While her brothers gained power through battles, Lucrezia would have to seduce her way to the top. Before she breathed her last, things would manage to get much, much worse. At the time, her father was just Cardinal Rodrigo Borgianot yet Pope Alexander VI. Was he truly Lucrezia Borgias lovechild, as many speculated? WebHe was deeply devoted to her and never really recovered his spirits after her death, soon after the stillbirth of a son, in 1837. The experts foretold this baby would have a remarkable life ahead of her. A notorious reputation precedes her, and she is inextricably, and perhaps unfairly, It looked like a typical accessory, until you realized that it contained a hollow cavity. A man named Michelotto Corella lead a group of warriors into Alfonsos chambers, where they proceeded to strangle the already-weak man. To keep her husband safe, she personally made all his meals to make sure no one could poison him. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Did Borgia sleep with his daughter? - Daily Justnow Its no surprise that men couldnt resist hereven when some of them should have stayed far, far away. This only bolstered the incest rumours. Of course, her hasty retreat only fuelled more rumors. She became the Governor of Spoleto in her own right, and in addition to the official chores she performed, Lucrezia also did far more scandalous work. 3.42 278 ratings28 reviews Lucrezia Borgia fights to save her husband from assasination by her powerful family 1497, Renaissance As the teenage daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia Borgia is a young noblewoman immersed in all the glamor of the Vatican Palace. [7] The pope asserted that his daughter's marriage had not been consummated and was thus invalid. Even Popes can be superstitious. Its a good thing she inherited her moms vixen gene. [3], After the death of Lucrezia's second husband, her father, Pope Alexander VI, arranged a third marriage. Little did they know, there would soon be a way bigger scandal to occupy them. His distress was exacerbated by the fact that none of the three children born to them survived birth. ````|201G?30b```>d /0.'c][@b7U5~ fe`g0 5O The problem was, he was a Cardinal, and Cardinals couldnt have [27] These physical attributes were highly appreciated in Italy during that period. Despite the haters, Lucrezia was still a great beauty. According to Mandell Creighton in his History of the Papacy, "Lucrezia was personally popular through her beauty and her affability. Talk about mommy issues. At her funeral in 1519, people saw the Duke weeping at the demise of his sweet companion.. After saying goodbye to her son Rodrigo in 1502, Lucrezia was distraught. Both Cesare and Lucrezia are alleged to have kept poison in a ring. 45 0 obj <>stream After Alfonsos violent end, Lucrezia was devastated by grief. [26], She is described as having heavy blonde hair that fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes that changed colour, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace that made her appear to "walk on air". He refused on the grounds that his syphilis was flaring, which may or may not have been a convenient excuse. Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to persuade Giovanni to agree to an annulment of the marriage. Some people suit their name perfectly. Syphilis affected many illustrious personages in the 15th and 16th centu- ry, such as the Kings of France, Charles VIII and According to lore, the infamous banquet involved 50 courtesans who crawled around and picked up chestnuts off the floor. It seems clear that syphilis, to which Donizetti himself later succumbed, was already taking its toll of his family. However, Giovanni Sforza also had to sign a contract saying that the marriage was never consummated because he was impotent. She was married off to Giovanni Sforza, an illegitimate son of Costanzo I Sforza. Change). The new Alfonso that her father had planned for her to marry was Alfonso dEste, Duke of Ferrara. She actively plots with her family to, as someone in The Godfather would say, take care of him., Despite her scandalous lineage, Lucrezia was kind of a nerd. The birth of this daughter was a hard one just like Lucrezias other ones, and, ten days after the birth, Lucrezia died on June 24th, 1519, at the age of 39. On a hot summer night in July of 1500, Alfonso climbed the steps that led to the Vatican. Well, what all sensible fathers do. Seriously, though, she just kept some poison in her ring to mix into peoples drinks, just in case she wanted someone out of her way. This time, the lucky groom was Alfonso of Aragon, the illegitimate son of the King of Naples. Shocker: The 13-year-old Lucrezia found little in common with her 27-year-old first husband Giovanni Sforza. In private, however, he suffers from an unspecified venereal disease (most probably syphilis), which his physician instructs him to medicate with mercury and opium; Juan soon becomes addicted to the latter, frequently visiting a Muslim-owned opium den. So, exactly how much was that dowry again? Thanks for your time! Thanks to rumors spread by Lucrezias early ex-husband, Sforza, people believed in the most scandalous possible option. Did One of Cesares final acts as Cardinal Headed by patriarch Rodrigo Borgiawho became Pope Alexander VIthe family was comprised of his four children: Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia, and Jofre, and they Cesare contracted syphilis at the age of 22, and had to wear a mask later in life to hide his disfigurement. Syphilis affected many illustrious personages in the 15th and 16th centu- ry, such as the Kings of France, Charles VIII and Francis I; the popes Alexander VI, Julius II and Leo X; Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, Erasmus of Rotterdam and Benvenutto Cellini, who, among oth- ers, survived syphilis without consequences1 . He therefore called off Lucrezia's previous eng Unfortunately, they were very wrong. He was considered the handsomest man in Italy, there were inevitably rumours of incest with his sister Lucrezia and he had syphilis from his early twenties. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Helena Maurya: The Greek Wife of IndiasEmperor, Musa of Parthia: Slave to Queen ofQueens, Elena Glinskaya: Powerful and PoisonedRegent, Amalasuntha: Wise Queen of theOstrogoths. Giovanni finally signed confessions of impotence and documents of annulment before witnesses. Following the murder of his brother in 1497, Cesare Borgia became the sole Borgia heir. The two ladies had a lot in common as intellectual patronesses of the Renaissance but alas, their friendship was not to be. Instead, Lucrezia ran an impressive court at her husbands place. The biggest testament to her intelligence is her capability in administration, as later on in life she took care of Vatican City correspondence and governance of Ferrara. Syphilis %PDF-1.6 % The child was named Giovanni, but is often mysteriously referred to as Infans Romanus, or the Roman child. As though all that wasnt enough scandal, Pope Alexander then did something that would solidify the controversy into historical fact. According to the gossip mill, while Lucrezia was trying to cope with her crumbling marraige, Pope Alexander tasked her with the daughterly duty of managing his orgies. Then a couple months later, when the Borgia family sniffed out a better option, they dumped Lucrezias first fianc and traded up. Giovanni went to stay with Lucrezia in Ferrara after Alexander's death, where he was accepted as her half-brother. She wouldve been happy to just sit around all day as Alfonsos widow, but her father had another Alfonso lined up to marry her, just two years after the other Alfonso died. Did Lucrezia Borgia have syphilis? Two papal bulls recognized the child as the illegitimate son first of Cesare, then of Alexander, who was probably the true father. Did Lucrezia Borgia have syphilis? The Borgia babys parentage stoked a huge debate in Rome, with the main possibilities playing out as follows. As part of Lucrezias Bad Girl of the Renaissance image, people would claim that her giving up Rodrigo was proof that she had an ice-cold heart. Lucrezia Borgia Alfonso and Lucrezia were fond of each other at first, and there was also the added benefit that Alfonso wasnt a weird old man. But when it comes to the Borgia clan, anything goes. Fair enough, Lucrezias future father-in-law was initially hesitant to wed his heir to Romes most scandalous widow. When word got out about Alfonsos brutal fate, the Roman people immediately began gossiping about the drama behind his demise. WebOlinda Bozn (21 June 1894 8 February 1977) was an Argentine film actress and comedian of the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (19401960). Lucrezia Borgia The other five passed away in infancy or childhood. Shortly after Lucrezia tried to go on vacation, she received some brutal news. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read?