Lucrezia Borgia

Death of Lucrezia Borgia

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Lucrezia Borgia has often been portrayed as depraved, extravagant, guilty of incest, a murderess and a schemer.

However there is in fact, insufficient proof of Lucrezia’s alleged bad acts, or her active involvement in the crimes of her notorious family....

Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18th April 1480 at Subiaco, near Rome.

Her mother was Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of the mistresses of Lucrezia's father, Cardinal Rodrigo de Borgia ~ later the infamous Pope Alexander VI.

Most educated women of her time, were educated at convents, but Lucrezia's education came from the intellectuals at the court, Adriana Orsini de Milan, a close confidant of her father, and her close relatives.

A thoroughly accomplished princess, she was fluent in Spanish, Catalan, Italian, and French, which prepared her for advantageous marriages to any European monarch or prince.

She was skilled in playing the lute, poetry, oration, and literate in both Latin and Greek.

The biggest testament to her intelligence, is her capability in administration, as later on in life she took care of Vatican City correspondence.

Reports say that Lucrezia was often left in charge of the papal court during her father’s absences from Rome ~ a unique measure of power for any woman.

This is in stark contrast to the depiction of Lucrezia, as the hapless pawn of her father and brother.

Lucrezia 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".

These physical attributes were highly appreciated in Italy, during the Renaissance period.

Another description said,

"her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and the bust is admirably proportioned."

One painting, Portrait of a Youth by Dosso Dossi at the National Gallery of Victoria, was identified as a portrait of Lucrezia in November 2008.

This painting may be the only surviving formal portrait of Lucrezia Borgia, however, doubts have been cast on that attribution.

Lucrezia's first marriage to Giovanni Sforza, ended in an annulment when the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas.

The pope asserted that his daughter's marriage had not been consummated, and was thus invalid.

Giovanni was 'persuaded' to agree to an annulment of the marriage.

Giovanni refused and accused Lucrezia of paternal incest.

Giovanni finally signed confessions of impotence, and documents of annulment were put before witnesses.

During the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia had a relationship with Pedro Calderon.

Families hostile to the Borgias, would later accuse her of being pregnant at the time her marriage was annulled for non-consummation.

A child was indeed born in the Borgia household, the year before Lucrezia's second marriage to Alfonso of Aragon.

He was named Giovanni Borgia.

Giovanni was recognized as Cesare's child, and some speculated he was the son of Pope Alexander VI.

Lucrezia's name is not mentioned as his mother, and rumours that she was, have never been proven.

Her second marriage, to Alfonso of Aragon, produced one child, Rodrigo of Aragon, who was born in 1499, and died in August 1512 at the age of 12.

Their marriage ended with Alfonso's death ~ probably at the hands of Cesare.

In 1501, Lucrezia married Duke Alfonso d’Este of Ferrara.

She had eight children during this marriage, and was considered a respectable and accomplished Renaissance duchess.

Rising above her previous reputation, and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death, she devoted herself to acts of piety and charity in her later years.

Despite the outward respectability of this marriage, neither partner was faithful.

In 1503, Lucrezia enjoyed a long relationship with her brother-in-law, Francesco II Gonzaga.

The affair between Francesco and Lucrezia was passionate, more sexual than sentimental, as can be attested in the fevered love letters the pair wrote one another.

It has been claimed that the affair ended when Francesco contracted syphilis, and had to end sexual relations with Lucrezia.

Lucrezia also had a love affair with the poet, Pietro Bembo, and their love letters were deemed "The prettiest love letters in the world" by the Romantic poet Lord Byron, when he saw them in the Ambrosian Library of Milan.

On the same occasion Byron claimed to have stolen a lock of Lucrezia's hair, that was also held there on display.

He cited it as~

"the prettiest and fairest imaginable"

After a long history of complicated pregnancies and miscarriages, on 14th June 1519 Lucrezia gave birth to her tenth child, named Isabella Maria.

The child was sickly, and died not long after the birth.

Lucrezia had become very weak during the pregnancy, and fell seriously ill after her daughter was born.

After seeming to recover for two days, she worsened again and died on 24th June 1519.

She was buried in the convent of Corpus Domini.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucrezia_Borgia

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

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Portrait of a Youth by Dosso Dossi, now identified as the only portrait of Lucrezia Borgia.