The background: Italy isn’t unified but is instead a collection of warring papal states, duchies, kingdoms and republics.
The scene: Renaissance Italy. Corruption. Incest. Extravagance. Excess. Poison. Sex. Seduction. Privilege. Ruthless political intrigue. Illegitimate children. Depravity. Blackmail. Bribery. Nepotism. (And that was just on a quiet day.)
This is the tale of a fifteenth-century Italian woman born into the real-deal of a crime family, a woman whose name continues to spark controversy and interest long after her death. Was she an innocent pawn, used ruthlessly by her social climbing, politically ambitious family? A family whose escapades would make life at the ‘Sopranos’ house look like afternoon tea at a convent? Or was she a willing participant in their scurrilous schemes and plotting, a cold-hearted poisoner of rivals, a heartless harlot? The truth may be somewhere in between.
The beautiful Lucrezia was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, who also provided siblings in the form of Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia and Gioffre Borgia. Lucrezia wasn’t brought up by her mother, instead living in the household of Adriana daMila, a cousin of her father.
Engaged twice before the age of 12, Lucrezia’s first political marriage of alliance was to Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro in 1493. Fifteen years older than Lucrezia, poor Giovanni was urged to bed his wife in front of the Borgias and his own family in order to prove his manhood. In 1497, when the relationship was no longer politically expedient for the Borgia family, the marriage was annulled on the basis of non-consummation.
However someone definitely consummated something because Lucrezia, sent to a convent during the annulment, had an illegitimate son called Giovanni, hidden from public view until he was 3.
Italian society went into overdrive, taking wild guesses at the paternity of the child. Rumours of incest raged, not helped by the Papal Bulls issued on the matter, the first stating Giovanni’s father as Cesare, Lucrezia’s brother, the second Bull then awarding paternity to her own father, Rodrigo. The likely actual father, Pedro Perotto Calderon, a servant in Pope Alexander’s household, was found drowned in the River Tiber.
Lucrezia’s second marriage in 1498, also for her family’s political gain, was to Alfonso V of Aragon, Prince of Naples and Duke of Bisceglie. That liaison didn’t end so well either; brother Cesare strangled him.
There were also the feverish whispers of Lucrezia’s adroitness at poisoning enemies (she allegedly had her own bespoke ring to store the stuff), and her scandalous involvement in events of legendary sexual excess, such as the Banquet of the Chestnuts on 30 October 1501, an orgy at the Palace of Rome for nobles and senior members of the Catholic Church, complete with courtesans and prostitutes, all organised (naturally) by the Borgia family.
Marriage number three occurred in 1502, this time to Afonse d’Este, Prince of Ferrarra. This was a case of third-time lucky; although they both had affairs, it was a happy marriage producing four children.
Pope Alexander would die in 1503, providing some respite for Lucrezia from her family’s all-consuming political machinations. When Afonse’s father died, he and Lucrezia would become the Duke and Duchess of Ferrara. She would turn to patronage of the arts and religion in the latter years of her life.
Lucrezia died at the age of 39 from pureperal fever following the birth of a daughter, who also died. She is buried in the convent of Corpus Domini.