The Borgias HISTORICAL PROFILES

The Borgias
Historical Profiles

Rodrigo Borgia	.. Cesare Borgia	Lucrezia Borgia
Also known as Pope Alexander VI, patriarch of the Borgia family and father to Cesare and Lucrezia.	Duke of Valentinois, son of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza del Cattanei.	Daughter of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei.

Juan Borgia	. Vannozza dei Cattanei	. Jofre Borgia.
Duke of Gandia, he was the eldest son of Rodrigo Borgia by Vannozza.	Mistress of Rodrigo, mother of Juan, Cesare, Lucrezia, and Joffre.	Prince of Squillace, he was the youngest son of Rodrigo Borgia by Vannozza del Cattanei.

Michelotto Corella . Companion and accomplice of Cesare Borgia. He is said to have strangled Alfonso of Bisceglie, 2nd husband of Lucrezia on Cesare's orders.	. . .Giulia Farnese . Another mistress of Rodrigo Borgia. Her hair was described as raven, lightened in the fashion of the time.Her daughter, Laura, may have been fathered by Rodrigo.	.Alfonso d'Este . Duke of Ferrara last of three husbands of Lucrezia Borgia, he was an ally of Louis XII of France and fought against Julius II.

.. Ascanio Sforza The powerful cardinal who helped sway the conclave of 1492 that elected Rodrigo Borgia, later enemy of Alexander VI.	Giuliano della Rovere . The future "Pape Terrible" Pope Julius II, and enemy of Rodrigo Borgia.	Francesco Piccolomini The Sienese cardinal who became the 26-day Pope Pius III after the death of Alexander VI.

Caterina Sforza The firey countess, called the Tiger of Forli and the Daughter of Perdition, who fiercely defended her fortress against Cesare Borgia, but ultimately lost everything.	Ludovico Maria Sforza The powerful Duke of Milan who intrigued with France and the Papacy to bring the King of Naples - his bitter enemy - to his knees.	Niccolo Machiavelli The famous philosopher, diplomat, Florentine Ambassador, poet, author, and playwright who spent many hours in the company of Cesare Borgia.

King Charles VIII of France The brazen young king of France who launched the first Italian War and invaded the Kingdom of Naples in 1494.	Girolamo Savonarola The doomsday preacher invited to Florence by the Medici who used fearmongering to further his aims in creating a Florentine theocracy	King Alfonso II of Naples The son of Ferrante I of Naples, Alfonso ruled his kindgom for only one year before he abdicated in favor of his son Ferrantino

Giovanni Sforza The first husband of Lucrezia Borgia. Their marriage was a union of the powerful house of Sforza with the pope, that ended infamously	Prince Djem (Cem) Prince Djem was half-brother to the Sultan Mehmet II who paid the pope to keep Djem prisoner at the Vatican. He was a pawn in the politics of the Borgia papacy	Piero de Medici Piero "the Unfortunate" was the heir and son of Lorenzo de Medici whose capitulations to the French invaders caused Florentines to oust him from de facto rule

Francesco Gonzaga Famed condottiere and ruler of the semi-independent marquisate of Mantua, husband of Isabella d'Este and admirer of Lucrezia Borgia	Isabella d'Este Cultured and fashionable consort of Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, daughter of Ercole d'Este, duke of Ferrara and grandaughter of King Ferrante I of Naples	Lorenzo de Medici Powerful member of Florence's ruling banker-merchant elite, expert statesman and diplomat - Lorenzo "il Magnifico" - was one of the greatest patrons of the Italian Renaissance

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