Borgia Family

Borgia Family

▪ Italian family
Spanish  Borja,  

      descendants of a noble line, originally from Valencia, Spain, that established roots in Italy and became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 1400s and 1500s. The house of the Borgias produced two popes and many other political and church leaders. Some members of the family became known for their treachery.

      Four Borgias became especially noteworthy in a historical sense. Alfonso de Borgia (1378–1458) established the family's influence in Italy and became Pope Calixtus III in 1455 (see Calixtus III). Rodrigo Borgia became a cardinal of the Roman Catholic church and, later (1492), Pope Alexander VI (see Alexander VI under Alexander [Papacy]). As cardinal and pope, Rodrigo fathered a number of children by his mistress Vannozza Catanei. Cesare Borgia (Borgia, Cesare, Duc De Valentinois) (q.v.; c. 1475/76–1507), son of Rodrigo, achieved political power while ruthlessly attempting to establish a secular kingdom in central Italy. Lucrezia Borgia (Borgia, Lucrezia) (q.v.; 1480–1519), a daughter of Rodrigo and a patron of the arts, became famous for her skill at political intrigue.

      The family produced many other persons of lesser importance. One, St. Francis Borgia (Borgia, Saint Francis) (1510–1572), a great-grandson of Rodrigo, was canonized. The family began to decline in the late 1500s. By the middle of the 18th century it had disappeared.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Borgia family — /ˈbɔdʒə/ (say bawjuh), /ˈbɔʒə/ (say bawzhuh) noun a noble family originally from Valencia, Spain, of considerable influence in church and political life in Renaissance Italy. 1. Alfonso de /ælˈfɒnzoʊ deɪ/ (say al fonzoh day), 1378–1458, founder… …  

  • Borgia, Lucrezia — born April 18, 1480, Rome died June 24, 1519, Ferrara, Papal States Italian noblewoman. The daughter of the future pope Alexander VI and sister of Cesare Borgia, she was probably more an instrument for their ambitious projects than, as has been… …   Universalium

  • Borgia — noun 1. Italian pope whose nepotism put the Borgia family in power in Italy (1378 1458) • Syn: ↑Calixtus III, ↑Alfonso Borgia • Instance Hypernyms: ↑pope, ↑Catholic Pope, ↑Roman Catholic Pope, ↑pontiff, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Borgia Apartment — The Borgia Apartment is a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.AboutThe Borgia Apartment was adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrígo de Borgia). In the late 15th century, he commissioned the Italian painter… …   Wikipedia

  • Borgia, Cesare, Duc De Valentinois — ▪ Italian noble Introduction Italian  Duca Valentino   born c. 1475, /76, probably Rome [Italy] died 1507, near Viana, Spain       natural son of Pope Alexander VI. He was a Renaissance captain who, as holder of the offices of duke of the Romagna …   Universalium

  • Borgia — Wappen der Borgia Die Borgia (italienisch) oder Borja (spanisch und katalanisch) waren eine aus Spanien (genauer: der heutigen Autonomen Region Valencia) stammende Adelsfamilie. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Borgia —    Spanish noble family, originally named Borja. The election of Alfonso de Borja as Pope Calixtus III (1455 1458), the first Spanish pope, made the family s fortune and attracted its leading members to Italy since Pope Calixtus relied on his… …   Historical Dictionary of Renaissance

  • Borgia, Nepotism —    Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia, sister and brother, were members of an unscrupulous family in which compassion and humane behavior played no part. There is little doubt in the minds of historians that they committed many murders, usually by… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • Lucrezia Borgia — This article is about the historical person. For the biographical opera, see Lucrezia Borgia (opera). Lucrezia Borgia is also the name Buffalo Bill gave to his gun. Lucrezia Borgia (April 18, 1480 June 24, 1519) was the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia …   Wikipedia

  • House of Borgia — The Borgias or Borjas were an Italian noble family of Spanish origin remembered today for their corrupt rule of the Papacy during the Renaissance. They are in fact thought to be history s first criminal family , and a forerunner to the Italian… …   Wikipedia

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