January 1 marks exactly 582 years since the birth of Alexander VI - the second Pope of the Spanish Borgia family. Rodrigo Borgia, as he was called before his enthronement, was remembered as a symbol of debauchery, endless intrigues and high-profile poisonings. We decided to recall some interesting facts from his exciting biography.
Borgia - patron of the arts and educator
In the small Tuscan village of Corsignano, where Paul II was once born, Pienza was set up - the papal summer residence and all the cardinals were invited to take part in this project. By order of Rodrigo Borgia, Roselino was almost the first to build a palace there, which is now called the Palazzo Vescovile. This palace is a unique synthesis of the traditions of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, a combination of church and secular styles. In addition, Borgia actively built fortifications in Subiaco and Nepi, strengthening walls and fortifications there. They say that the carved high altar by Andrea Bregio in Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome was created with the money of Rodrigo, and the frescoes in one of the chapels of Pinturicchio were commissioned by Vanozza, Rodrigo's longtime mistress and mother of four of his children. Already being Pope, Borgia fortified the Roman quarter of Tor di Nona, making it difficult to attack the city from the sea. Alexander VI is also often cited as the founder of the residential part of the Vatican.
Talisman of the Pope
Historians claim that Alexander VI had a kind of talisman with which his fate was connected. When he was a cardinal, some gypsy gave him an amulet and promised that he would not die as long as he wore it around his neck. It is strange, but true: on the day of his death, the Pope was absorbed in the plan of killing his guests and simply forgot to put on the amulet. And he remembered about her only when he felt unwell, and literally died a few minutes later.
Father of many children
According to some reports, Rodrigo Borgia had eight or nine children by different women. The biographers of the pontiff conditionally divide them into those who were born before he went as a legate to Spain, born from his long-term mistress Vanozza de Catanei, and those who were born after he became Pope. It is believed that Borgia had three children with unknown mothers - Pedro Luis, daughters Girolama and Isabella, and four children with Vanozza - Giovanni, Cesare, Lucrezia and Gioffre. The mistress of the pontiff, Giulia Farnese, assured that she also gave birth to a daughter, Laura, from him.
"The monster of debauchery"
Alexander VI is famous for his numerous love affairs. One of his passions was Vanozza de Catanei, who spent many years with him and gave him four children. It is known that Vanozza was a Roman and was born in 1442. Apparently, she was married three times, and entered into her marriages just at the time when the love affair with Borgia was in full swing. Moreover, her last husband was Mantua Carlo Canale, the chamberlain of Cardinal Gonzaga. So he not only did not resent the presence of a lover in his wife, but was even proud of his direct connection with the Borgia. It is believed that Vanozza owned three hotels, contained nunneries and orphanages. Her Borgia children always spoke of their mother with love and respect.
Another mistress of Alexander was Giulia Farnese, or, as the Romans called her, Giulia the Beautiful. Both before the papal elections and after them, her relationship with Rodrigo continued, and the public was shocked not only by the connection between the old man and the young girl, but also by the fact that the Pope lived openly with his passion. This offended the aesthetic ideas of the Renaissance and gave rise to innumerable obscene epigrams.
But a more serious scandal was associated with rumors of an incestuous relationship between Rodrigo and his daughter Lucrezia. Lucrezia was born in 1480 and spent the first years of her life next to her mother Vanozza. The gossip that roamed in the Eternal City said that Lucrezia shared a bed not only with her father, but also with her brother Cesare. The girl was married three times, but this did not help stop the scandalous rumors. Modern historians believe that Lucrezia was not a shameless courtesan, and rumors of incest may just be "black" PR. But of course, she loved pleasure and fun, and managing the court of the Renaissance Papacy was more interesting than leading a settled and insipid life in marriage.
Reputation as a poisoner
During the 11 years of the pontificate of Alexander VI, 27 cardinals died, 36 went to the next world during the nine years of the reign of Julius II. But experts associate these figures rather than with the Borgia's habit of killing opponents, but with an increase in the total number of cardinals. Borgia and his son Cesare were accused of murdering the cardinals of the rally to replenish the treasury with property confiscated from them. It is difficult to judge how convincing the evidence is now: often the alleged victim died at a considerable distance from the "poisoners", plus the medicine of that era could not absolutely accurately determine the cause of death. According to rumors, the Borgias came up with two simple and easy ways to get rid of enemies: shaking hands and unlocking the lock. The Pope chewed a gold ring on the finger of his right hand, and when shaking his hand, a steel hair came out of it, releasing a drop of poison. The same mechanism worked when the box was opened. There were also completely absurd accusations: the murder of a crazy pig with saliva, hung upside down and beaten to death. The only evidence in favor of the version about the senders is the confessions, extracted under torture by Julius II from the servants of the deceased cardinals, that the Borgias resorted to poison.
Sale of indulgences and financial policy
When Alexander became Pope, the treasury was empty and the Holy See owed at least 120,000 ducats. And after his death, Alexander left large amounts of cash, which were then captured by his son Cesare. The concept of selling indulgences - full or partial remission of sins - was recognized as early as 1343. The 1500th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ and the sale of indulgences associated with it replenished the treasury. Exactly how much money was raised from this is not clear, but it is believed that the second Romance campaign was sponsored with this money. Finances also replenished the sale of posts, although once Alexander condemned these methods. For example, in 1503, eighty new offices were created, and each was sold for 760 ducats.
Also, another type of income was confiscation, the imposition of tithes on the whole of Christendom in connection with the crusades and payments from the cardinals.
Banquet with Courtesans
All biographers of the Pope note his incredible stinginess. He did not spare money for the elevation of his own family, but his daily expenses were modest. The Ferrara ambassador Boccaccio even wrote that the cardinals did not like to sit at the papal table. since there was only one change of dishes during the meal. Against this background, reports of a grandiose party with courtesans look amazing. In 1501, the son of Alexander Cesare, in his apartments in the Vatican, on the eve of All Saints' Day, arranged a magnificent celebration. It is interesting that this case was described not only by the opponents of Borgia, but also by the master of ceremonies loyal to them Burkard. Allegedly, fifty Roman courtesans were invited to a private dinner, danced naked with servants, competed in picking chestnuts from the floor, and then became the subject of a male contest themselves. And witnesses of this action were the Pope, his children Lucrezia and Cesare. True, there is still no evidence that such fun in Rome was commonplace.
Death by mistake
The death of the Pope was amazing: according to one version, he died due to an absurd accident. In August 1503, Borgia and his beloved son Cesare decided to kill three cardinals, and, as usual, invited them to dinner. All participants in the dinner were to enjoy Cypriot wine for dessert, and the guests were to get the sent portions. But even before the dessert was served, the Pope and his offspring ordered the bartender to serve them wine, and most likely, the fellow got scared and mixed up the bottles. Alexander and Cesare felt ill and soon writhed in their death throes. The Pope died in agony, and Cesare was saved thanks to baths of hot bull's blood. However, there are other versions. For example, it was assumed that Alexander caught a common cold, he developed a fever, and this soon led to his death. There was gossip that the Pope ate the sent apple prepared for him by his own son. But modern researchers are not particularly inclined to believe in these hypotheses - the reputation of Borgia was seriously tarnished by opponents of their policies.
In the history of any human community, including religious ones, there are pages that cannot be turned over without a shudder. Catholics have such a "black historical stain" - the pontificate of Pope Alexander VI, who died on August 18, 1503. He came from the Borgia family, a bloody dynasty whose very name became a household name in Europe...
Borgia is an Italian transcription of the Spanish surname Borja, which belonged to the family of nobles from Aragon, who ruled the city of Gandia. There was a legend about their origin from Sancho Ramirez, the illegitimate son of the King of Navarre, but it was not documented.
One of the Borja clan, the knight Esteban, was a warrior of King Jaime I the Conqueror, and after the successful expulsion of the Moors from Valencia by the monarch, he was rewarded with the lands of Xativa, where he settled with relatives. Later, he also bought Gandia, which belonged to the Cardonian ruling house. Gradually, the Borja dynasty (in Catalan Borja) becomes one of the most influential aristocratic families of Valencia.
But real fame came to Borgia in Italy, where the family was represented by two popes - Calixtus III and Alexander VI - and two dozen cardinals. The first of the pontiffs, who bore the name Alfonso in the world, became famous for his scandalous relationship with his sister Joanna. It is her son that Alexander VI - Rodrigo Borgia is considered.
Perhaps this long-term incest really owed his life to the one whom the Catholics themselves later called "misfortune for the church" and "Satan's pharmacist." But be that as it may, legally Rodrigo was the nephew of Pope Calixtus III and, being a man of extraordinary intelligence and abilities, took advantage of the patronage for a successful career in the Catholic Church.
His education by the standards of that time was quite impressive: first, the young Spaniard studied law at the University of Bologna, then mastered the art of war, and after his uncle ascended to the papacy, he saw new perspectives in religion.
At the age of 25, Rodrigo became a cardinal - and although everyone understood that there was some “blat” here, they could not refuse this young man leadership qualities, eloquence and practicality. The latter is also important: Cardinal Borgia was one of the richest people in his society - and actively used specie to achieve his goals.
Many blamed him for dealing with the Moors and Jews, but this meant nothing: on August 26, 1492, after the death of his uncle, Rodrigo was crowned with the papal tiara under the name of Alexander VI. Many historians consider the further reign of this person to be the reason for the Reformation. The point is not so much in the acquisition and frank patronage of his dynasty, but in the terrible debauchery of the pontiff, who is eager for the fair sex.
Back in Spain, he seduced an elderly lady, whose youngest daughter Rosa Vanozzi also became his mistress. By the time Rodrigo moved to the Vatican, they already had two sons, Giovanni and Cesare, and in 1840 the girl Lucrezia was born. However, the loving Alexander VI did not limit himself to this union: the annals preserved the names of many other concubines of the blasphemer, who also gave him children.
According to rumors, the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, Lucrezia, was in a love affair with her father and brothers. She actually lived in the papal chambers, tempting thousands of believers. The pontiff's entourage was frankly outraged by the impudence with which the girl interfered in her father's affairs, tried to read his correspondence and even resolve issues of punishing and rewarding cardinals.
Lucrezia Borgia as Saint Beatrice d'Este, portrait by Bartolomeo Veneto.
However, Alexander VI trusted his daughter very much and even appointed her governor of two cities - Spoletto and Foligno, which was simply unthinkable, because only a cardinal could rule them. But Lucretia did not let her father down, thanks to her diplomatic talent, putting an end to Spoletto's enmity with the city of Terni. Nevertheless, public dissatisfaction with both the actions and the very personality of the Borgia pope grew every day.
Having received power, he made acquisition his goal and justified any means by it. The Pope continued the tradition of convening crusades to replenish his treasuries with gold. At the same time, Alexander VI went further than his predecessors: he regularly convened noble nobles and wealthy priests for agapes, during which his guests "unexpectedly" gave their souls to God, and their wealth passed into papal hands.
One of the witnesses of these iniquities wrote with horror: " Alexander VI, with feverish greed, robbed both the living and the dead. The greatest pleasure for him was the contemplation of human blood". Widely used Borgia and bloodless methods of murder, glorified him throughout the world - as well as the talents of papal chemists, who were rare poisons for Alexander VI ...
Pope Alexander VI
One of these poisons caused the death of the poisoner himself. In 1503, Alexander VI shared the fate of many of his victims - he dined at a villa with the cardinals and drank wine, after which he felt very ill and died on August 18. His corpse swelled unusually quickly, and this is a sure sign of exposure to a strong poison. Most likely, by mistake, dad tried a drink prepared by his son for the owner of the villa ...
It is not surprising that the priests of St. Peter's Cathedral refused to bury such a pontiff in the temple, and Pope Pius III forbade funeral masses to be served for his soul. After all, Rodrigo Borgia was one of those people about whom I want to say: "Thank God that he cleaned up" ...
Years of life: 1 January 1431 - 18 August 1503
Pontificate: August 11, 1492 - August 18, 1503
Rodrigo Borgia was born in Xativa, near Valencia. He was the nephew of Pope Calixtus III. Rodrigo made his final choice of profession when his uncle became Pope Calixtus III. A high-ranking uncle sent him to study law at the University of Bologna, and soon made him a cardinal, despite the fact that he was only 25 years old.
Rapid Ascension
Rodrigo was also appointed papal vice-chancellor. Even ill-wishers were forced to admit that in this post he showed amazing prudence and caution in the conduct of the most difficult cases. Despite the fact that his appointment was probably a consequence of the uncle's high position, Rodrigo Borgia showed himself to be a skilled administrator. Personal asceticism and extensive possessions (he was archbishop, bishop and abbot in many areas of Italy and Spain) allowed him to become one of the richest people of his time.
Codex Borgia Page
And papal favors continued to pour in on the young Borgia. Rodrigo was ordained a priest, then became Bishop of Albano, and soon Bishop of Porto and Dean of the Sacred College.
Merry Cardinal Borgia
Despite his dignity, Rodrigo led a depraved life, loved lavish festivities, was in connection with his mistress Vanozza Cattanei, who bore him several children.
Cesare, Giovanni and Giofrey Borgia - children of Alexander VI
The eldest, Cesare, he made a cardinal. The middle one, Giovanni, married the Spanish noblewoman Maria Henriquez and created the Duchy of Gandia for him. The youngest son, Jofre, also occupied not the last place in the church hierarchy of Spain.
victory at the conclave
When Pope Innocent III fell ill, according to legend, they tried to solder him with the blood of boys. however, this treatment was ineffective. The pontiff reposed, and a conclave was declared.
On it, only 7 out of 23 electors voted for the candidacy of Cardinal Borgia. Then, according to the custom of that time, bribery (simony) was used. One of the candidates, Ascanio Sforza, was promised benefices, the lucrative seat of Bishop Erlau, and the city of Nepi. After that, Sforza withdrew his candidacy and began to campaign for Borgia.
Papal coat of arms of Alexander VI
Cardinal Orsini was promised Monticelli and Soriano, as well as the posts of bishop of Cartagena and legate to the emperor. Subiaco Abbey, with its vast land holdings, was guaranteed to Cardinal Colonna. Thus, Borgia secured 14 votes in his support, which ensured his election. Rodrigo was elected pope and took the name Alexander VI.
Alexander VI - patron of sciences, philanthropist and keeper of Rome
The whole history of the pontificate of Alexander VI is the history of the struggle of the Borgia clan for power in Rome and all of Italy. However, thanks to the administrative talent shown in the position of Vice-Chancellor, his election inspired hope for a worthy and prudent government.
Alexander carried out an administrative reform in Rome, dividing the city into four districts and placing at the head of each official, endowed with extensive rights. In addition, every Tuesday, any Roman could personally visit the pope in search of protection and justice. Alexander made no less effort to protect the Eternal City. He turned the Mausoleum of Hadrian into a veritable fortress capable of withstanding a siege, and fortified Torre di Nona to protect against attack from the sea.
coat of arms of Alexander VI on the walls of the castles of Valencia and the Holy Angel
The city of Lion has become a fashionable quarter. Architects, sculptors and artists, invited by Alexander, decorated Rome with magnificent works of art that have survived to this day. By order of Alexander VI, Raphael, Michelangelo and Pinturicchio worked in Rome. Although the pope was not very well educated, he restored the university in Rome and generously endowed its professors.
A lover of magnificent ceremonies, Alexander organized on a grand scale the celebration of the next anniversary of the church in 1500. With his tolerant policy towards the Jews, the pope caused a conflict with Spain.
Italian wars
The party of enemies of the new pontiff at the papal court was led by Cardinal della Rovere (future Pope Julius II). Fearing physical elimination, he fled to France to the court of King Charles VIII, who was preparing to move his army to conquer the Kingdom of Naples. Under the influence of della Rovere, the king threatened the Borgia pope with deposition and religious reform.
The appearance of the French hordes in Italy and their movement to the south alarmed the rulers of Milan and the Republic of Venice. Alexander VI at that time was busy preparing for a war with the Turks, but in view of the French invasion he changed his plans and even suggested that Sultan Bayezid II conclude an alliance against the French. He reconciled with the Neapolitan dynasty of Trastamara, and this union was sealed by two dynastic marriages. Emperor Maximilian also joined the "holy league" of sovereigns directed against France.
King Charles VIII of France and Emperor Maximilian
Diplomatic activity made it possible to temporarily neutralize the threat of French hegemony in Italy. When Alexander honored Charles VIII with a personal audience, the French king brought him assurances of his loyalty. The Pope maintained good relations with his successor Louis XII and, as a token of his favor, married his son Cesare to a French princess.
Ascanio Sforza, who defended the interests of his brother Lodovico, was at first the vice-chancellor of the pope. He, being regent of the Duchy of Milan, refused to give power to his nephew, the young Duke Gian Galeazzo. Isabella, the wife of Gian Galeazzo, turned to her Neapolitan relatives for help. Alexander VI, who also had claims to Naples, was involved in the conflict. It was solemnly announced the creation of the League, which, in addition to Rome and Milan, included Venice. The union was sealed by the marriage of Lucrezia, daughter of Alexander, with Giovanni Sforza.
Lucrezia Borgia. Historians attributed to her the place of a mistress with her own father and the role of his main political tool.
However, thanks to the mediation of Spain, the war was avoided. Ferdinand married his granddaughter Sancha to Jofre, giving the Principality of Squillache as a dowry. Spain was not without reason interested in friendship with the pope. Alexander issued the bull Inter Caetera, which recognized the exclusive right of the kings of Spain and Portugal to own lands discovered in sea campaigns and approved an agreement on the division of the world between them.
As soon as the peace treaty was signed, Charles VIII of France arrived in Rome, demanding the Neapolitan crown for himself. Alexander agreed, but after the death of Ferdinand unexpectedly supported his son Alfonso II and instructed Cardinal Giovanni Borgia to conduct the coronation. In September of the same year, the French army crossed the Alps and soon approached Rome. Alexander took refuge in the castle of Sant'Angelo and began negotiations with Charles. He gave permission to the French king to pass through his possessions to southern Italy, ostensibly for a crusade against the Turks.
Taking advantage of this, Charles captured Naples without resistance, forced Alphonse to abdicate, expelled his son Ferdinand and was himself crowned king. While Charles was trying to get the pope to sanction the usurpation, he created a league with Milan, Venice, Germany and Spain. Fearing being cut off from the main possessions, Karl was forced to return home without receiving any benefits from the Italian campaign.
Pope's struggle with the feudal lords
A separate page in the history of the pontificate of Alexander VI was the conflict with the preacher and church reformer Girolamo Savonarola. The monk who lived in Florence was not afraid to openly criticize the corrupt and depraved pope. His influence on the minds of people was so great that in the 90s of the XV century. his sermons actually determined the state structure of Florence. However, Alexander found ways to put pressure on the Florentine authorities, and in 1498 the Inquisition sentenced the rebel to death.
Girolamo Savonarola
The conflict with Charles VIII was a turning point in the pontificate of Alexander VI. He realized that the Papal States would be secure only if he could rein in the insolent and fickle barons. Alexander's first victim was the Orsini clan.
The papal army under the command of Giovanni Borgia defeated the remnants of the Orsini army near Soriano and took their last stronghold of Bracciano. However, having paid 50 thousand florins, the Orsini got back all their castles except Cervetri and Anguillara. Then Alexander ordered the Spanish mercenary Goncalvo de Cordova to take the fortress of Ostia, which was held by the della Rovere family.
Alexander singled out Benevento, Terracina and Pontecorvo from the territory of the papal state, incorporating them into the Duchy of Gandia. Only Cardinal Piccolomini openly rebelled against this decision. But a few days later, the body of the young Duke Jofre with his throat cut was found in the Tiber. Who committed this crime remains unclear. Struck by the death of his son, Alexander thought about resigning, but eventually calmed down and began to rule further, relying on the sword of his eldest son, Cesare.
Alexander deposed Federigo of Naples on suspicion of relations with the Turks and concluded a secret agreement on the division of the Kingdom of Naples between Spain and France. Thus the pope cut the ground from under the feet of the rebels Colonna, Savelli and Gaetani, who had traditionally enjoyed the support of Aragon. Alexander excommunicated them from the church and demanded to hand over the keys to all the fortresses. The confiscated lands were divided into two duchies, granted to the pope's grandsons, Rodrigo and Giovanni.
Meanwhile, Cesare Borgia continued by hook or by crook to seize the Italian principalities. By the end of 1502, he received Camerino and Sinigalya. In October, the Orsini organized a conspiracy against the insidious Cesare, but the insurgents were exposed and executed. Against the remaining Orsini, Alexander opened a criminal case. Cardinal Orsini, the soul of the conspiracy, was imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo, where he was found dead twelve days later.
Castel Sant'Angelo during the time of Alexander VI
The rest of the barons were so horrified that, according to contemporaries, they fled from Cesare as from a hydra. By April 1503, only the fortress of Bracciano remained under the rule of the rebels. The power of the pope over his lands was complete as never before.
Nepotism and depravity in the Vatican
In addition to dynastic marriages, the distribution of cardinal caps was a powerful political tool in Alexander's hands. During his pontificate, 47 new cardinals were appointed, and each appointment had its own political overtones. His son Cesare became a cardinal at the age of 18, Alessandro Farnese - the brother of the papal mistress Giulia - at 25.
Giulia Farnese - mistress of Pope Alexander VI
However, in the memory of the descendants, Alexander VI remained, first of all, as one of the greatest debauchees and intriguers. Even having ascended the Holy See, he continued to support mistresses and participate in orgies. One of the most famous episodes in the history of pornography was the Chestnut Banquet, organized on October 30, 1501 in the papal palace by Cardinal Cesare Borgia. 50 prostitutes served the guests at the table. At the end of the meal, naked women crawled on the floor, picking up scattered chestnuts. After that, the guests, among whom were clerics, began to copulate with whores. The men who reached the highest number of orgasms were awarded prizes in the form of various items of clothing.
Europe, in addition, was full of rumors about the pontiff's incestuous relationship with his own daughter Lucretia and that he gets rid of personal enemies with the help of poison. Detractors created a reputation for Alexander VI as a maniacal poisoner, "Satan's pharmacist." In modern times, attempts were made to attribute these reviews to dissatisfaction with his unifying policy, which emanated, first of all, from the Italian elite. However, even to his contemporaries, his pursuit of personal gain and his all-consuming desire to exalt his closest relatives at the expense of the old aristocracy seemed indecent.
Depraved Alexander VI was very fond of being portrayed as a humble and repentant participant in great events.
The carefree life for Alexander VI ended when the body of the beloved son of the pontiff, Juan, was fished out of the Tiber with 9 stab wounds. It was rumored that Cesare, who did not like him, organized the massacre of his brother. The tragedy in his own family sobered Alexander for a while. For some time he shut himself up in the castle of the Holy Angel, and then ordered to take measures against court luxury, licentiousness and simony.
The end of the rampant pontificate
Alexander was 73 years old, but he was healthy, full of strength and enjoyed unlimited power in Rome. He could afford to ignore the libels that accused him of all sorts of sins, and did nothing to protect his reputation.
The Borgias are a sweet family of schemers, murderers, rapists, lechers and poisoners.
On August 6, 1503, together with several cardinals, he dined at the villa of Cardinal Adriano da Corneto. With the onset of dusk, papa had to inadvertently go out into the fresh air and caught a fever. However, all those present at the dinner caught a cold, they developed a fever. But dad was not particularly lucky - he died a few days later.
Judging by the way his corpse swelled and quickly decomposed, some contemporaries suggested that the pope was poisoned. The swelling and rapid decomposition of the pope's corpse gave rise to rumors that Alexander mistakenly ate a poisoned apple, which he himself prepared for Cesare, or drank a cup of poisoned wine prepared by Cesare himself for the owner of the house. In general, a whole labyrinth of anecdotes and legends grew up around his death. Modern researchers have refuted the hypotheses, leaving no reasonable doubt about the naturalness of his death.
Tomb of Popes Alexander VI and Calixtus III
Alexander's unpopularity was such that the priests of St. Peter's at first refused to bury the pope in the cathedral. Only four cardinals attended the funeral, and his successor, Pius III, forbade masses for the repose of his soul. The official history of the Catholic Church characterizes him as the most gloomy figure of the papacy, and his pontificate is called "misfortune for the church."
Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia. His role is played by famed Hollywood actor Jeremy Irons.
AlexanderVIBorgia stood at the head of the Holy Church for eleven years. His reign was marked by numerous scandals, intrigues and bloodshed. But at the same time, the Vatican has become the largest state in Italy.
The head of the Borgia clan is a unique person. He is as ruthless and ambitious as he is selflessly devoted to his family. Title of the Pope Alexandra VI brought him by no means closeness to God, but influence, power and unthinkable wealth. He is a very smart person - he is always one step ahead of his opponent. But the enemies know his weaknesses - carnal pleasures and beautiful women - and do not deny themselves the pleasure of revenge.
The brilliant manager and vice-chancellor of the Curia ascends the throne of St. Peter through unthinkable intrigues and bribery and immediately decides the fate of his sons: Cesare Borgia (Francois Arnaud) joins the college of cardinals, and Juan (David Oakes) receives the title of captain-general of the Papal army. His daughter, fifteen-year-old Lucrezia (Holly Granger), also becomes a pawn in a political game: she is married to Giovanni Sforza(Ronan Weibert), a representative of an influential Italian family.
Myself AlexanderVIBorgia busy contemplating a new status and spending time with a new mistress Giulia Farnese(Lotte Verbeek). At the same time, he avoids the company of the mother of his beloved children, the former courtesan Vannotza dei Cattenei (Joanne Whalley), in every possible way.
At this time, the cardinals are shocked by the debauchery of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, completely unveiled and even defiant: he takes a bath in the company of a courtesan in his chambers and holds Giulia Farnese on his knees during a festive celebration in honor of his daughter's wedding.
But the Pope Alexander Borgia was unsettled only after the tragic death of his son Juan. All the other members of the family are deep in their hearts happy about this turn of events, since the presence of the commander-in-chief of the Papal troops only brought trouble to those around them. When Cesare confesses to his father that it was he who killed his brother with his own hands, this becomes a terrible blow for the Pope.
It is at this moment that he drinks a glass of wine with poison, carefully prepared by the faithful assistant of Cardinal della Rovere.
Interesting facts about Alexander Borgia / Aleksandr Bordzhia
Rodrigo Borgia prepared for an ecclesiastical career from an early age. His uncle Alfonso Borgia became Pope and was named Calixte III in 1455.
Based on historical facts, Rodrigo Borgia passed away in the summer of 1503. At the same time, experts agree that this happened by accident: the Pope and Cesare Borgia were invited to dinner with Cardinal Adriano de Corneto, and caught a cold in the evening. The disease progressed very quickly, but only his son Cesare managed to get out. Some historians are inclined to the version of poisoning, especially since Alexander Borgia had too many enemies, the number of which increased in direct proportion to his wealth.
The era of the reign of Pope Alexander VI has a very capacious characteristic: debauchery. Despite the fact that Rodrigo Borgia was a patron of the arts and supported contemporary artists, the enemies were relentless: they accused him of incest, bribery and excessive centralization of power.
Pope Alexander VI Borgia
Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) - b. 01/01/1431 - mind. 08/18/1503 214th Pope 1492 - 1503
Rodrigo Borgia, wanted to subjugate Italy to the power of his family and create a single kingdom in central Italy. He fought with opponents with the help of poison and hired killers.
The Renaissance, which gave mankind many brilliant philosophers, scientists, poets and artists, is notorious for the decline in morals in the religious environment, which, as a result, led to the emergence of the Reformation, which gave a new, largely ambiguous, impetus to the spiritual development of mankind.
The signs of the decay of the Catholic Church during the Renaissance were reflected first of all at the very top, highlighting the popes, who embodied most of the human vices. Among them, almost in the first place is Pope Alexander VI Borgia, who is often characterized as the most gloomy figure in the history of the papacy, and his reign is considered a misfortune for the church.
Nevertheless, some of the biographers do not see anything out of the ordinary in his behavior against the background of his contemporary era and explain the harsh characteristics of his contemporaries as a consequence of the hatred of Italians for the Spanish Borgia family. But the facts clearly show that those who had a negative attitude towards the personality of Pope Alexander VI Borgia were right in assessing the hero of this essay.
Rodrigo Borgia - that was the name of the future pope before he ascended the Roman throne - was born in Xativa (Aragon). His family was an impoverished side branch of the aristocratic Spanish surname Borja, which was able to achieve a certain power in Italy, where their surname began to sound a little different.
According to the chronicles, Rodrigo, the second son of the Spanish hidalgo Jofre de Borja y Omsa, was distinguished by his beauty, cruelty and ardor of character. There is a legend that at the age of 12, the future pope stabbed one of his relatives with a dagger.
Rodrigo's education was led by his uncle, Alonso Borgia, the first Bishop of Valencia, and later Cardinal and Pope Calixtus III. He sent his nephew to Bologna, accompanied by the learned humanist Gasparo de Verona, to study law. It took the young man only 16 months to obtain a doctorate in law, although the standard training period was at least 5 years.
1456, February 20 - Calixtus III, feeling the approach of death, appointed his nephews, including the 25-year-old Rodrigo, as cardinals. He took over the Church of St. Nicholas in Carzere Tulliano, and this gave influence to the nearby prisons, which means that he gave police power over Rome into his hands. In addition, a year later he received the post of commander-in-chief of all papal troops in Italy, which caused a useless protest from the princes of the church. Their opinion was not taken into account. Moreover, just before his death, he appointed Rodrigo Borgia to the important post of deputy head of the papal office, vice-chancellor.
After the death of Calixtus III, Rodrigo's palace in Rome was plundered. The enemies of the Borgia clan predicted the imminent fall of the former papal favorites. But Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia made the right choice by voting in the conclave for the Cardinal of Siena. The new pope, Pius II, favored the young cardinal and gave him the opportunity to seize power. In fact, the vice-chancellor became the second person in the Vatican.
Borgia was in this position for 36 years and survived 5 popes, which always required diplomatic flexibility, and at that time also unscrupulousness. The vice-chancellor gradually strengthened his influence. Rightly believing that the backbone of any power is money, he accumulated a huge fortune. Calixtus III endowed him with a number of bishoprics, abbeys and benefices. The nephew did not miss the opportunity to increase what he got. In Spain alone, Rodrigo had 16 profitable seats and was rightfully considered the richest, and therefore the most influential cardinal in Western Europe.
All this allowed him to bathe in luxury and not hide the many vices that shocked his contemporaries, who themselves were far from without sin. Once, Pope Pius II was forced to reprimand the vice-chancellor, but he quickly reassured the old man, saying that his sins were greatly exaggerated by idle gossip, that is, he simply lied. Nevertheless, after the death of Pope Innocent VIII, Cardinal Borgia was put forward as one of the candidates for the papacy.
During the first vote, only 7 cardinals out of 23 members of the conclave voted for Rodrigo Borgia. After that, the candidate, following the example of his predecessors, used bribery to achieve his goal. Cardinal Orsini, in the event of the election of Borgia, he promised the cities of Monticelli and Soriano, legacy in Germany and the bishopric of Cartagena. Cardinal Colonna was to receive the Abbey of Subiaco with the surrounding settlements. And Cardinal Ascanicio, under the pretext of better preservation, on the day of the elections, jewels were sent on four horses.
Even one of the rivals of the future pope, Cardinal Sforza, who claimed the papal throne, could not resist. In exchange for the position of deputy head of the papal office, one of the luxurious Borgia castles and large territories with a large annual income, he did not stand his candidacy at the next vote. As a result, the second vote gave Borgia a majority of votes. Only 5 incorruptible cardinals voted against, saying that the vote should be carried out according to the call of the heart.
The Roman people, well aware of everything that was happening around the papacy, did not protest. According to tradition, the so-called "selective gift" was presented to the people. In total, Borgia spent on the elections a huge amount at that time - several tens of thousands of ducats.
The election took place on August 10–11, 1492. The new pope took the name Alexander VI. As the future showed, he turned out to be a talented politician and an outstanding diplomat, but all the powers of the Pope's mind were directed towards his own enrichment and strengthening the influence of his large family.
According to contemporaries, in his youth, the pope did not constrain himself with vows of chastity and celibacy. He had many mistresses, and with one of them, a wealthy Roman woman, the owner of inns, Vanozza de Catanei, he was in touch for many years and had children from her - Giovanni (Juan), Cesare, Jofre and Lucrezia, whom he officially recognized. These four, especially the famous Lucretia, were distinguished by indefatigable ambition, lust for power, unscrupulousness and voluptuousness, which became a byword. In addition to them, there were other illegitimate children - the son of Pedro Luis and the daughter of Geronima, whom the child-loving Alexander also did not forget.
In old age, dad, who was distinguished, as some of the sources note, by "painful sexuality", did not leave the habits of youth. He had an unusual, even for that unbridled time, ballet, which served him as a cure for longing. On those occasions when the official papal mistress Giulia Farnese could not comfort her patron, His Holiness would ask an ensemble of fairly lightly dressed girls to dance for him. According to one contemporary, Augustino Vespucci, these scenes took place every day. Therefore, many slandered among themselves, reproaching Alexander VI for paying little attention to the liturgy.
The main concern of the head of the Roman Catholic Church was, of course, not the liturgy, but the strengthening of the power and influence of his family. This meant not so much an increase in the already huge wealth, but the establishment of the Borgia clan in Italy. From the very first days of his reign, he distributed profitable places and territorial possessions to his relatives. No wonder that already in the year of the pope's accession to the throne, the envoy J. Bocaccio wrote: "Even 10 popes could not satisfy the appetites of this hungry pack."
But the head of the Roman church paid special attention to his children, through whom he tried to strengthen his position in Italy. Lucrezia, who was said to be involved not only with her brothers but also with her father, was engaged to the Spanish Count Gaspare de Procida. But a marriage that was good for a cardinal's daughter was not good for a pope's daughter.
The engagement was terminated, and Lucrezia married the Duke of Milan, Giovanni Sforza. When Alexander did not need this marriage for political reasons, he divorced his daughter from her husband under the pretext of his impotence and married her to Alphonse of Aragon. After his assassination (most likely, on the orders of Cesare), she remarried - to Alphonse I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, thereby strengthening the position of the pope.
The rest of the children also brought Alexander VI the necessary connections and leverage. Jofre married the granddaughter of the Neapolitan king. The youngest, Giovanni, became Duke of Gandia and married a cousin of Ferdinand IX of Castile.
But the head of the Roman Catholic Church pinned his greatest hopes on Cesare. No wonder already in 1493 he made him one of the 47 papal cardinals. The fact is that the pope cherished the dream of creating a large hereditary kingdom in the center of Italy, that is, he actually wanted to turn the Roman church into a secular state, and he considered Cesare to be the real contender for the throne.
This young man, whom historiography considers a "virtuoso of crimes", who inspired Machiavelli to create the infamous work "The Sovereign", according to the well-known Hungarian scholar E. Gergei, "looked at politics from the standpoint of complete moral permissiveness." However, this is not about him. The important thing is that Cesare had someone to learn from.
Pope Alexander VI began his work, like many of his predecessors, by strengthening his own power in the papal state. The most influential of the families - Orsini, Colonna, Vitelli, Malatesta and others - were expelled or broken. In addition, the pope reorganized the Roman garrison and created a fairly strong papal army, which consisted of hired soldiers. It turned out that this measure was not superfluous at all.
During this period, Italy was not united. It consisted of small city-states and, due to its fragmentation, attracted the attention of powerful neighbors. 1494, September 2 - the army of King Charles VIII of France crossed the Alps, soon captured Florence and began to threaten Rome and the pope personally.
On Charles' side was the pope's longtime political rival, Cardinal Della Rovere. Taking advantage of the fact that Rodrigo Borgia openly traded in church posts, the cardinal threatened to convene a college of cardinals to remove him from the papal throne. And the king sent a demand to Alexander VI to give passage to his army to Naples. From there, he allegedly wanted to move against the Turks in order to liberate the Holy Land. Moreover, Karl's positions were quite strong thanks to the scandal that broke out.
It became known that the head of the Catholic Church was negotiating with the Turkish Sultan Bayezid II on a joint action against the French. Moreover, in a reply letter, the Sultan offered the Pope for 300,000 ducats to kill his brother Prince Jemal, who was a prisoner in Rome. Money should have been paid only after the presentation of the corpse.
Europe was shocked by this news. However, the head of the Catholics cared little for such a discrediting situation. He began to prepare for the siege of Rome: he ordered the treasures of the Holy See to be better hidden, restored the ramparts, strengthened the walls of the Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican, arranged five large storages of grain and oil. And yet, Alexander VI could not but understand that these preparations would not help to avoid defeat during the siege. Therefore, when Charles proposed the conditions for his entry into Rome, the pope accepted them.
Charles began to demand that the castle of the Holy Angel be given to the French, that Jemal be released and that Cesare Borgia be handed over as a hostage. Then the pope, not losing his presence of mind, locked himself in the castle of the Holy Angel and ordered the cannons to be aimed at the French. The occupiers attacked the castle several times, but each time, on the orders of Alexander, they carried out a shrine with the relics of Saints Peter and Paul and the veil of Saint Veronica on the ramparts. And each time the French retreated, fearing to anger the saints.
Nevertheless, the head of the Catholics had to capitulate, but the conditions for surrender were very different from the previous ones. The king enlisted the support of the pontiff, received Cesare as an escort, and for 500,000 ducats he took Prince Jemal "for temporary use" from the pope. The prince was promised to be returned to the pope after the French army left Italy. But Borgia was soon able to escape, and the prince died of an incomprehensible illness. Rumor claimed that in this case it was not without poison. Later, the pope tried to get from Bayazed the amount he had promised for his brother's corpse.
Dzhemal's death began the legend of the legendary Borgia poison, which many believe was either arsenic or Spanish fly powder, and in moderate doses caused internal damage and death. With the help of the poison of Rodrigo Borgia, they dealt not only with political opponents. The pope had a habit of capturing the fortunes of dead cardinals. Many of them passed away under suspicious circumstances. Not without reason, the Venetian ambassador Giustiniani wrote to the Council of Ten: “It has already become a habit with the pope to fatten his cardinals, and then poison them in order to inherit their fortune.”
Charles nevertheless reached Naples, but was forced to leave Italy. The Italians opposed the French. In addition, Rodrigo Borgia in March 1495 created the Holy League, which included Austria, Spain, Venice, Milan and the Holy Roman Empire.
And yet, successes in the political field could not close people's eyes to the unrighteous way of life of the pope. In Florence, the monk Savonarola became very popular; Opposition intensified in Rome. This, and the murder on June 14, 1497, of Alexander's favorite son, Giovanni (Cesare also had a hand in this murder), led the pope to call for an end to papal luxury and extramarital cohabitation of clergy.
However, already in 1498, after long unsuccessful negotiations with Savonarola, Alexander excommunicated the latter from the church. Through intrigue, he achieved that the Franciscans demanded that the obstinate monk be burned at the stake, and the city council of Florence accused Savonarola of heresy. The case ended with the execution of one of the most prominent forerunners of the Reformation. It was burned on May 23, 1498. Alexander emerged victorious from this situation, which seriously threatened his power.
1503, summer - in Rome, malaria was rampant as never before. Rodrigo Borgia considered this time "not good for obese people" and was full of heavy forebodings. Once, when an owl fell at his feet, he could not resist and shouted: “Bad sign, this is a bad sign!”
And soon, after the feast at the Cardinal Corneto, the pontiff felt bad. Then he got a fever. And on August 18, dad died in terrible agony. His feverish delirium was perceived by those around him as evidence that after the death of his predecessor, Alexander VI entered into a deal with the devil. The body of the deceased was terribly swollen and blackened. This and some other signs during the agony made it possible for contemporaries to assume that the pope was poisoned.
After his death, Cesare, who lost the support of the Vatican, quickly lost his position. The city-states of Italy did not want to obey the tyrant, whose name has become a household name for cruel, treacherous and unprincipled people.
