Skip to main content. In the north the pendulum swung back once more and the French reoccupied Milan in April, causing the downfall of the Sforzas, much to Alexander VI's gratification. Charles, at the instigation of a rival cardinal of the influential della Rovere family, threatened the pope with deposition and the convocation of a reform council. A new danger now arose in the shape of a conspiracy against him on the part of the deposed despots, the Orsini and some of his own condottieri. Peace was made through Venetian mediation, the Orsini paying 50,000 ducats in exchange for their confiscated lands; the duke of Urbino, whom they had captured, was left by the Pope to pay his own ransom. Pope Alexander VI Spanish: Alejandro VI one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes. Bishop of Rome: Portrait by Giovanni Battista Gaulli. Borgia, by a bare two-thirds majority secured by his own vote, was proclaimed Pope on the morning of 11 Aug., 1492, and took the name of Alexander VI. Now occurred the first of those ugly domestic tragedies for which the house of Borgia remained famous. On June 14, the duke of Gandia, lately created duke of Benevento, disappeared; the next day his corpse was found in the Tiber River. Borgia, by a bare two-thirds majority secured by his own vote, was proclaimed Pope on the morning of 11 Aug., 1492, and took the name of Alexander VI. Cesare, who renounced his cardinalate, was sent on a mission to France at the end of the year, bearing a bull of divorce for the new King Louis XII of France (1498 – 1515), in exchange for which he obtained the duchy of Valentinois (hence his title of Duca Valentino) and a promise of material assistance in his schemes to subjugate the feudal princelings of Romagna; he married a princess of Navarre. Pope Alexander VI. His other children – Girolamo, Isabella and Pier Luigi – were of uncertain parentage. 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. Téléchargez des images premium que vous ne trouverez nulle part ailleurs. Alexander VI was an extremely intelligent man that enjoyed luxury and excess in all aspects of his life. Finally his stomach and bowels bled profusely. Alexander VI openly used the church to advance his family’s fortunes, and his tenure as pope is widely seen as one of the sparks that ignited the Reformation. During his pontificate the Church was brought to its lowest level of degradation. Pope Alexander VI (1431–1503). In 1431, Lanzol y Borja born in Xàtiva, which is near Valencia in Spain. [3] Borgia was elected on August 11 1492, assuming the name of Alexander VI. Alexander VI availed himself of the defeat of the French to break the power of the Orsini, following the general tendency of all the princes of the day to crush the great feudatories and establish a centralized despotism. Devenu pape, Alexandre VI Borgia continue de vivre en grand seigneur de la Renaissance, tout en observant strictement ses devoirs religieux ! Try Prime Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Sign in Account & Lists Orders Try Prime Basket Alexander VI carried on a double policy, always ready to seize opportunities to aggrandize his family. In order to dominate the College of Cardinalsmore completely he 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 the beautiful Giulia Farnese, one of the Pope's mistresses, creations which caused much scandal. In order to consolidate his possessions still further, now that French success seemed assured, the Pope determined to deal drastically with Romagna, which although nominally under papal rule was divided up into a number of practically independent lordships on which Venice, Milan, and Florence cast hungry eyes. Select from premium Pope Alexander Vi of the highest quality. Find the perfect Pope Alexander Vi stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Rodrigo Borgia, the baby boy who would become Pope Alexander VI, one of the most infamous Popes of all time, was born in Valencia, Spain on New Year's Day in 1431. Alexander VI was an extremely intelligent man that enjoyed luxury and excess in all aspects of his life. He Kept Multiple Mistresses. Alexander VI appealed to Ascanio Sforza for help, and even to the Sultan. About Cardinal Ferrari's death there is more doubt; he probably died of fever, but Alexander VI immediately confiscated his goods. Pope Alexander VII (13 February 1599 – 22 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in 1667. Staff editor for Patrology. Then in 1492 he literally bought the papacy. Alexander VI, although he could not get Savonarola into his own hands, browbeat the Florentine government into condemning the reformer to death (May 23, 1498). In September 1493 Alexander created his teenaged son Cesare a cardinal, along with Alessandro Farnese (the brother of the papal favourite Giulia la Bella and the future pope Paul III). 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 plan for the conquest of N… The Sultan's brother, a hostage, had actually been one of his court favorites. Suddenly the rumor spread that Cesare, the Pope's second son, was the author of the deed, and although the inquiries then ceased and no conclusive evidence has yet come to light, there is every probability that the charge was well founded. Even if we do not accept all the stories of his murders and poisonings and immoralities as true, there is no doubt that his greed for money and his essentially vicious nature led him to commit a great number of crimes. Crossing the Apennines at Cisa Pass, he…. Join Facebook to connect with Pope Alexander VI and others you may know. Upon his assassination Lucrezia received as a third husband Alfonso I d’Este, duke of Ferrara. Pope Alexander VI (Alejandro VI, or Alexander Sextus), born Roderic Llançol i de Borja (Castilian Spanish: Rodrigo Lanzol; 1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503) was pope (bishop of Rome) from August 11, 1492 until his death in August 18, 1503. On his return to Rome (June 1501) Cesare was created duke of Romagna. But the rest of the clan still held out, and the papal troops sent against them under Guidobaldo, duke of Urbino and the duke of Gandia, were defeated at Soriano (January 1497). It is difficult to salvage anything positive from Alexander's legacy. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his surname (Italianized as Borgia) became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. Contemporary chroniclers suggested that he may have been poisoned, either intentionally or accidentally. Both France and various Italian principalities represented real threats. His only success had been the capture of Ostia and the submission of the Francophile cardinals Colonna and Savelli. Pope Alexander VI - Slavery. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article He sought help from Charles VIII of France (1483–1498), who was allied to Ludovico "Il Moro" (the Moor, so called because of his swarthy complexion) Sforza, the de factoDuke of Milan, who needed French support to legitimise his rule. His position was menaced by the French king Charles VIII, who invaded Italy in 1494 to vindicate his claim to the Kingdom of Naples. He was born at Xàtiva, València, Spain, and his father's surname was Lanzol or Llançol; that of his mother's family, Borgia or Borja, was assumed by him on the elevation of his maternal uncle to the papacy as Pope Calixtus III (1455 –1458) on April 8, 1455. 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. The city swarmed with Spanish adventurers, assassins, prostitutes and informers; murder and robbery were committed with impunity, and the Pope himself shamelessly cast aside all show of decorum, living a purely secular and immoral life, and indulging in the chase, dancing, stage plays and indecent orgies. By a ruthless policy of siege and assassination, Cesare brought the north of Italy under his control; he conquered the duchies of Romagna, Umbria, and Emilia and earned the admiration of Niccolò Machiavelli, who used Cesare as the model for his classic on politics, The Prince. As he needed funds to carry out his various schemes, Alexander VI began a series of confiscations, of which one of the victims was his own secretary, in order to enrich him. Rodrigo was a skillful politician, and it didn’t take him long to accumulate enough wealth to rig a papal election. He embarked upon a reform of papal finances and a vigorous pursuit of the war against the Ottoman Turks. In 1435, Pope Eugene IV had issued an attack on slavery in his papal bull Sicut Dudum, which included the excommunication of all those who engaged in the slave trade. Pope from 1492 until 1503, Alexander VI is known as one of the most charismatic, but also one of the most corrupt and decadent, church leaders in history. Pope Alexander VI was the Spanish-born 214th Pope. Alexander also raised funds by creating and selling church positions to the highest bidder. Pope Alexander VIII (22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was Pope from 6 October 1689 to his death in 1691. in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. He proclaimed the year 1500 a Holy Year of Jubilee and authorized its celebration with great pomp. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This brought the latter into conflict with Alexander VI, who determined to revenge himself by making an alliance with the King's enemies, especially the Sforza family, lords of Milan. Rodrigo de Borja y Doms (Italian: Rodrigo Borgia) was the Spanish-born 214th Pope who was raised to the papal chair as Pope Alexander VI. The Venetian ambassador reported that the Alexander VI's body was "the ugliest, most monstrous and horrible dead body that was ever seen, without any form or likeness of humanity". Cesare resigned the cardinalate in 1498 and married Charlotte d’Albret in order to cement the Borgia alliance with the French king Louis XII, whose request for a marriage annulment was granted by the pope. [2] 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. Pope Alexander VI: A Spanish-born pontiff from the powerful Borgia family, Pope Alexander VI was infamous for his libertine behaviors and nepotism. Early life. His death was followed by scenes of wild disorder, and Cesare, himself apparently ill or poisoned but who survived, could not attend to business, but sent Don Michelotto, his chief bravo, to seize the Pope's treasures before the demise was publicly announced. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',167,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',167,'0','1']));eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'newworldencyclopedia_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_6',167,'0','2'])); Pope Alexander VI's career is not known for great political ideals and his actions generally do not indicate genius. In this era, it wasn’t too scandalous for high-ranking church officials to … cit.) He had those he saw as enemies poisoned. Finally his stomach and bowels bled profusely. After a short stay, the body was removed altogether from the crypts of Saint Peter's and finally installed in another less well known church. Burchard described how the Pope's mouth foamed like a kettle over a fire. The Borgias had a reputation for debauchery, wickedness, and general excess, characteristics resented by churchmen and laity alike. Quart. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life and achievements. He tried to collect troops and put Rome in a state of defence, but his position was most insecure, and the Orsini offered to admit the French to their castles. Alexander VI mediated great marriages for his children. eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'newworldencyclopedia_org-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',162,'0','0'])); Rodrigo Borgia studied law at Bologna. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'newworldencyclopedia_org-box-4','ezslot_3',170,'0','0'])); But in spite of the splendors of the court, the condition of Rome became every day more deplorable. The Tomb of Pope Alexander VII is a sculptural monument designed and partially executed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.It is located in the south transept of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.The piece was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII himself. Alexander did just that. Quart.Review, April, 1900.] But there was no end to the Vatican tragedies, and in July the duke of Bisceglie, whose existence was no longer advantageous, was murdered by Cesare's orders; this left Lucrezia free to contract another marriage. The bull authorized the conquest of barbarous nations as long as their peoples were evangelized. Burchard records that he had to jump on the body to jam him into the coffin and covered it with an old carpet, the only surviving furnishing in the room. Quart.Review, April, 1900.] In the course of his pontificate Alexander appointed 47 cardinals to further his complicated dynastic, ecclesiastical, and political policies. While still a teenager, Alexander was granted a title and income from the Roman Catholic Church by his uncle Alonso (later Pope Calixtus III). Alexander's rapidly decomposing body was shuttled around Rome before a team of workers pummeled his corpse into a too-small coffin. Perhaps one of the immediate legacies of this Pope's papacy was the Protestant Reformation, instigated in 1517 by Martin Luther for whom the wealth of the church and the conduct of its leaders was immoral. For this object he was ready to commit any crime and to plunge all Italy into war. He had annulled Lucrezia's marriage with Sforza in 1497, and, unable to arrange a union between Cesare and the daughter of Frederick, King of Naples (who had succeeded Ferdinand II the previous year), he induced the latter by threats to agree to a marriage between the duke of Bisceglie, a natural son of Alphonso II, and Lucrezia. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Noté /5. The office he held should have given the Catholic world spiritual leadership; instead, he used it to promote his family's interests and to show kings that earthly treasure is to be accumulated and enjoyed. He is one of the most controversial figures in the history of papacy. Shortly afterwards he induced Alphonso d'Este, son of the duke of Ferrara, to marry her, thus establishing her as heiress to one of the most important principalities in Italy (January 1502). Burchard recorded the events that surrounded the death of the Pope. Alexander VI had four children by his mistress (Vannozza dei Cattani), three sons and a daughter: Giovanni (1474), Cesare, Goffredo (or Giuffre) and Lucrezia Borgia. A promise of French help at once forced the confederates to come to terms, and Cesare by an act of treachery seized the ringleaders at Senigallia, and put Oliverotto da Fermo and Vitellozzo Vitelli to death (December 31, 1502). Emeritus Professor of Patristic Moral Theology, Academia Alfonsiana, Rome. According to Burchard, Alexander VI's stomach became swollen and turned to liquid, while his face became wine-colored and his skin began to peel off. That he obtained the papacy through simony was the general belief (Pastor, loc. 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. However, construction of the monument didn't start until 1671 and was completed in 1678, eleven years after the Pope's death. For many of his misdeeds his terrible son Cesare was responsible, but of others the pope cannot be acquitted. Pope Alexander VI (January 1, 1431 – August 18, 1503), born Rodrigo Borja (Italian: Rodrigo Borgia), Pope from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the Popes of the Renaissance, whose surname became a byword for low standards in the papacy of that era.More interested in wealth and power than in theology or spirituality, he was in reality a secular and not a religious leader. Alexander VI bought his way to the top of the Papacy and reigned as the most evil Pope in history. Pope Alexander VI natal chart (Placidus) natal chart English style (Equal houses) natal chart with Whole Sign houses. Pope Alexander VI (born Rodrigo Borgia) was an inspiring leader, defender, and tactician. Alexander did not pause to consider the rights of the Indians who already occupied America, just as he gave no thought to the poor of the world, although Jesus (whose vicar he claimed to be) called them "blessed.". Art, Music, Literature, Sports and leisure, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Alexander_VI&oldid=1018667, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Attempts to whitewash Alexander’s private conduct have proved abortive. Raphael, Michelangelo, and Pinturicchio all worked for him, as he and his family took great pleasure in the most exquisite works of art. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. But through the intervention of the Spanish ambassador he made peace with Naples in July 1493 and also with the Orsini; the peace was cemented by a marriage between the Pope's son Giuffre and Doña Sancha, Ferdinand II's granddaughter. cit.) Pope Alexander VI dispensing justice in artwork by Zacarías González Velázquez. The Banquet of Chestnuts (or Ballet of Chestnuts) was a fête in Rome, and particularly a supper purportedly held in the Papal Palace by former Cardinal Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI on 30 October 1501. Instead of focusing on spiritual matters, Alexander was more concerned with material wealth and earthly power. Alexander had shown great forbearance in dealing with the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, who usurped political control in Florence in 1494, condemned the evils of the papal court, and called for the pope’s deposition, and, even before the friar’s downfall in May 1498, theologians and men of affairs had expressed support for the papacy. His one thought was family aggrandizement, and while it is unlikely that he meditated making the papacy hereditary in the house of Borgia, he certainly gave away its temporal estates to his children as though they belonged to him. His son and daughter were also lovers. Three more high personages fell victim to the Borgia's 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, one of the family's most faithful assassins; all these murders brought immense sums to the Pope. AKA Rodrigo de Borja. Juan was murdered; Cesare's ruthlessness inspired Machiavelli's The Prince; Jofré was wed to an Aragonese princess who reportedly carried on affairs with his brothers; and Lucrezia was a central figure in Italian court intrigues. This defection forced the Pope to come to terms, and on the 31st of December Charles VIII entered Rome with his troops and the cardinals of the French faction. Corrections? Trouble began in 1494, however, after the death of King Ferdinand I of Naples (1423–1494; ruled 1458–94). He encountered the allies at the Battle of Fornovo, and after a drawn fight cut his way through them and was back in France by November; Ferdinand II was reinstated at Naples soon afterwards, though with Spanish help. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. Lucrezia had been promised to the Spaniard Don Gasparo de Procida, but on her father's elevation to the papacy the engagement was cancelled, and in 1493 she was married to Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, the ceremony being celebrated at the Vatican Palace with unparalleled magnificence. Find the perfect Pope Alexander Vi stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Although ecclesiastical corruption was then at its height, his riotous mode of life called down upon him a mild reprimand from Pope Pius II (1458– 1464), who succeeded Calixtus III in 1458 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. At a meeting of church officials held in August 1492, the sixty-one-year-old Borgia was elected pope. Alexander VI's elevation did not at the time excite much alarm, and at first his reign was marked by a strict administration of justice and an orderly method of government in satisfactory contrast with the anarchy of the previous pontificate, as well as by great outward splendor. After his uncle's election as Pope he was created successively bishop, Cardinal and vice-chancellor of the church, an act of nepotism characteristic of the age. Popes Alexander VI-VIII are really the fifth through seventh recognized popes by that name.). In 1493, in the wake of Christopher Columbus’s epochal discoveries, and at the request of Ferdinand and Isabella, Alexander issued a bull granting Spain the exclusive right to explore the seas and claim all New World lands lying west of a north-south line 100 leagues (about 320 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands. After Alexander's death, Cesare dispatched a gang of dagger-wielding henchmen to loot the papal residence. He still refused to support the king’s claim to Naples and, by an alliance with Milan, Venice, and the Holy Roman emperor, eventually forced the French to withdraw from Italy. As a patron of the arts, Alexander erected a centre for the University of Rome, restored the Castel Sant’Angelo, built the monumental mansion of the Apostolic Chancery, embellished the Vatican palaces, and persuaded Michelangelo to draw plans for the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica. At the time however, he was not considered as such and so the fifth true Pope Alexander took the official number VI. But few, if any, officially acknowledged their children. Catholic Church-Wikipedia. Alexander’s cause of death remains a mystery. Alexander VI hoped that Louis XII's help would be more profitable to his house than that of Charles VIII had been and, in spite of the remonstrances of Spain and of the Sforza, he allied himself with France in January 1499 and was joined by Venice. His goods were confiscated, his aged mother turned into the street and numbers of other members of the clan in Rome were arrested, while Giuffre Borgia led an expedition into the Campagna and seized their castles. He also promoted the evangelization of the New World. Pope Alexander VI Rodrigo de Borja. 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