Borgia family biography samples

The Rise to Power

The origins of the Borgia family trace back to Spain, in the Kingdom of Valencia, where they were known as the Borjas. Their ascent to the pinnacles of power began with Alfonso de Borja (1378–1458), who became Pope Callixtus III in 1455.

However, it was Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, who would become the embodiment of the family’s ambition and the archetype of papal nepotism.

Rodrigo Borgia's election to the papacy in 1492 marked the beginning of the Borgia dynasty's most notorious chapter.

His tenure was characterized by an unabashed use of the papal office to advance his family's fortunes, awarding them titles, lands, and positions of power. His children, Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia, and Jofré, became central figures in the political chessboard of Italy, forming alliances and rivalries with the era's major powers, including the Medici of Florence, the Sforza of Milan, and the Kingdom of Naples.

Cesare Borgia: The Prince of Machiavelli

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