Lucrezia Borgia^[a] (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was anItalian noblewoman of theHouse of Borgia who was the illegitimate daughter ofPope Alexander VI andVannozza dei Cattanei. She was a former governor ofSpoleto.

Lucretia de Borgia
Duchess of Bisceglie Princess of Salerno Countess ofCotignola
Portrait byDosso Dossi which is purported to depict Lucrezia,c. 1518[1]
Duchess consort of Ferrara Modena and Reggio
Tenure	25 January 1505 – 24 June 1519
Lady consort of Pesaro and Gradara
Tenure	12 June 1493 – 20 December 1497
Born	18 April 1480 Subiaco,Papal States
Died	24 June 1519(1519-06-24) (aged 39) Ferrara,Duchy of Ferrara
Burial	Convent ofCorpus Domini, Ferrara
Spouse	Giovanni Sforza ​ ​ (m. 1493;ann. 1497)​ Alfonso of Aragon ​ ​ (m. 1498; died 1500)​ Alfonso d'Este ​ (m. 1501)​
Issue Detail	Rodrigo of Aragon Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara Ippolito d'Este Eleonora d'Este Francesco d'Este, Marquis of Massalombarda
House	Borgia
Father	Pope Alexander VI
Mother	Vannozza dei Cattanei

Her family arranged several marriages for her that advanced their own political position, includingGiovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro and Gradara, Count ofCotignola;Alfonso of Aragon, Duke ofBisceglie andPrince of Salerno; andAlfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples, and tradition has it that Lucrezia's brother,Cesare Borgia, may have had him murdered, after his political value waned.

Notorious tales about her family cast Lucrezia as afemme fatale, a controversial role in which she has been latter portrayed in many artworks, novels, and films.

Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18 April 1480 atSubiaco, nearRome.^[2] Her mother wasVannozza dei Cattanei, one of the mistresses of Lucrezia's father, Cardinal Rodrigo de Borgia (laterPope Alexander VI).^[3]

During her early life, Lucrezia Borgia's education was entrusted to Adriana Orsini de Milan, a close confidant of her father. Her education would primarily take place in the Palazzo Pizzo de Merlo, a building adjacent to her father's residence. Unlike most educated women of her time, for whom convents were the primary source for knowledge, her education came from within the sphere of intellectuals in the court and close relatives, and it included a solid grounding in theHumanities, which theCatholic Church was reviving, at the time. She was a thoroughly accomplished princess, fluent in Spanish,Catalan, Italian, and French, which prepared her for advantageous marriage to any European monarch or prince, and literate in bothLatin andGreek. She would also become proficient in the lute, poetry, and oration. The biggest testament to her intelligence is her ability in administration, as later on in life, she took care ofVatican City correspondence and governance ofFerrara.^{[citation needed]}

On 26 February 1491, a matrimonial arrangement was drawn up between Lucrezia and theLord ofVal D'Ayora, in theKingdom of Valencia, Don Cherubino Joan deCentelles (d. 1522). The arrangement was annulled, less than two months later, in favor of a new contract engaging Lucrezia to Don Gaspare Aversa, Count ofProcida (1476-1534).^[4] When Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI, he sought to be allied with powerful, princely families and founding dynasties of Italy. He, therefore, called off Lucrezia's previous engagements and arranged for her to marryGiovanni Sforza, a member of theHouse of Sforza who was Lord of Pesaro and titled Count of Catignola.^[5] Giovanni was an illegitimate son ofCostanzo I Sforza and, therefore, a Sforza of the second rank. He married Lucrezia on 12 June 1493 in Rome.^[3]

Before long, the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza, in the papal court, was superfluous. The Pope needed new, more advantageous political alliances, so he might have covertly ordered the execution of Giovanni: the generally accepted version is that Lucrezia was informed of this by her brother,Cesare, and she warned her husband, who fled Rome.^[6]

Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, CardinalAscanio Sforza, to persuade Giovanni to agree to an annulment of the marriage. Giovanni refused and accused Lucrezia of paternal incest.^[7] The pope asserted that his daughter's marriage had not been consummated and was, thus, invalid. Giovanni was offered her dowry, in return for his cooperation.^[8] The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection, should he refuse. Giovanni finally signed confessions of impotence and documents ofannulment, before witnesses.

There has been speculation that during the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia consummated a relationship with someone, perhaps Alexander's chamberlain Pedro Calderon (sometimes called Perotto).^[9] In any case, families hostile to the Borgias would later accuse her of being pregnant, at the time her marriage was annulled for non-consummation. She is known to have retired to the cloisteredConvent of Saint Sixtus in Vecchio where she was given sanctuary by theMother Superior in June 1497, to await the outcome of the annulment proceedings, which were finalized in December of the same year.

The bodies of Pedro Calderon^[9] and a maid, Pantasilea, were found in theTiber in February 1498. In March 1498, the Ferrarese ambassador claimed that Lucrezia had given birth, but this was denied by other sources. A child was born, however, in the Borgia household, the year before Lucrezia's marriage toAlfonso of Aragon. He was namedGiovanni but is known to historians as the "Infans Romanus.”

In 1501, twopapal bulls were issued, concerning the child, Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair, before his marriage. The second contradictory bull recognized him as the son of Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia's name is not mentioned in either, and rumours that she was his mother have never been proven. The second bull was kept secret, for many years, and Giovanni was assumed to be Cesare's son. This is supported by the fact that in 1502, he became Duke ofCamerino, one of Cesare's recent conquests, hence the natural inheritance of the Duke ofRomagna's oldest son. Giovanni went to stay with Lucrezia inFerrara, after Alexander's death, where he was accepted as her half-brother.^[10]

Following her annulment from Sforza, Lucrezia was married to theNeapolitanAlfonso of Aragon, the half-brother ofSancha of Aragon, who was the wife of Lucrezia's brotherGioffre Borgia. The marriage was a short one.^[3]

They were married in 1498, making Lucrezia the Duchess consort of Bisceglie and Princess consort of Salerno. Lucrezia, not her husband, was appointed governor ofSpoleto, in 1499; Alfonso fled Rome, shortly afterwards, but he returned at Lucrezia's request, only to be murdered in 1500.^[11]

It was widely rumoured^[12] that Lucrezia's brother, Cesare, was responsible for Alfonso's death, as he had recently allied himself (through marriage) with France, against Naples. Lucrezia and Alfonso had one child,Rodrigo of Aragon, who was born in 1499 and predeceased his mother, in August 1512, at the age of 12.^[3]

After the death of Lucrezia's second husband, her father, Pope Alexander VI, arranged a third marriage. Then, she marriedAlfonso I d'Este,Duke of Ferrara, in early 1502 inFerrara. She had eight children, during this marriage, and was considered a respectable and accomplished Renaissance duchess, effectively rising above her previous reputation and surviving the fall of the Borgias, following her father's death.^[13]

Neither partner was faithful: beginning in 1503, Lucrezia enjoyed a long relationship with her brother-in-law,Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua.^[14][15] Francesco's wife was the cultured intellectualIsabella d'Este, the sister of Alfonso, to whom Lucrezia had made overtures of friendship, to no avail. 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.^[16] It has been claimed that the affair ended, when Francesco contractedsyphilis and had to end sexual relations with Lucrezia.^[17] This last assertion is troublesome, as Francesco had contractedsyphilis before 1500, as it was known that he passed the disease onto his eldest son,Federico Gonzaga, who was born in 1500. Francesco did not meet Lucrezia until 1502.^[18]

Lucrezia also had a love affair with the poetPietro Bembo, during her third marriage. Their love letters were deemed "the prettiest love letters in the world" by theRomantic poetLord Byron, when he saw them in theAmbrosian Library ofMilan on 15 October 1816.^[19][20] On the same occasion, Byron claimed to have stolen a lock of Lucrezia's hair – "the prettiest and fairest imaginable"^[20] – that was also held there on display.^[21][22][23]

Lucrezia met the famed French soldier, theChevalier Bayard, while the latter was co-commanding the French allied garrison of Ferrara, in 1510. According to his biographer, the Chevalier became a great admirer of Lucrezia's, considering her a "pearl on this Earth".^[25]

After a long history of complicated pregnancies and miscarriages, on 14 June 1519, Lucrezia gave birth to her tenth child, which she named Isabella Maria, in honor of Alfonso's sister,Isabella d'Este. The child was sickly, and fearing she would die unbaptised, Alfonso ordered her to be baptized, immediately, with EleonoraPico della Mirandola and Count Alexandro Serafino as godparents.

Lucrezia had become very weak, during the pregnancy, and fell seriously ill, after the birth. After seeming to recover for two days, she worsened, again, and died on 24 June of the same year. She was buried in the convent ofCorpus Domini.^[26]

She is described as having heavyblonde 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".^[27] These physical attributes were highly appreciated, in Italy due to its parallel descriptions of the Roman goddess of arts,Minerva. Another description said, "her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and the bust is admirably proportioned."^[28]

One painting,Portrait of a Youth byDosso Dossi at theNational Gallery of Victoria, was identified as a portrait of Lucrezia in November 2008.^{[29][30][31][32][33]} This painting may be the only surviving formal portrait of Lucrezia Borgia; however, doubts have been cast on that attribution.^[34] Several other paintings, such asVeneto's fanciful portrait, have also been said to depict her, but none have been accepted by scholars, at present.

According toMandell Creighton in hisHistory of the Papacy:

"Lucrezia was personally popular through her beauty and her affability. Her long golden hair, her sweet childish face, her pleasant expression and her graceful ways, seem to have struck all who saw her."^[35]

Several rumours have persisted, throughout the years, primarily speculating as to the nature of the extravagant parties^[36] thrown by the Borgia family. One example is theBanquet of Chestnuts. Many of these allegations concern accusations of Lucrezia's involvement inincest, poisoning, and murder. For example, it was rumoured that Lucrezia was in possession of a hollow ring that she used to poison drinks. However, no historical basis for these accusations exists, beyond the attacks of her enemies.^[37][38]

A modern 20th-centuryBritish painting byFrank Cadogan Cowper that hangs in theTate Britain art gallery in London portrays Lucrezia taking the place of her father, Pope Alexander VI, at an officialVatican meeting. This apparently documents an event, although the moment depicted (aFranciscan friar kissing Lucrezia's feet) was invented by the artist.^[39]

Lucrezia was mother to seven or eight known children:

1. A miscarriage / stillborn daughter (16 February 1499);^[40]
2. Rodrigo of Aragon (1 November 1499 – August 1512), son by Alfonso of Aragon;^[41]
3. A stillborn daughter (1502), first child by d'Este;
4. Alessandro d'Este (1505–1505);
5. Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara (5 April 1508 – 3 October 1559);
6. Ippolito II d'Este (25 August 1509 – 1 December 1572).Archbishop of Milan and later Cardinal;
7. Alessandro d'Este (1514–1516);
8. Leonora d'Este (3 July 1515 – 15 July 1575), a nun and composer;
9. Francesco d'Este, Marquess of Massalombarda (1 November 1516 – 2 February 1578);
10. Isabella Maria d'Este (born and died on 14 June 1519).^[42] Complications at birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later.

Giovanni Borgia, "infans Romanus" ("Child of Rome,” c. 1498–1548) had his paternity acknowledged by Alexander and Cesare, in two Papal bulls, but it was rumoured that he was the child of Lucrezia and Pedro Calderon. The child (identified, in later life, as Lucrezia's half-brother) was most likely the result of a liaison betweenRodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father) and an unknown mistress and was not Lucrezia's child.^[43]

The Italian historianMaria Bellonci claims that Lucrezia gave birth to three children who did not survive infancy, one by Alfonso of Aragon and two by Alfonso d'Este. She is also thought to have had at least four miscarriages.^[44]

• F. M. Klinger's 1791 novelFausts Leben, Thaten und Höllenfahrt [de] features an episode in which the Borgias figure, including an affair betweenFaust and Lucrezia.
• French authorVictor Hugo wrote in 1833 the stage playLucrèce Borgia.
• Victor Hugo'splay was transformed into alibretto byFelice Romani forDonizetti's opera,Lucrezia Borgia (1834), first performed atLa Scala, Milan, 26 December 1833.^[45]
• In 1912,the British author Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long, who wrote under the pseudonymMarjorie Bowen, published a short story called "Twilight: Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess d'Este" — a fictional account of the last moments of Lucrezia Borgia's life.^[46]
• The Dutch writerLouis Couperus published a story called "Lucrezia" in 1920 that takes place between the death of her second husband and the marriage of her third.^[47]
• The 1947 historical novelPrince of Foxes bySamuel Shellabarger describes the adventures of the fictional Andrea Orsini, a captain in the service of Cesare Borgia, during his conquest of the Romagna; it was made into afilm of the same name in 1949, starringOrson Welles andTyrone Power.^[48]
• Jean Plaidy's two 1958 novelsMadonna of the Seven Hills andLight on Lucrezia follow the story of Lucrezia and her entanglement with her father and brothers.^[49]
• Lucrezia, Cesare and Alexander play key roles inCecelia Holland's 1979 historical novelCity of God: A Novel of the Borgias.^[50]
• InRoberta Gellis's 2003 novelLucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons (ISBN 9780765306616), Alfonso d'Este of Ferrara accuses Lucrezia of murder, and she must solve the crime and expose the true murderer.

• In theMarvel Comics comic bookAvengers West Coast No. 98 (September 1993), the demon Satannish resurrected Borgia as the supervillain Cyana. As a nod to her reputation for poisoning her lovers in life, Cyana could fatally poison people with sharpened nails or a kiss.^[51]
• The Family byMario Puzo; published October 2001ISBN 0-06-103242-5
• Gregory Maguire retells the story ofSnow White with Lucrezia as the woman who poisons her, in his novelMirror, Mirror; published October 2003ISBN 0-06-039384-X
• The Borgia Bride byJeanne Kalogridis; published 31 January 2005
• Kathleen McGowan refers to Lucrece, as one of the many unjustly vilified women, in her book The Expected One. She refers in particular to Frank Cadogan Cowper's painting "Lucretia Borgia Reigns in the Vatican in the Absence of Pope Alexander VI" on display at the Tate Gallery in London.^[52]
• Blood and Beauty bySarah Dunant;ISBN 1-443-40644-9;ISBN 978-1-44340-644-4; Harper Collins Publishers Ltd | 8 July 2013 |
• The Pope's Daughter byDario Fo, translated from Italian by Antony Shugaar;ISBN 978-1-60945-274-2. Translation copyright (c) 2015 by Europa Editions
• The Vatican Princess byC.W. Gortner; published 9 February 2016
• In the Name of the Family bySarah Dunant;ISBN 978-1-84408-746-4; Virago Press 2017
• 남편을 내 편으로 만드는 방법 (How to get my husband on my side) by Spice&Kitty (novel andmanhwa), 2021 (ongoing), includes references to her. For example, the main character is named Rudbeckia(Ruby) De Borgia, who is possessed by a transmigrator, and attempts to prevent the assassination attempt on the king's niece, Ellen De Omerta and her brother, Enzo De Borgia, by marrying into the De Omerta family in her brother's stead, to Iske/ Izek De Omerta. the main character also has an overly obsessive brother named Cesare which is the same name as one of Lucrezi Borgia's brothers.
• In thefictionalfantasy universeWarhammer Fantasy, the character Lucrezzia Belladonna is a reference to Lucrezi Borgia. Lucrezzia is known for having poisoned several of her former lovers.

• Lucrezia Borgia (1922) is based on the life of Lucrezia, who is played byLiane Haid.Cesare Borgia is portrayed byConrad Veidt.
• Lucrezia (Estelle Taylor) and Cesare (Warner Oland) Borgia are the major antagonists inAlan Crosland's 1926 silent filmDon Juan, starringJohn Barrymore.^[53]
• Lucrezia is the subject ofAbel Gance's filmLucrezia Borgia (1935)^[54] and ofa 1953 French film, played byMartine Carol.^[55]
• Lucrezia is theBride of Vengeance (1949), played byPaulette Goddard, withMacdonald Carey in the role of Cesare Borgia, andJohn Lund playing Alfonso d'Este (Duke of Ferrara).^[56][57]
• InWalerian Borowczyk's 1973 feature filmImmoral Tales, Lucrezia is played by Florence Bellamy.^{[citation needed]}
• In the Italian movieLucrezia giovane ("Young Lucrezia") that was written and directed in 1974 byLuciano Ercoli (as André Colbert), Lucrezia was played bySimonetta Stefanelli.^[58]
• In the 1981 BBC series,The Borgias, Lucrezia was played byAnne-Louise Lambert.^[59]
• In the 1982 feature filmThe Secret Nights of Lucrezia Borgia of directorRoberto Bianchi Montero, Lucrezia is played bySirpa Lane.^[60]
• She is featured as a major plot point in the 1994 TV movieThe Shaggy Dog.^[61] A portrait of her, along with a display case of her rings are featured in a local museum along with a legend that she had written spells to turn her lovers into dogs. The legend is revealed to be true as the main character accidentally casts one on himself while holding one of her rings and reading its inscription.
• In the pilot episode of theSyFy seriesWarehouse 13, a jeweled comb, purported to have been created for her by an alchemist, is used by an Iowa lawyer to hypnotize several individuals into causing acts of violence.^[62]
• In the video gameAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Lucrezia is in an incestuous relationship with her brother Cesare. She is taken hostage by the main character, Ezio Auditore, and reappears later, a changed woman.^[63]
• She is played byHolliday Grainger in the 2011–2013Showtime/Bravo TV seriesThe Borgias, which explores a theme of incest with Cesare, despite lack of historical evidence for such events.^[64] Her character is portrayed not as a ruthless murderer, but initially as a compassionate and sweet young girl who suffers from her family's ambitions, both struggling against and eventually aiding them.
• In theCanal+ television seriesBorgia, Lucrezia is portrayed by German actressIsolda Dychauk.^[65]
• In Season 1, Episode 7 of the television seriesThe Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman travel back in time to rescue Lucrezia's then-husband from being poisoned by her cooking.
• She is mentioned in Season 1, episode 1 ofMy Three Sons.
• In the 1989 BBC television seriesBlackadder Goes Forth, the title character makes an offhand comment about Lucrezia throwing a "wine and anthrax party", presumably referring to the rumours that persist around the Borgia families' extravagant parties.^[66]
• Martha Howe-Douglas played Lucrezia Borgia in an episode ofHorrible Histories which features a parody ofThe Addams Familytheme.

• English rock bandThe Sisters of Mercy reference Lucrezia as “Lucretia” in their 1988 singleLucretia My Reflection, released as the third and final single from their second studio album,Floodland.

• TheMegadeth song Lucretia, which appears on their 1990 albumRust in Peace, is inspired by Lucrezia Borgia.^[67]

• The Hatsune Miku & KAITO song "Cantarella" by Whiteflame is based on Lucrezia Borgia and her brother Cesare Borgia.

• Castello Borgia
• Felice della Rovere
• Route of the Borgias

• Rafael Sabatini wroteThe Life of Cesare Borgia,^[1] 1912, that attempts to treat the Borgias historically.
• Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love And Death in Renaissance Italy bySarah Bradford; Viking 2004;ISBN 0-670-03353-7
• Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography by Rachel Erlanger; 1978;ISBN 0-8015-4725-3
• Lucrezia Borgia byMaria Bellonci; Phoenix 2002;ISBN 978-1-84212-616-5
• The Borgias (1971) by Michael Mallett
• Lucretia Borgia (1874?) byFerdinand Gregorovius (Author); translated in 1903 by John Leslie Garner (Translator)
• The Borgias byChristopher Hibbert; Constable 2011;ISBN 978-1-84901-994-1
• The Borgias: The Hidden History byG.J. Meyer; Bantam Books 2013;ISBN 978-0-345-52692-2

• Lucrezia Borgia: The Family Tree in Pictures
• Lucrezia Borgia onIMDb
• Diario De Los Borja Borgia