was made to discover the assassin, and suspicion fell on various highly placed people. When the rumour spread that Cesare, the Pope's second son, had done the deed, the inquiries ceased. No conclusive evidence ever came to light about the murder, although Cesare remained the most widely suspected.

Confiscations and Savonarola

Violent and vengeful, Cesare now became the most powerful man in Rome, and even his father quailed before him. Because Alexander needed funds to carry out his various schemes, he began a series of confiscations, of which one of the victims was his own secretary. The process was a simple one: any cardinal, nobleman or official who was known to be rich would be accused of some offence; imprisonment and perhaps murder followed at once, and then the confiscation of his property. The least opposition to the Borgia was punished with death.

Because of his invectives against papal corruption, Girolamo Savonarola was viewed with hostility by Pope Alexander VI. He was eventually arrested and executed on 23 May 1498.

Even in that corrupt age the debased state of the curia was a major scandal. Opponents such as the demagogic monk Girolamo Savonarola, who appealed for a general council to confront the papal abuses, launched invectives against papal corruption. Girolamo Savonarola ( September 21, 1452 &ndash May 23, 1498) was an Italian Dominican priest and leader of Florence from Alexander VI, unable to get the excommunicated Savonarola into his own hands, browbeat the Florentine government into condemning the reformer to death (23 May 1498). Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The houses of Colonna and Orsini, after much fighting between themselves, allied against the Pope, who found himself unable to maintain order in his own dominions.

In these circumstances, Alexander, feeling more than ever that he could only rely on his own kin, turned his thoughts to further family aggrandizement. He had annulled Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni Sforza — who had responded to the suggestion that he was impotent with the counter-claim that Alexander and Cesare indulged in incestuous relations with Lucrezia — in 1497, and, unable to arrange a union between Cesare and the daughter of King Frederick IV of Naples (who had succeeded Ferdinand II the previous year), he induced Frederick by threats to agree to a marriage between the Duke of Bisceglie, a natural son of Alfonso II, and Lucrezia. Giovanni Sforza d'Aragona ( 1466 - July 27, 1510) was an Italian Condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara from 1483 until Frederick IV ( April 19, 1452 &ndash November 9, 1504) sometimes known as Frederick I or Federico d'Aragona, was the last Bisceglie is a town on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of c Cesare, after resigning his cardinalate, was sent on a mission to France at the end of the year, bearing a bull of divorce for the new French king Louis XII, in exchange for which he obtained the duchy of Valentinois (a duchy chosen because it was consistent with his already known nickname of Valentino), a promise of material assistance in his schemes to subjugate the feudal princelings of papal Romagna, and a marriage to a princess of Navarre. Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king Valence ( Occitan Valença) is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the department of Drôme, situated

Alexander VI hoped that Louis XII's help would be more profitable to his house than that of Charles VIII had been. In spite of the remonstrances of Spain and of the Sforza, he allied himself with France in January 1499 and was joined by Venice. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the By the autumn Louis XII was in Italy expelling Lodovico Sforza from Milan. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. With French success seemingly assured, the Pope determined to deal drastically with the Romagna, which although nominally under papal rule was divided into a number of practically independent lordships on which Venice, Milan, and Florence cast hungry eyes. Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Cesare, empowered by the support of the French, proceeded to attack the turbulent cities one by one in his capacity as nominated gonfaloniere (standard bearer) of the church. The Gonfaloniere was a highly prestigious communal post in Medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence. But the expulsion of the French from Milan and the return of Lodovico Sforza interrupted his conquests, and he returned to Rome early in 1500.

Cesare in the North

Cesare Borgia, the son and cardinal-nephew of Alexander VI, became the first person to resign the cardinalate on August 17, 1498. ( September 13, 1475 &ndash March 12, 1507) Duke of Valentinois, and Romagna, Prince of Andria and Venafro A cardinal-nephew (cardinalis nepos cardinale nipote valido de su tío prince de fortune is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli

This year was a jubilee year, and crowds of pilgrims flocked to the city from all parts of the world bringing money for the purchase of indulgences, so that Alexander VI was able to furnish Cesare with funds for his enterprise. The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of Sins and universal pardon An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven In the north the pendulum swung back once more in favour of the French, who reoccupied Milan in April, causing the downfall of the Sforza, much to Alexander VI's satisfaction.

In July the Duke of Bisceglie, whose existence was no longer advantageous, was murdered on Cesare's orders, leaving Lucrezia free to contract another marriage. The Pope, ever in need of money, now created twelve new cardinals, from whom he received 120,000 ducats, and fresh conquests for Cesare were considered. The ducat (ˈdʌkət is a Gold coin that was used as a trade currency throughout Europe before World War I. A crusade was talked of, but the real object was central Italy; and so in the autumn, Cesare, backed by France and Venice, set forth with 10,000 men to complete his interrupted business in the Romagna.

The local despots of Romagna were duly dispossessed, and an administration was set up, which, if tyrannical and cruel, was at least orderly and strong, and which aroused the admiration of Machiavelli. On his return to Rome in June 1501 Cesare was created Duke of Romagna. Louis XII, having succeeded in the north, determined to conquer southern Italy as well. He concluded a treaty with Spain for the division of the Neapolitan kingdom, which was ratified by the Pope on 25 June, Frederick being formally deposed. While the French army proceeded to invade Naples, Alexander VI took the opportunity, with the help of the Orsini, to reduce the Colonna to obedience. In his absence on campaign he left Lucrezia as regent, providing the remarkable spectacle of a pope's natural daughter in charge of the Holy See. Shortly afterwards he induced Alfonso d'Este, son of the Duke of Ferrara, to marry Lucrezia, thus establishing her as wife of the heir to one of the most important duchies in Italy (January 1502). Alfonso d'Este ( 21 July, 1476 &ndash 31 October, 1534) was Duke of Ferrara during the time of the War of the League of Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. At about this time a Borgia of doubtful parentage was born — Giovanni, described in some papal documents as Alexander VI's son and in others as Cesare's.

As France and Spain were quarrelling over the division of Naples and the Campagna barons were quiet, Cesare set out once more in search of conquests. In June 1502 he seized Camerino and Urbino, the news of whose capture delighted the Pope; but his attempt to draw Florence into an alliance failed. Camerino is small town of 7000 inhabitants in the Marches ( Marche region in the Province of Macerata, Italy. In July, Louis XII of France again invaded Italy and was at once bombarded with complaints from the Borgias' enemies. Alexander VI's diplomacy, however, turned the tide, and Cesare, in exchange for promising to assist the French in the south, was given a free hand in central Italy.

Last years

A danger now arose in the shape of a conspiracy on the part of the deposed despots, the Orsini, and of some of Cesare's own condottieri. At first the papal troops were defeated and things looked black for the house of Borgia. But a promise of French help quickly forced the confederates to come to terms. Cesare, by an act of treachery, then seized the ringleaders at Senigallia and put Oliverotto da Fermo and Vitellozzo Vitelli to death (31 December 1502). Senigallia or Sinigaglia is a Comune and port town on Italy 's Adriatic coast 25 km by rail north of Ancona in the Marche region Vitellozzo Vitelli (c 1458 &ndash December 31, 1502) was an Italian Condottiero. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. As soon as Alexander VI heard the news he lured Cardinal Orsini to the Vatican and cast him into a dungeon, where he died. His goods were confiscated, his aged mother turned into the street and many other members of the clan in Rome were arrested, while Giuffre Borgia led an expedition into the Campagna and seized their castles. Thus the two great houses of Orsini and Colonna, who had long fought for predominance in Rome and often flouted the Pope's authority, were subjugated and the Borgias' power increased. Cesare then returned to Rome, where his father asked him to assist Giuffre in reducing the last Orsini strongholds; this for some reason he was unwilling to do, much to Alexander VI's annoyance; but he eventually marched out, captured Ceri and made peace with Giulio Orsini, who surrendered Bracciano. Ceri is a small town in the Lazio (central Italy) a Frazione of the Comune of Cerveteri, in the Province Bracciano is a small town in the Italian region of Lazio, 30 km northwest of Rome.

Three more high personages fell victim to the Borgias' greed this year: Cardinal Michiel, who was poisoned in April 1503, J. da Santa Croce, who had helped to seize Cardinal Orsini, and Troches or Troccio, Alexander's chamberlain and secretary; all these murders brought immense sums to the Pope. About Cardinal Ferrari's death there is more doubt; he probably died of fever, but Alexander VI immediately confiscated his goods anyway. The war between France and Spain for the possession of Naples dragged on, and Alexander VI was forever intriguing, ready to ally himself with whichever power promised the most advantageous terms at any moment. He offered to help Louis XII on condition that Sicily be given to Cesare, and then offered to help Spain in exchange for Siena, Pisa and Bologna. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Siena. Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. Bologna (boloɲa from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Bolognese dialect is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy

Although there is no doubt that Alexander VI liked to eliminate any cardinal and immediately confiscate their property, there is no sufficient evidence on the methods used in these murders. It has been suggested that the family used their favorite poison Cantarella, an arsenic variation, which was offered to their poor victim in a form of drink with an innovative nickname, the 'liquor of succession'. "Cantarella" is also the title of a Manga series by You Higuri about the fictionalized life of Cesare Borgia. Arsenic (ˈɑrsənɪk is a Chemical element that has the symbol As and Atomic number of 33 Since raw forms of arsenic, known at that time, were not immediately fatal, Alexander VI must had invented a method for preparation of that substance, for which no information exists. The famous cup of Borgia, a golden cup with a hidden area storing the poison so it could be mixed with the wine, is often mentioned as the family's favorite murdering method, and it has been the base for many legendary and science fiction stories, including Agatha Christie's short story The Apples of Hesperides published in the 1947 collection The Labours of Hercules. Agatha Mary Clarissa Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 &ndash 12 January 1976 commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English The Labours of Hercules is a Short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in in the US by Dodd Mead and Company in

Death

Pope Pius III succeeded Alexander VI upon his death.

Burchard recorded the events that surrounded the death of the Pope. Cesare was preparing for another expedition in August 1503 when, after he and Alexander had dined with Cardinal Adriano da Corneto on August 6th, they were taken ill with fever. Cesare had eventually recovered, but Alexander VI was too old to have any chance. According to Burchard, Alexander VI's stomach became swollen and turned to liquid, while his face became wine-coloured and his skin began to peel off. Finally his stomach and bowels bled profusely. After more than a week of intestinal bleeding and convulsive fevers, and after accepting last rites and making a confession, the despairing Alexander VI expired on 18 August 1503 at the age of 72. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. He is said to have uttered the last words "Wait a minute" before expiring. ^[6]

His death was followed by scenes of wild disorder, and Cesare, too ill to attend to the business himself, sent Don Michelotto, his chief bravo, to seize the Pope's treasures before the death was publicly announced. When the body was exhibited to the people the next day it was in a shocking state of decomposition. Writing in his Liber Notarum, Burchard elaborates: "The face was very dark, the colour of a dirty rag or a mulberry, and was covered all over with bruise-coloured marks. The nose was swollen; the tongue had bent over in the mouth, completely double, and was pushing out the lips which were, themselves, swollen. The mouth was open and so ghastly that people who saw it said they had never seen anything like it before. " It has been suggested that, having taken into account the unusual level of decomposition, Alexander VI was accidentally poisoned to death by his son with Cantarella (which was prepared to eliminate Cardinal Adriano), although some commentaries (including the Encyclopædia Britannica) doubt these stories and attribute Alexander's death to malaria, at that time prevalent in Rome, or to another such pestilence. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including The ambassador of Ferrara wrote to Duke Ercole that it was no wonder the pope and the duke were sick because nearly everyone in Rome was ill as a consequence of bad air ("per la mala condictione de aere"). The miasmatic theory of disease held that Diseases such as Cholera or the Black Death were caused by a miasma (Greek language "pollution"

Burchard described how the Pope's mouth foamed like a kettle over a fire and how the body began to swell so much that it became as wide as it was long. The Venetian ambassador reported that Alexander VI's body was "the ugliest, most monstrous and horrible dead body that was ever seen, without any form or likeness of humanity". Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country ^[7] Finally the body began to release sulphurous gasses from every orifice. Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Burchard records that he had to jump on the body to jam it into the undersized coffin and covered it with an old carpet, the only surviving furnishing in the room.

Such was Alexander VI's unpopularity that the priests of St. Peter's Basilica refused to accept the body for burial until forced to do so by papal staff. The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St Only four prelates attended the Requiem Mass. The Requiem (from Latin requiem, accusative case of requies, rest or Requiem Mass (informally a funeral Mass also known formally (in Latin as the Alexander's successor on the Throne of St. Peter, Francesco Todeschini-Piccolomini, who assumed the name of Pope Pius III (1503), forbade the saying of a Mass for the repose of Alexander VI's soul, saying, "It is blasphemous to pray for the damned". The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Pope Pius III ( May 29, 1439 &ndash October 18, 1503) born Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, was Pope from September The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. After a short stay, the body was removed from the crypts of St. Peter's and installed in a less well-known church, the Spanish national church of Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli. Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli ( Saint Mary of Montserrat of the Spaniards) is the Spanish National church in Rome.

Legacy

The administration Pope Alexander VI created to replace the despots of Romagna drew the admiration of political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli.

Alexander gave away the temporal estates of the papacy to his children as though they belonged to him. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa The secularization of the church was carried to a pitch never before dreamed of, and it was clear to all Italy that he regarded the papacy as an instrument of worldly schemes with no thought of its religious aspect. During his pontificate the church was brought to its lowest level of degradation. The condition of his subjects was deplorable, and if Cesare's rule in Romagna was an improvement on that of the local tyrants, the people of Rome have seldom been more oppressed than under the Borgia.

Alexander VI has become almost a mythical character, and countless legends and traditions are attached to his name. Alexander was not the only figure responsible for the general unrest in Italy or for the foreign invasions, but he was ever ready to profit by them. Even if the stories of his murders (including the rumor that his first murder was at the age of 12), poisonings and immoralities are not all true, there is no doubt that his greed for money and his essentially vicious nature led him to commit a great number of crimes. For many of his misdeeds his son Cesare was as guilty as his father as well.

The one pleasing aspect of his life is his patronage of the arts, and in his days a new architectural era was initiated in Rome with the coming of Bramante. Donato Bramante (1444 – March 11, 1514) was an Italian Architect, who introduced the Early Renaissance style to Milan and the High Renaissance Raphael, Michelangelo and Pinturicchio all worked for him, and a curious contrast, characteristic of the age, is afforded by the fact that a family so steeped in vice and crime could take pleasure in the most exquisite works of art. Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone (in Italian Raffaello) (April 6 or March 28 1483 – April 6 1520 was an Italian painter and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all Bernardino di Betto, called Pintoricchio or Pinturicchio (1454 &ndash 1513 was an Italian painter of the Renaissance ^[8]

Alexander VI, allegedly a marrano according to papal rival Giuliano della Rovere ^[9], distinguished himself by his relatively benign treatment of Jews. Marranos or Secret Jews were Sephardic Jews (Jews resident in the Iberian peninsula) who were forced to adopt Christianity or Pope Julius II (5 December 1443 &ndash 21 February 1513 born Giuliano Della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513 After the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain, some 9,000 famished Iberian Jews arrived at the borders of the Papal States. Alexander welcomed them into Rome, declaring that they were "permitted to lead their life, free from interference from Christians, to continue in their own rites, to gain wealth, and to enjoy many other privileges. " He similarly allowed the immigration of Jews expelled from Portugal in 1497 and from Provence in 1498. ^[10]

It has been noted that the crimes of Alexander VI are similar in nature to those of other Renaissance princes, with the one exception being his position in the Church. As De Maistre said in his work Du Pape, "The latter are forgiven nothing, because everything is expected from them, wherefore the vices lightly passed over in a Louis XIV become most offensive and scandalous in an Alexander VI. Joseph-Marie Comte de Maistre (1 April 1753- 26 February 1821 was a French-speaking Savoyard lawyer diplomat writer and philosopher Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent "

Mistresses and family

Of Alexander's many mistresses the one for whom his passion lasted longest was a certain Vannozza (Giovanna) dei Cattani, born in 1442, and wife of three successive husbands. Vannozza dei Cattanei ( Giovanna de Candia contessa dei Cattanei) (1442 &ndash November 24 1518) was one of the many mistresses of the Pope Alexander The connection began in 1470, and she bore him four children whom he openly acknowledged as his own: Giovanni, afterwards duke of Gandia (born 1474), Cesare (born 1476), Lucrezia (born 1480), and Goffredo or Giuffre (born 1481 or 1482). Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandia ( 1474 - June 14, 1497) was the brother of the famous Cesare Borgia. Gandia (the official name as in Valencian) with population over 77000 is a city and Municipality in the Valencian Community, Eastern Spain ( September 13, 1475 &ndash March 12, 1507) Duke of Valentinois, and Romagna, Prince of Andria and Venafro This article is about the historical person For the biographical opera see Lucrezia Borgia (opera. Gioffre Borgia in Italian or Jofré Borja in Catalan (1482 &ndash 1522 Prince of Squillace, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza His other children – Girolamo, Isabella and Pier Luigi – were of uncertain parentage. Before his elevation to the papacy Cardinal Borgia's passion for Vannozza somewhat diminished, and she subsequently led a very retired life. Her place in his affections was filled by the beautiful Giulia Farnese (Giulia Bella), wife of an Orsini, but his love for his children by Vannozza remained as strong as ever and proved, indeed, the determining factor of his whole career. Giulia Farnese ( 1474 - 23 march 1524) was one of the mistresses of the Pope Alexander VI. The Orsini family was one of the most celebrated princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome, and which in former times had large possessions He lavished vast sums on them and loaded them with every honour. The atmosphere of Alexander's household is typified by the fact that his daughter Lucrezia lived with his mistress Giulia, who bore him a daughter, Laura, in 1492.

He is the ancestor of virtually all Royal Houses of Europe, mainly the Southern and Western ones, for being the ancestor of Doña Luisa de Guzmán, wife of King John IV of Portugal. Luisa de Guzmán (Luísa de Gusmão ( Sanlúcar de Barrameda, October 31 1613 &ndash February 27 1666) was Queen Consort of Marriages and descendants John married Luisa de Guzman, daughter of Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzman, 8th Duke of Medina-Sidonia.

Representations in popular culture

Books

• Frederick Rolfe ("Baron Corvo") wrote Chronicles of the House of Borgia. Frederick William Rolfe, better known as Baron Corvo, and also calling himself 'Frederick William Serafino Austin Lewis Mary Rolfe' ( July 22, 1860 This was a revisionist account, in which he argued that the Borgia family was unjustly maligned and that the accounts of poisoning were a myth. For the denial and distortion of well-established historical facts see Historical revisionism (negationism.
• Alexander VI and his family are the subjects of Mario Puzo's final novel The Family, as well as Robert Rankin's humorous and fictionalized novel The Antipope. Mario Gianluigi Puzo ( October 15, 1920 &ndash July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award -winning Italian American A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story The Family is a 2001 Novel by Mario Puzo. The novel is about Pope Alexander VI and his family Robert Fleming Rankin (born 27 July 1949) is a prolific British humorous novelist The Antipope is a Comic fantasy Novel by the British author Robert Rankin.
• The Borgia Bride (2005) is a historic fiction by Jeanne Kalogridis, told from the perspective of Sancha of Aragon, married to the Pope's youngest son Gioffre Borgia. The Borgia Bride is a novel by Jeanne Kalogridis, portraying life in the Borgia dynasty through the eyes of Princess Sancha of Aragon Jeanne Kalogridis (pronounced "Jean Kal-oh-GREED-us" also known by the Pseudonym J Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. Gioffre Borgia in Italian or Jofré Borja in Catalan (1482 &ndash 1522 Prince of Squillace, was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza
• In March 2005, Heavy Metal published the first of a three part graphic novel biography of Alexander VI entitled Borgia, written by Alexandro Jodorowsky with art by Milo Manara. Heavy Metal is an American Science fiction and fantasy Comics Magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science Alejandro Jodorowsky (ɑːlɛˈxɑːndrɒ jɒdɒˈrɒvskiː (born February 7 1929 in Tocopilla, Chile, of a Jewish Russian (Ukranian immigrant family Milo Manara, byname of Maurilio Manara (born September 12, 1945 in Luson, Bolzano-Bozen) is an Italian Comic book The story focuses mostly on the sexual indiscretions and acts of violent backstabbery carried out by the corrupt papal figure. The second part was released in July 2006.
• Gregory Maguire makes strong references to Alexander VI and specifically his daughter in the 2003 novel, Mirror, Mirror. Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954 in Albany, New York) is an American author Mirror Mirror is an American novel published in 2003 It was written by Gregory Maguire.
• Spanish author Javier Sierra writes of Pope Alexander VI in his novel, The Secret Supper. Javier Sierra Albert (Born August 11th, 1971 in Teruel, Aragon, Spain) is a Journalist Writer and

Plays

• Barnabe Barnes' 1606 play The Devil's Charter, performed at the Globe by the King's Men, dramatizes the life of Pope Alexander VI and his daughter Lucretia Borgia. In Barnes' play Alexander sells his soul to the devil in exchange for the papacy. Lucretia binds, gags, and stabs her husband onstage and later dies poisoned by her own cosmetics.

Film

• Alexander is played by Lluís Homar in the 2006 Spanish film, Los Borgia.
• A Young Roderic de Borgia during the 1458 Conclave is played by Manu Fullola in the 2006 Canadian movie The Conclave. Inquisitor is a tabletop miniatures game based in Games Workshop 's Warhammer 40000 Universe
• The last of Walerian Borowczyk's Contes Immoreaux (Immoral Tales) shows Jacopo Berenizi as Alexander VI, enjoying incest with Lucrezia and Cesare while Savonarola is arrested and burned. Walerian Borowczyk ( September 2, 1923 - February 3, 2006) was a Polish Film director. Immoral Tales (original French title Contes immoraux) is a 1974 film directed by Polish Film director Walerian Borowczyk Girolamo Savonarola ( September 21, 1452 &ndash May 23, 1498) was an Italian Dominican priest and leader of Florence from

Television

• The papacy of Alexander VI was dramatized in the 1981 BBC series The Borgias, starring the veteran Italian actor Adolfo Celi as Pope Alexander. The Borgias is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC in 1981. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Adolfo Celi (July 27 1922 February 19 1986 was an Italian film actor and director
• The Canadian sketch comedy History Bites parodied Pope Alexander VI by portraying him and his family as The Osborgias (Done as a parody of The Osbournes). Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Sketch comedy consists of a series of short Comedy scenes or vignettes called "sketches" commonly between one and ten minutes long History Bites was a Television series on the History Television network that ran from 1998 - 2003. The Osbournes was an Emmy Award -winning American Reality television program broadcast by MTV in the U
• In the popular TV show, Alias, the character Milo Rambaldi was said to be Alexander VI's "chief architect". Alias is an American " Spy-fi " television series created by J Rambaldi redirects here see also Benvenuto Rambaldi da Imola, the 14th-century Dante scholar Milo Giacomo Rambaldi is a fictional person from the

Other

• The English occultist Aleister Crowley considered Alexander VI to be one of his previous incarnations. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer ^[11]

See also

• Borgia Apartment
• The Devil's Charter
• Nepotism

Footnotes

References

• "Pope Alexander VI" in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• John Burchard, Diaries 1483–1492 (translation: A. H. Matthew, London, 1910)
• Eamon Duffy, Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes (Yale Nota Bene, 2002)
• Peter de Rossa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy (Corgi, 1989)
• Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition.
• Borja or Borgia (in Spanish)