Feb 09 2009
Lucretia Borgia
Lucretia Borgia was born in 1480 as the daugher of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress. This was not an unusual event in Renaissance times. She had three brothers, the most notorious of them Cesare Borgia. Lucretia had a happy childhood, pampered and spoiled because of the great wealth of his father and by age 11 had already been engaged twice to be married in arranged marriages. None happened. By all accounts, Lucretia was very beautiful with thick, blonde hair which reached to her knees, hazel eyes and a natural grace, all physical ‘beauty ideals’ of the period.
When her father became Pope Alexander VI, her life changed dramatically and Lucretia became a pawn in her father’s power plays. He first married her to Giovanni Sforza to forge an alliance with the powerful Milanese family. When that alliance was no longer useful, Pope Alexander embarked on arranging a divorce which resulted much more difficult than anticipated. During this time, rumors and allegations spread about incestuos relationships between Lucretia and/or her brother Cesare. Of late, historians have come to the defence of Lucretia, pointing out that few of the rumors concerning this epitom of female viles and murderous femme fatale have a proven basis in history. After her divorce and being declared a virgin (although she had meanwhile given birth to a child) she was forced to marry Alfonso de Aragon. Again, rumors prevail, charging Cesare with his murder because he was jealous and wanted his sister all to himself, whilst Lucretia was truely fond of her husband.
Her third marriage to Alfonso d’Este took her to Ferrara, where she became a well respected and influential Duchess at the court, furthering the arts and literature and even taking on political responsibilities. She died in childbirth in 1519.
