Lucrezia Borgia (Lust, Jealousy, Poison, and Murder) "The most hideous, the most repulsive, the most complete moral deformity". (Victor Hugo) A sister of the night and a scion of the most notorious family in Renaissance Europe, her life is mired in controversy. Did she kill at the behest of her father and brother? Did she kill out of feelings of jealousy and lust? Did she kill at all?
Lucrezia, maybe? During her lifetime she was much admired and much feared. That she was beautiful by the standards of her day there can be little doubt. It was said that her hair fell below her knees, that her eyes were hazel, and indeed changed colour, and that she had a natural grace as if walking on air. Her complexion was clear and beautiful. A courtier of the time, Niccolo Cagnolo, described her thus: "She is of middle height and graceful of form; her face is rather long, as is her nose; her hair is golden, her eyes grey, her mouth rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her bosom smooth, white, and admirably proportioned. Her whole being exudes gaiety and humour". Born in Subiaco, Italy, on 18 April, 1480, she was the illegitimate daughter of the Spanish nobleman, and at that time, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, and his long-time mistress Vanozza dei Cattanei. Her early life appears to have been idyllic. She was raised away from the family home by Adriana de Mila, a distant relative, under whose tutelage she blossomed, acquiring an inquisitive mind and love of the arts. Perhaps more significantly however, she was inculcated with the Borgia family loyalty. But this troubled her little as a young girl when it was said her greatest pleasure was dressing up. She and her friends would spend entire days just swapping and trying on new clothes. That she was vain is well documented and her golden hair she would bleach her whole life to maintain colour and lustre. Life was fun for Lucrezia, but all this was to change after her father Rodrigo bullied and bribed his way into the Papacy on 11 August, 1492. From this juncture on, Lucrezia became an asset and political pawn in the intricate machinations of Renaissance politics. Betrothed at the age of 11, the engagement was called off when the elevation of her father to Pope Alexander VI made the potential union politically inadequate. Similarly, another betrothal to the Spanish nobleman, Don Cherubin do Centelles, was cancelled; and a later marriage to Don Gasparo de Procida, annulled. At the age of just 12 she was being touted around the great families of Europe as her father sought the most politically advantageous union possible. But it
has been suggested that her father could not bear to see her leave. He doted on his pretty young daughter and their relationship was a close and intimate one. He had a secret entrance constructed that led from the Royal Palace to Lucrezia's bedchamber, and they spent a great deal of time in each other’s company. Likewise, her older brother Cesare, was besotted with his sister. She was equally besotted with her other brother, Juan. They were as a family inclusive, possibly even incestuously so, and Lucrezia was a part of that. Lucrezia was a frequent attendee at the notorious dinner parties thrown by the Borgia's that would often descend into drunken orgies. She liked to help organise them and enjoyed greeting the guests as they arrived. She was the perfect hostess, and it is from this time that she acquired the reputation that would blacken her name for all time. She had a ring, it was said, that was hollowed out in the middle and contained a phial of poison, and it was not unknown for a Borgia dinner party to be an unfortunate guests last supper. There is little evidence that Lucrezia played any part in this, but then there is little doubt that she would have done her family's bidding. In February, 1493, her father settled on Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro, as Lucrezia's future husband, and they were married in June of the same year. The marriage celebrations were extravagant and joyous, even if the marriage itself was not. It was a political marriage and as Sforza's diplomatic cachet diminished so did the marriage. Lucrezia had little time for her dullard husband and Cesare was jealous of the fact that someone was sleeping with his sister. Together they conspired to be rid of him. The family demanded that the marriage be annulled, but Giovanni refused, he loved his wife, he said, even if that love wasn't reciprocated. In fear for his life he fled Rome, accusing Lucrezia of having slept with both her brother and father. Lucrezia visited Giovanni in Pesaro and persuaded him to return with her to Rome. Back in Rome, and with Cesare threatening menacingly, he was bullied and coerced into signing the divorce papers, on the grounds of his impotency. By this time, despite her husbands apparent impotency, Lucrezia was six months pregnant. The Perotto Affair During the divorce proceedings, Lucrezia had to appear before the College of Cardinals to prove her virginity and thereby confirm Giovanni's impotency. This she did but very soon after was ushered back to the convent she had been exiled to while negotiations under way. Her stay at the convent, however, was anything but dull. She had been having an affair with a dark handsome young Spaniard, Pedro Calderon, a popular messenger of the Pope's, who went by the nickname, Perotto. It was his child that Lucrezia was carrying, or so he claimed. This was to be the notorious 'Roman Infant'. A new edition to the Borgia family whose origins are shrouded in mystery. The Vatican tried to muddle the issue. A public Papal Bull declared that the child was Cesare’s by an unknown mistress. A private Papal Bull discovered later declared the child to be Pope Alexander's. Perotto, who may have claimed the child to be his in order to protect Lucrezia, went missing. His body was later found washed up on the banks of the River Tiber. He had been murdered, as also had Lucrezia's maid, whose body was found nearby. The child, Lucrezia named, Giovanni. In July, 1497, tragedy struck the Borgia family when Lucrezia's brother Juan, was murdered. His body had been found floating in the Tiber riddled with stab wounds. Juan, who Lucrezia adored, had also been his father's favourite, and he had been showered with honours over and above those of his older and abler brother, Cesare. They both vied for their father's favour, and Cesare was insanely jealous. There is little doubt that Cesare was responsible for the murder of his own brother. Lucrezia certainly thought so and refused to remain silent on the issue. She was again sent to a convent until she learned to control her grief. Upon her return to Rome, Cesare took her under his wing. His unnatural affection for his sister now had no rivals, and she would often accompany him as he killed prisoners from the walls of the Vatican with a crossbow. She was now often seen in Cesare's presence. It did nothing for her reputation. On 21 July, 1498, Lucrezia was married yet again, this time to Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of
Bisceglie, a strikingly handsome young man, intelligent, sophisticated and charming. Even Cesare was impressed by his sister's new husband. But this admiration soon changed to intense hatred once he realised his sister had fallen in love. Lucrezia began to pay Cesare less and less attention and his jealousy began to eat away at him like a cancer. Considered handsome in his youth, Cesare's face had been scarred by sustained bouts of syphilis, and he now wore only black in mourning for the loss of his good looks and had taken on occasions to wearing a mask. Alfonso's handsome features only deepened his enmity. Aware of the peril he was now in Alfonso fled Rome for a time to avoid Cesare's wrath, but Lucrezia, now 6 months pregnant with his child, persuaded him to return. On the night of 15 July, 1500, Alfonso was attacked on the steps of St Peters, and was stabbed and beaten so severely he barely survived. Rescued by his attendants he was taken to his private chambers where Lucrezia and her sister-in-law Sancha, remained at his bedside slowly nursing him back to health. In the days that followed some of Alfonso's men tried to murder Cesare. He was ambushed in a crossbow attack but the assassination attempt failed. Cesare, was furious, and determined to finish the matter. On 18 August, he visited Alfonso in his bedchamber where he was heard to whisper into his ear, "What was not finished at breakfast, will be completed by dinner". Later that same night, Lucrezia and Sancha were lured away on a false pretence and ushered into a room where Alfonso's doctors were already being held. Left unattended and alone Alfonso was helpless. Michelotto, one of Cesare's more brutal henchmen, now entered the room and strangled him to death in his bed. An hysterical and utterly distraught Lucrezia could neither be calmed down nor reconciled to what had occurred. She was sent away from Rome to live in the town of Nepi in the Etruscan Hills. Truly devastated by the murder of the man she loved, her old Borgia family loyalty soon manifested itself. On 30 December, 1501, Lucrezia was married yet again. This time to Alfonso d' Este, heir to the Dukedom of Ferrara. His family initially declined the marriage proposal. Lucrezia's frightful reputation now went before her. But a dowry of 200,000 ducats, and the threat of war if they refused, soon persuaded them otherwise. Despite this unpromising start however, this was to turn out to be the happiest period of Lucrezia's life. She was full of trepidation about her welcome but her graciousness and charm soon won over the people of Ferrara. She had, it was said, a lovely nature. In 1505, the old Duke Ercole, died, and Lucrezia became Duchess of Ferrara, and at last free of her family, she was able to spend her time refurnishing the royal palace and cultivating court life. Largely ignored by her husband who was cold towards her, she surrounded herself with artists and poets, including Titian, and had numerous affairs. One of her lovers the, courtier Ercole Strozzi, was murdered on the orders of her furious husband. Lucrezia's reputation in Ferrara, however, remained a good one. She was seen as an able administrator, an impartial dispenser of justice, and a patron of the arts. In the last few years of her life Lucrezia was said to suffer from depression. She had not aged well, and for a woman who was always very conscious of her appearance and sensitive of her looks, this hurt a great deal. She was also prone to sustained periods of reflection and regret. She died on 24 June, 1519, from complications arising from a botched abortion. She was 39. Postscript Lucrezia's father, Pope Alexander VI, died on 18 August, 1503, after collapsing with a fever. Whilst still barely alive his body was stripped and robbed of its jewellery. Cesare, who suffered the same illness, survived, just, by stripping naked and immersing himself in a tub of ice cold water. They had both almost certainly been poisoned. Following the death of his father Cesare's power diminished. Imprisoned for 2 years and forced to cede his estates on pain of his release he fled to Spain. There on 12 March, 1507, fighting for his brother-in-law the Duke of Navarre, he was speared through the chest and killed.