Lucrezia Borgia

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Lucrezia Borgia bigraphy, stories - Italian noblewoman

Lucrezia Borgia : biography

18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519

Lucrezia Borgia ( ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia.

Lucrezia’s family later came to epitomize the ruthless Machiavellian politics and sexual corruption alleged to be characteristic of the Renaissance Papacy. Lucrezia was cast as a femme fatale, a role she has been portrayed as in many artworks, novels, and films.

Very little is known of Lucrezia, and the extent of her complicity in the political machinations of her father and brothers is unclear. They certainly arranged several marriages for her to important or powerful men in order to advance their own political ambitions. Lucrezia was married to Giovanni Sforza (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie), and Alfonso I d’Este (Duke of Ferrara). Tradition has it that Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples and that her brother Cesare may have had him murdered after his political value waned.

Early life

Lucrezia Borgia was born at Subiaco, near Rome. Her mother was Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of the many mistresses of Lucrezia’s father Rodrigo Borgia, who is better known as Pope Alexander VI.

Issue

Lucrezia was mother to seven or eight known children:

  • Giovanni Borgia, "infans Romanus" ("Child of Rome", c. 1498–1548). The child’s paternity was acknowledged by both Alexander and Cesare in two separate Papal bulls, but it was rumoured that he was the child of Lucrezia and Perotto. The child (identified in later life as Lucrezia’s half-brother) was most likely the result of a liaison between Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia’s father) and an unknown mistress and was not Lucrezia’s child.sarah Bradford: Lucrezia Borgia, Penguin Group, 2004, p. 68 and 114
  • Rodrigo of Aragon (1 November 1499 – August 1512). Son by Alfonso of Aragon.
  • Ercole II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara (5 April 1508 – 3 October 1559).
  • Ippolito II d’Este (25 August 1509 – 1 December 1572). Archbishop of Milan and later Cardinal.
  • Alessandro d’Este (1514–1516).
  • Leonora d’Este (3 July 1515 – 15 July 1575). A nun.
  • Francesco d’Este, Marquess of Massalombarda (1 November 1516 – 2 February 1578).
  • Isabella Maria d’Este (born and died on 14 June 1519). Complications at birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later.

At least one biographer (Maria Bellonci) claims that Lucrezia gave birth to three more children, one by Alfonso of Aragon and two by Alfonso d’Este, who did not survive infancy. She is also thought to have had at least four miscarriages.

Lucrezia is claimed to be the ancestress of many notable people, including American Civil War general P.G.T. Beauregard.Frances P. Keyes, Madame Castel’s Lodger, pp. 40–41. She is a collateral relative of most of the royal families of modern Europe including that of the United Kingdom. Through her granddaughter Anna d’Este, Duchess of Guise and later Duchess of Nemours, Lucrezia is the ancestress of Juan Carlos I of Spain; Albert II of Belgium; Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg; as well as the Count of Paris and the claimants to the Thrones of Portugal, Austria, Bavaria, Brazil, Parma, Saxony and the Two Sicilies.

Appearance

She is described as having heavy blonde hair which fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes which changed colour, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace which made her appear to "walk on air";George R. Marek The Bed and the Throne: the Life of Isabella d’Este, Harper & Row, 1976, ISBN 978-0-06-012810-4 p. 142 these were the physical attributes that were highly appreciated in Italy during that period. Another description said that "her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and the bust is admirably proportioned".The Times Arts section page 14, 31 January 2011