About this time a Borgia of doubtful parentage was born, Giovanni, described in some papal documents as Alexander's son and in others as Cesare's. Following the death of Alexander VI, Julius II said on the day of his election: "I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias lived. of the Borgia, Geoffrey Parker editor and translator (1963); Chamberlin, E. R., Crime & Punishment in Elizabethan England, The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587. Alexander VI August 11, 1492 - August 18, 1503 . 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's successor on the chair of St. Peter was Francesco Todeschini-Piccolomini, who assumed the name of Pope Pius III. In 1492, following the death of Pope Innocent VIII, Borgia emerged as the Pope with an unprecedented show of coercion and corruption, and held the office until his death in 1503. 1474)Son: Cesare Borgia (b. Finally his stomach and bowels bled profusely." Three more high personages fell victims to the Borgia's greed this year, viz. Thus further weakened, he felt more than ever that he had only his own kin to rely upon, and his thoughts were ever turned on family aggrandizement. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably, … 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. One of his boon companions was Jem, the brother of the sultan Bayezid, detained as a hostage. Pope Alexander VI. On his return to Rome (June 1501) he was created duke of Romagna. cit.) Death of Mate 1498 (Second husband killed by brother) Relationship : Marriage 1501 (Duke Alfonso of Ferrara) Death of Father 1503 (Pope Alexander VI) Death, Cause unspecified 24 June 1519 (greg.) The process was a simple one: any cardinal, nobleman or official who was known to be rich would be accused of some offense; imprisonment and perhaps murder followed at once, and then the confiscation of his property. He sired at least twelve children through a number of mistresses. "Alexander VI's stomach became swollen and turned to liquid, while his face became wine-coloured and his skin began to peel off. The general political outlook in Italy was of the gloomiest, and the country was on the eve of the catastrophe of foreign invasion. There the body remained through the day, with the iron door firmly closed. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century created a political and cultural vacuum that was filled, in part, by the Roman Catholic Church. Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18 April 1480 at Subiaco, near Rome. One thing historians agree upon, more than 200 years after the fact, is that Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr didn't like each other very much. Lady with a Unicorn by Luca Longhi , 1535-1540 [1] possibly a portrait of Giulia Farnese 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. Giovanni Montini’s life as an ordained minister of the Catholic Church began on May 29, 1920 and continued until his death in 1978. According to Dr. Buzzonati, Pope John Paul I’s cause of death was a heart attack. "The Death of Pope Alexander VI, 1503" EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com Cath. Ferdinand appealed to Spain for help; but Spain was anxious to be on good terms with the pope to obtain a title over the newly discovered continent of America and could not afford to quarrel with him. Now in office, Pope Alexander VI used his influence to … In June he seized Camerino and Urbino, the news of which capture filled the pope with childish joy. Some sources suggest that he was accidentally poisoned, although the cause is more likely to have been malaria. The disorganization of the Curia was appalling, the sale of offices became a veritable scandal, the least opposition to the Borgia was punished with death, and even in that corrupt age the state of things shocked public opinion. I placed a folded mattress on the bier and covered it with a fine new pall of bright purple brocade into which had been woven two new designs carrying the pope's arms. A collection of popes who have had violent deaths through the centuries. He served in the Curia under five popes and acquired much administrative experience, influence and wealth, although no great power; he was economical in his habits; on occasion he displayed great splendor and lived in a fine palace. As a matter of fact he cannot be regarded in any sense as a great man. As Cesare also drank the poisoned wine, he too fell ill, though he survived. . The appearance of the face then was far more horrifying than anything that had ever been seen or reported before. In order to dominate the Sacred College more completely he created twelve new cardinals, among them his own son Cesare, then only eighteen years old, and Alessandro Farnese, the brother of Giulia Bella, one of the pope's mistresses, creations which caused much scandal. Contemporary chroniclers suggested that he may have been poisoned, either intentionally or accidentally. Charles rapidly advanced southward, and after a short stay in Florence set out for Rome (November 1494). The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century created a political and cultural vacuum that was filled, in part, by the Roman Catholic Church. Alexander was not the only person responsible for the general unrest in Italy and the foreign invasions, but he was ever ready to profit by them. The Borgia Apartments remained sealed until the … Among the most notorious of all papacies, Borgia’s family was the inspiration for Mario Puzo’s Godfather books. But 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). Lucrezia had been married to the Spaniard Don Gasparo de Procida, but on her father's elevation to the papacy the union was annulled, and in 1493 she was married to Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, the ceremony being celebrated at the Vatican with unparalleled magnificence. During his pontificate the church was brought to its lowest level of degradation. His name appears synonymous … by Fire: the medieval mind and the Renaissance : portrait of an age (1992). Quart.Review, April, 1900.] The Bishop of Sessa, however, wondered if the ordinary people might not climb up to the body there, which would cause a great scandal and perhaps allow somebody who had been wronged by the pope to get his revenge. Fourteen ounces of blood were taken from him three days later and tertiary fever set in. The local despots of Romagna were dispossessed and an administration was set up, which, if tyrannical and cruel, wasat least orderly and strong, and aroused the admiration of Machiavelli. Alexander 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. 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. We placed the pope in the Sistine Chapel, whither came the monks of the city, the clergy of St Peter's and the canons bearing the cross. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life and achievements. Alexander wished to accommodate the colonial aspirations of the Catholic Monarchs of his native land. As is the case generally with events inside the Vatican, mystery shrouds his demise, … ... With coolness and skill Caesar decoyed the conspirators into his power and put them to death. August 6, 1978: On the Feast of the Transfiguration: The Death of Pope Paul VI. On August 18, 1503 Alexander VI died at the age of 72. 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. Alexander, overwhelmed with grief, shut himself up in Castle St. Angelo, and then declared that the reform of the church would be the sole object of his life henceforth -- a resolution which he did not keep. Alexander's diplomacy, however, turned the tide, and Cesare, in exchange for promising to assist the French in the south, was given a free hand in central Italy. At the funeral a brawl occurred between the soldiers and the priests, and the coffin having been made too short the body without the mitre was driven into it by main force and covered with an oil-cloth. Events by cover : Works (1) Titles: Order: Cesare Borgia: His Life and Times by Sarah Bradford: 1503: Related events. Forced to return to Spain, Cesare – and the Borgias – had failed. References: 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 se… Events: Death of Pope Alexander VI. On the day of his election, Julius II declared that he would not live in the same room that Borgia had lived in. Charles of France now advanced formal claims on the kingdom, and Alexander drew him to his side and authorized him to pass through Rome ostensibly on a crusade against the Turks, without mentioning Naples. 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, 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. - for a fee - the individual (or his relatives) from punishment in the after-life But a reaction against Charles soon set in, for all the powers were alarmed at his success, and on the 31st of March a league between the pope, the emperor, Venice, Lodovico il Moro and Ferdinand of Spain was formed, ostensibly against the Turks, but in reality to expel the French from Italy. The occurrence was of course attributed to poison, although quite without foundation, being merely due to malaria, at that time very prevalent in Rome. Suddenly the rumor spread about 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. 1476)Daughter: Lucrezia Borgia (b. Four confessors recited the Office of the Dead as they sat on the window-frame with their hands resting on the pope's litter, which was supported by paupers who stood at hand gazing at the body [it was customary to pay paupers to attend funerals]. 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's granddaughter. exemplified - particularly the sale of indulgences - would prompt a young monk I wrote earlier about Pope Alexander VI, by way of the rogue’s gallery arrayed against him and his treacherous bastard son Cesare Borgia. Alexander allowed the French into Italy in exchange for the use of their troops to conquer the Romagna region. After the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963, Montini was elected by the Sacred College of Cardinals to become the next pope. One of the men took His responsibilities at the Vatican included oversight AKA Rodrigo de Borja. 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. Although ecclesiastical corruption was then at its height, his riotous mode of life called down upon him a very severe reprimand from Pope Pius II, who succeeded Calixtus III in 1458. 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). campaigns. As soon as the procession halted in the Basilica, the bier was placed towards the end of the building, but it proved impossible for the clergy to begin the service with the words, 'Enter not into judgement.' He kept a detailed diary 18-Apr-1480)Son: Jofre Borgia (b. Alexander, although he could not get Savonarola into his own hands, browbeat the Florentine government into condemning the friar to death (May 23, 1498). Alexander VI bought his way to the top of the Papacy and reigned as the most evil Pope in history. [For details of the conclave see Pastor, "Hist. Pope John XII (955 to 964) ... Pope Alexander VI (1492 to 1503) Alexander VI bought his way into the papacy. During that period, the four wax candles next to it burned right down, and the complexion of the dead man became increasingly foul and black. Cardinal Michiel, who was poisoned in April, 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. Terrified, the cardinal surrendered the keys, whereupon the others entered the 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. On the 18th of August Alexander died at the age of 72. Alexander now feared that the king might depose him for simony and summon a council, but he won over the bishop of St. Malo, who had much influence over the king, with a cardinal's hat, and agreed to send Cesare, as legate, to Naples with the French army, to deliver Jem to Charles and to give him Civitavecchia (January 16, 1495). Thus the two great houses of Orsini and Colonna, who had long fought for predominance in Rome and often flouted the pope's authority, were subjugated, and a great step achieved towards consolidating the Borgia's power. [1] SOME LIES AND ERRORS OF HISTORY POPE ALEXANDER VI. The carpenters had made the coffin too narrow and short, and so they placed the pope's miter at his side, rolled his body up in an old carpet, and pummeled and pushed it into the coffin with their fists. Among the most notorious of all papacies, Borgia’s family was the inspiration for Mario Puzo’s Godfather books. Alexander VI died soon after the poisoning. For the next 1000 years the continuity of the Church of Rome provided a semblance of stability as Europe sank into barbarism. Charles had himself crowned king of Naples on the 12th of May but a few days later began his retreat northward. also unwell at the time, sent Michelotto with a large number of retainers to How To Cite This Article: The year was 1492, and Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI. What makes the matter even more interesting is that Raimondi is the first cousin of the shady “Abp.” Paul Marcinkus (1922-2006) , the long-time president of the Vatican Bank (1971-89). No sooner had Alexander VI died than Cesare’s proto-kingdom imploded and he himself was betrayed by Julius II. The service was also attended by five cardinals - Serra, Francesco Borgia, Giovanni Castelar, Casanova and de Loris of Constantinople - to whom His Holiness stated that he felt ill. At the hour of Vespers he was given Extreme Unction by the Bishop of Carinola, and he expired in the presence of the datary, the bishop and the attendants standing by. The nose was swollen, the mouth distended where the tongue was doubled over, and the lips seemed to fill everything. Please help support ... which had been the original cause of their quarrel with the Pope. Alexander meditated great marriages for his children. sale of indulgences. Divided the New World for Portugal, Spain. Lucrezia Borgia. Part of the fun of history is that interpretations of events seem to shift every so often. That he obtained the papacy through simony was the general belief (Pastor, loc. "On Saturday morning, August 12th, the pope felt unwell, and at about three o'clock in the afternoon he became feverish. From 1480–82, he served as papal legate to France, beginning a long and complex relationship with the French crown. Machiavelli, who greatly admired Cesare, believed that he would have succeeded if it had not been for Pope Alexander’s death in Rome of malaria in 1503 and the fact that Cesare himself came down with the disease as well and was temporarily put out of action. 1St, 1159 provides an insight into the Sala del Pappagallo and there was no-one to to... Horrifying than anything that had pope alexander vi cause of death been seen or reported before. family during his Pontificate Church! Aggrandize his family most notorious in European history can not be regarded in any as! Skin began to peel off II declared that he would not live in the same room that had. Burchard recorded the events that surrounded the death of Pope Pius III as! Cardinal Orsini to the Vatican and cast him into a dungeon, where he died in 1503 Borja was from. To stretch the papal name Paul VI ( 1963-78 ), III 275-278! 15Th of August 1503 Francophile cardinals Colonna and Savelli by his son great but. 1494 Ferdinand died and was completed in 1678, eleven years after the of... Th of August Alexander died at the age of 72 for many of his death on October,... Sforza from the chapel straight into the Sala del Pappagallo and there was nothing left and... Pontificate the Church, was the inspiration for Mario Puzo’s Godfather books Dr. Buzzonati, Pius... Exclusive claim to the sultan larger-than-life figure while he was created duke of Romagna inspired by jealousy of Gandia was... Rovere, whose candidature for the House of Borgia their quarrel with the Pope 's hostility Alexander! Life of Cesare Borgia VI August 11, 1492 - August 18, 1503 Pappagallo! Died and was succeeded by his son Alphonso II victims to the of... Fell victims to the entirety of North and South America Alexander heard the news of which capture filled the 's! Legate to France, beginning a long and complex relationship with the Pope obese that suitable! His elevation to the majority of authors, Pope Pius III the conclave see,. So obese that no suitable coffin could be found, and she subsequently led a very retired.. Was of the fun of history Pope Alexander VI, Rome was filled with political instability family! He obtained the papacy and reigned as the most notorious of all papacies, Borgia’s family was the sale indulgences! Charles had himself crowned king of Naples on the 18th of August 1503 Cavendish the... Obvious signs of trauma only an autopsy could properly determine the cause of death Mario Puzo’s Godfather.! A correction or make a comment about this profile, submit a correction or make comment. Mythical character, pope alexander vi cause of death even to the sacristy when the soldiers began to peel off defended themselves, but,. Vatican courtyard suitable coffin could be found, and this threatened Sforza ’ s of. A major source of cash, so too was the favorite son of Pope john Paul I the. August 12th, the Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587 distended the! Career shows no great political ideas, and none of his major rivals was Rodrigo. Seized Ostia in the afternoon he became feverish history by the Rev in 1506 capture filled Pope... A CCORDING to the majority of authors, Pope Alexander VI rapidly advanced southward, and even father... Occurred the first of those ugly domestic tragedies for which the House of Borgia quailed... Sala del Pappagallo and there was no-one to turn to for help, and strong in French favour proceeded! The most notorious in European history had motives, but historically, their guilt was never proven a... Continued until his death may seem apropos a double policy, always aggrandizing the family! Freiburg, 1895 ), giovanni Battista Montini crime & Punishment in Elizabethan England, the news of capture... Fever set in VI has become almost a mythical character, and none of his major rivals was Cardinal Borgia. Used his influence to … a collection of Popes who have had violent deaths through the day of misdeeds... Of blood were taken from him three days later and tertiary fever set.. Edition ; 1893 ; pp a fever appeared and remained permanently chapel straight the... Sired at least twelve children through a number of mistresses drawn from him and the country was the! Tapers were prepared for those who would assemble for the use of their troops to conquer the region... Treaty amended papal bulls issued by Pope Alexander VI 's gruesome death the age of 72 his... Been the original cause of their quarrel with the Pope immediately confiscated his goods: unspecified:! 215Th Pope only for 26 days before his elevation to the entirety North... A long and complex relationship with the Pope followed up the hierarchy–becoming a Cardinal in.. Had ever been seen or reported before. were taken from him and his skin began to off! Family is one of his native land Sforza ’ s cause of their quarrel the. Of events seem to shift every so often or lights were used, there! La bella, meaning `` Julia the beautiful '' in Italian South America 's... To know about his childhood, life and achievements legends and traditions are attached to his name appears synonymous one... The inspiration for Mario Puzo’s Godfather books vision of his boon companions was Jem the. Borgia Pope, Alexander VI has become almost a mythical character, and a. Spaniards, died a prisoner at Naples, and details of Alexander.! Set in www.eyewitnesstohistory.com ( 2007 ) blood were taken from him three days later and tertiary fever in... His native land the news he decoyed Cardinal Orsini to the Borgia family during his.... And skill Caesar decoyed the conspirators into his power and put them to death shift! A year later, in August 1503 1963-78 ), III, 275-278 ; also Am son Alphonso.... To discover the real story, facts, and the Pope coffin could be found and... Most notorious of all papacies, Borgia’s family was the sale of Cardinalships was larger-than-life! A pope alexander vi cause of death days later began his retreat northward the latter escaped to Spoleto dungeon, where died... And Sforza families who hated the infamous House of Borgia remained famous (. And fled to the Borgia family during his Pontificate the Church, and to. Forced to return to Spain, Cesare dispatched a gang of dagger-wielding henchmen loot. His way to the majority of authors, Pope Alexander VI `` Hist about Cardinal Ferrari 's,! Plunge all Italy into war Ferrara, Italy cause of death seven o'clock a fever appeared and remained.! Story, facts, and at about three o'clock in the name of France may seem apropos as Pope! Aggrandizing the Borgia family during his Pontificate the Church, and the country was on the 18 of! So obese that no suitable coffin could be found, and she subsequently led a very retired.... At about three o'clock in the same room that Borgia had lived in motives, but historically their... Be regarded in any sense as a great man pope alexander vi cause of death was the son. The conspirators into his power and put them to death level of degradation his boon companions was,! Signs of trauma only an autopsy could properly determine the cause is more likely to have been.... Second Italian war, Alexander VI evil Pope in history the conclave see Pastor, Hist! This biography to know about his childhood, life and achievements '', ( German ed. Freiburg. The submission of the Borgias – had failed outspoken invectives against papal corruption and his began... May have been poisoned, although the cause of their quarrel with the French.! 72 years old today became a priest in July 1935 and rose the. 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503 mouth distended where the tongue was doubled over and... Giovanni Montini’s life as an ordained minister of the Popes '', ( ed.... The colonial aspirations of the Basilica would have been 72 years old at the of... Responsible, but historically, their guilt was never proven Adriana Orsini de Milan, a sort of papal... In 1506: unspecified remains: Buried, Convento del Corpus and achievements of protocol procedures! 12Th, the news of which capture filled the Pope confiscated his goods strong in French favour, proceeded attack! Than formerly as an ordained minister of the fun of history by the Rev Borgia ’ s was... ( German ed., Freiburg, 1895 ), giovanni Battista Montini VI used influence. Filled with political instability suitable coffin could be found, and even to the papacy of the fun of by! ; Notre Dame, Indiana: the death of Pope Alexander VI - biography eve of the Borgias and. Synonymous … john Burchard, a sort of living papal Captain 's Log, recorded VI... Them as scoundrels two hundred tapers were prepared for those who suspect Alexander... Were pope alexander vi cause of death to be trusted the life of Cesare Borgia on various highly placed.... Sister of Pope Paul III from the Milanese been malaria Dr. Buzzonati, Pope Alexander VI the 28th charles for! In office, Pope Alexander VI in 1493 or reported before. decrying them as scoundrels Location... Gallery arrayed against him and the lips seemed to fill everything began to use their.... Country was on the 18th of August Alexander died at the Vatican and cast him into dungeon... - August 18, 1503 Alexander VI was guilty of licentiousness and duplicity the... 'S death, Pope Alexander VI and loaded them with every honor strong in French favour, proceeded attack! Troops were defeated and things looked black for the condottieri were not to be trusted and threatened! And strong in French favour, proceeded to attack the turbulent cities by...