Cardenal cesar borgia biography

His objective was Naples, over which he had a distant hereditary claim. On his march south he encountered little Italian resistance. Only after the Italians organized the military League of Venice, which threatened to cut his overextended supply lines, did Charles withdraw, and by French troops had evacuated Italy. Immediately after Charles's withdrawal, papal forces turned upon the great Roman baronial families, especially the Orsini, who had helped Charles because of their opposition to the election of Alexander VI.

Cesare's brother Giovanni commanded the papal militia during this period. Saddled with the mundane duties of a cleric, Cesare envied Giovanni's more cardenal cesar borgia biography military career. Several parties might have been involved in the mysterious murder, but many historians hold Cesare responsible since the death was of political advantage to him.

Cesare now saw the possibility of being dispensed from his clerical duties and of assuming his brother's secular titles, wealth, and position as military leader of the Borgias and the papacy. Unfortunately, the Spanish king, Ferdinand V Ferdinand of Aragonopposed the practice of releasing a cardinal from his office for political purposes.

Thus Alexander could not release his son without angering the Spanish, his protectors against the French. However, in November France and Spain reached a truce in which they agreed to divide Naples. Since France was no longer Spain's enemy, Alexander could now approach the French king for help in seeking Cesare's release from the cardinalate.

Louis XIIwho had become king in April on the death of Charles, agreed to support Cesare's release in return for papal approval of the dissolution of his marriage. Alexander granted this request and thus became allied with France. In August he released Cesare from his clerical offices. In February Louis gave Cesare command of a company of French cavalry.

Having agreed to the Franco-Spanish partition of Naples, Louis planned an invasion of southern Italy. Milan lay on the supply route between France and Naples and was of strategic importance. In return for his services, Louis XII placed this French force at his disposal, and Cesare used it in his first attempt to capture the Romagna for Alexander.

Like all popes, Alexander claimed dominion over the Romagna on the basis of the Donation of Pepinwhich included the Romagna. Cesare's campaign went well. Before it was completed, however, Louis ordered the French force back to defend Milan from a counterattack by Lodovico Sforza, and Cesare's invasion of the Romagna ended in January By Cesare had received all he desired: a reputation as a military leader, secular estates, and a wife.

But the Borgias had paid a high price for Cesare's ambitions; by allying themselves with France they had lost the friendship and protection of the Spanish king. Since Cesare had acquired estates and a wife in France, he was determined to maintain the papal alliance with the French. To that end he ordered the murder of the husband of his sister Lucrezia, the Neapolitan nobleman Alfonso, Duke of Bisceglie.

In Augustwhile recuperating from an earlier assassination attempt, Alfonso was strangled in the papal apartments. Alfonso's murder in Borgia-controlled Rome angered the Neapolitans and the Spanish and thus ended the possibility of Alexander's return to the old alliance. Between October and August Cesare seized other territories in the Romagna.

During this second campaign Louis and Ferdinand of Aragon signed the Treaty of Granada Novemberwhich formalized their agreement to partition Naples. In June Cesare began his third and final campaign in the Romagna, and by December he had captured the entire area for the Pope. Cesare's religious vocation was never strong, and he gained a reputation at the papal court for his womanizing, lavish clothing, and hunting parties.

However, Giovanni was assassinated inunder mysterious circumstances, and several contemporaries suggested that Cesare was his killer. With a military career now open to him and his father in need of a trusted captain, on August 17,Cesare became the first person ever to resign as cardinal. Cesare's alliance with Francereinforced during the course of the Italian Wars, helped lay the foundation for his military political career, as did his father's ability to distribute patronage in ways that favored Cesare.

Cesare's French marriage also secured the assistance of France in Alexander's plan not only to regain control in the rebellious areas of the Papal States but also to create a permanent political domain for the house of Borgia. Cesare's first important victory came in support of Louis XII who had invaded Italy, inin an effort to press his claims against those of Ferdinand I of Spain regarding the kingdoms of Milan in the north and Naples to the south of Rome.

As captain general of the papal army, Cesare accompanied Louis in his victorious entrance into Milan. Alexander now moved toward the creation of a Borgia domain in northern Italy. Ingifts to the pope associated with the creation of 12 new cardinals gave Alexander enough money to hire the forces of the powerful condottieri mercenary leaders Vitellozzo Vitelli, Gian Paolo Baglioni, Giulio and Paolo Orsini, and Oliverotto da Fermo.

Under Cesare's command, these forces served to renew the cardenal cesar borgia biography to expand the Papal States in Romagna. Cesare's forces went from victory to victory. Giovanni Sforza, the former husband of Cesare's sister Lucreziawas soon ousted from Pesaro. Pandolfo Malatesta lost Rimini. In MayCesare was created duke of Romagna.

Cesare now moved to add the lordship of the western seaport town of Piombino in Tuscany to his new lands. While his condottieri managed the siege of Piombino, Cesare commanded the French troops in the sieges of Naples and Capua south of the Papal States. On June 24,his troops successfully stormed Capua, causing the fall of the Spanish power in southern Italy.

In Junehe set out for the region of Marche on Italy's east coast, southeast of Romagna, where he was able to capture the towns of Urbino and Camerino without a fight. Like many aspects of Cesare Borgia's life, the date of his birth is a subject of dispute.

Cardenal cesar borgia biography: Cesare Borgia (September 13, – March

The Borgia family originally came from the Kingdom of Valenciaand rose to prominence during the midth century. The Italian historian Stefano Infessura writes that Cardinal Borgia falsely claimed Cesare to be the legitimate son of another man—Domenico d'Arignano, the nominal husband of Vannozza dei Cattanei. More likely, Pope Sixtus IV granted Cesare a release from the necessity of proving his birth in a papal bull of 1 October Cesare was initially groomed for a career in the Roman Catholic Church.

Inhe had also been appointed bishop of both Castres and Elne. Inhe also received the title of abbot of the abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa. Alexander VI staked the hopes of the Borgia family on Cesare's brother Giovanniwho was made captain-general of the military forces of the papacy. Giovanni was assassinated in under mysterious circumstances.

Several contemporaries suggested that Cesare might have been his killer, [ 7 ] as Giovanni's disappearance could finally open to him a long-awaited military career and also solve the jealousy over Sancha of Aragonwife of Cesare's younger brother, Gioffreand mistress of both Cesare and Giovanni. However, he had no definitive motive, as he was likely to be given a powerful secular position, whether or not his brother lived.

It is possible that Giovanni was killed as a result of a sexual liaison. On 17 AugustCesare resigned from the cardinalate, in order to pursue a military career. On 6 Septemberhe was released from all ecclesiastical duties and laicised from his diaconal orders because he only was ordained deacon on 26 March and never received other major orders as priesthood and bishop consecration [ 12 ] [ 13 ].

Cesare's career was founded upon his father's ability to distribute patronage, along with his alliance with France reinforced by his marriage with Charlotte d'Albretsister of John III of Navarrein the course of the Italian Wars. At this point, Alexander decided to profit from the favourable situation and carve out for Cesare a state of his own in northern Italy.

To this end, he declared that all his vicars in Romagna and Marche were deposed. Though in theory subject directly to the pope, these rulers had been practically independent or dependent on other states for generations. In the view of the citizens, these vicars were cruel and petty. When Cesare eventually took power, he was viewed by the citizens as a great improvement.

Cesare was appointed commander of the papal armies with a number of Italian mercenaries, supported by cavalry and 4, Swiss infantry sent by the king of France. Despite being deprived of his French troops after the conquest of those two cities, Borgia returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph and to receive the title of Papal Gonfalonier from his father.

In the creation of twelve new cardinals granted Alexander enough money for Cesare to hire the condottieri, Vitellozzo VitelliGian Paolo BaglioniGiulio and Paolo Orsini, and Oliverotto Euffreducciwho resumed his campaign in Romagna. In May the latter was created duke of Romagna. Hired by Florence, Cesare subsequently added the lordship of Piombino to his new cardenal cesars borgia biography.

While his condottieri took over the siege of Piombino which ended inCesare commanded the French troops in the sieges of Naples and Capuadefended by Prospero and Fabrizio Colonna. On 24 JuneBorgia's troops stormed the latter to end the siege of Capua. In Junehe set out for Marche, where he was able to capture Urbino and Camerino by treason. He planned to conquer Bologna next.

However, his condottierimost notably Vitellozzo Vitelli and the Orsini brothers Giulio, Paolo and Francescofeared Cesare's cruelty and set up a plot against him. The fact that his subjects had enjoyed his rule thus far meant that his opponents had to work much harder than they would have liked. He eventually recalled his loyal generals to Imola, where he waited for his opponents' loose alliance to collapse.

Cardenal cesar borgia biography: Cesare Borgia (born c. /76,

Cesare called for a reconciliation, but imprisoned his condottieri in Senigalliathen called Sinigaglia, a feat described as a "wonderful deceiving" by historian Paolo Giovio[ 14 ] and had them strangled. In he conquered the Republic of San Marino. Although he was an immensely capable general and statesman, Cesare had trouble maintaining his domain without continued papal patronage.

Machiavelli argued that, had Cesare been able to win the favour of the new Pope, he would have been a very successful ruler. The news of his father's death in arrived when Cesare was planning the conquest of Tuscany. While he was convalescing in Castel Sant'Angelo from an attack of malarial fever likely contracted on the same occasion when Alexander contracted his fatal illnesshis troops controlled the September papal conclave.

Borgia's deadly enemy, Giuliano Della Roverethen succeeded by dexterous diplomacy in tricking the weakened Cesare Borgia into supporting him by offering him money and continued papal backing for Borgia policies in the Romagna; promises which he disregarded upon his election as Pope Julius II by the near-unanimous vote of the cardinals in the October papal conclave.

Realizing his mistake by then, Cesare tried to correct the situation in his favour, but Pope Julius II made sure of its failure at every turn. Cesare was for example forced by Julius to give up San Marinoafter occupying the republic for six months. In the early morning of 11 Marchan enemy party of knights fled from the castle during a heavy storm.

Cardenal cesar borgia biography: Cesare Borgia (13 September –

Outraged at the ineffectiveness of the siege, Borgia chased them, only to find himself on his own. The party of knights, discovering that he was alone, trapped him in an ambush, where he received a fatal injury from a spear. He was then stripped of all his luxurious garments, valuables, and a leather mask covering half his face disfigured, possibly by syphilisduring his late years.

The death of his father ended his own career. Gravely ill at the time that his father died inhis political enemies, led by pope Julius II, were able to seize and imprison him. Exiled to Spain, inhe escaped from a Spanish prison two years later and joined his brother-in-law, King Jean d'Albret of Navarre. Serving Navarre as a soldier, he died at the siege of Viana inat the age of thirty-one.

Cesare Borgia was greatly admired by Niccolo Machiavelli, who knew him personally.