Borgia, Lucrezia (1480–1519)

Duchess of Ferrara, who has been known alternately as a monster, a pawn, a beauty, a loving mother, and a great patron of the arts. Name variations: Madonna Lucrezia; Lucrece Borgia. Pronunciation: Lu-CRE-jha BOR-jha. Born in Rome on April 18, 1480; died in childbirth in Ferrara, Italy, on June 24, 1519; daughter of Rodrigo Borgia (later named Pope Alexander VI) and Vannozza Cattanei; married Giovanni Sforza, in June 1493 (divorced 1497); married Alfonso di Biselli (Alphonso of Aragon), in 1498 (killed, 1500); married Alfonso I d'Este (1476–1534), 3rd duke of Ferrara and Modena, in November 1501; children: (second marriage) Rodrigo di Biselli (1499–1512); (third marriage) Ercole II (1508–1559), 4th duke of Ferrara and Modena (who marriedRenée of France ); Cardinal Ippolito II (1509–1572); Alessandro (1514–1516);Eleonora d'Este (1515–1575); Francesco d'Este (1516–1578).

Cattanei, Vannozza (1442–1518)

Italian noblewoman. Name variations: Vanozza dei Catanei; Rosa Vanozza. Probably born in Mantua in 1442; died on November 26, 1518; buried in Santa Maria del Populo with the highest honors; mistress of Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) from c. 1468–1482; married Domenico d'Arignano (an officer of the church); married Giorgio san Croce (an Apostolic clerk and Venetian scholar), in 1480 (died 1486); married Carlo Canale (a protégé of the Gonzaga family), in 1486; children: (with Rodrigo Borgia) Cesare (1475–1507); Juan I (1476–1497), 2nd duke of Gandia;Lucrezia Borgia (1480–1519); Geoffredo also known as Joffré (1482–1517); (second marriage) Ottaviano.

Because of her long and loving relationship with Rodrigo Borgia, Vannozza Cattanei lived in comfort. She saw her children of this union often but did not live with them. Except for short periods, she was married to others and lived a dignified and conventional life away from Rodrigo. During her marriage to Giorgio de Croce (1480–46), she lived in an imposing house in Rome, next to Rodrigo's, in Piazza Pizzo di Merlo. The house, which faced the piazza, was light and sunny, with many rooms, and her beloved garden. When Giorgio died, Vannozza remarried and went to live in Piazza Branca in the Arenula district. A large bequest to the Brotherhood of the Gonfalonieri ensured a splendid funeral when she died in 1518, age 76. "They decided to honor her 'with a proud and splendid monument,' writes Rachel Erlanger , 'and to celebrate a yearly mass on the anniversary of her death, as well as other ceremonies 'for the purpose of commending her soul's salvation to God.' For some unknown reason, the monument was never erected, but the masses were sung for over two hundred years, after which the soul of Vannozza was left to fend for itself."

sources:

Erlanger, Rachel. Lucrezia Borgia: A Biography. NY: Hawthorn, 1978.

Few people in history have achieved the level of notoriety that Lucrezia Borgia accumulated during her lifetime and for centuries afterwards. Born into a powerful and dangerous family, Lucrezia survived many scandals and intrigues before she finally made a place for herself at the court of Ferrara. Rumors begun by the rivals and gossips of her era survived well into the 19th century, providing a basis for Victor Hugo's play, Lucrece Borgia, and Gaetano Donizetti's opera by the same name. In those fictional accounts, Lucrezia Borgia is represented as a murderer and sexual fiend. Early in the 20th century, however, historians began working out the complicated details of her life. Biographies written in the 1930s and 1940s offer a more sympathetic representation of Lucrezia Borgia.

She was born on April 18, 1480, to Vannozza Cattanei and Rodrigo Borgia, who was then an acting cardinal in Rome. Vannozza was the favored mistress of the cardinal, and he used his position to make sure she was well cared for, providing her with a well-to-do husband and a large home on the Piazza Pizzo di Merlo. Vannozza had four children with Rodrigo; besides Lucrezia, there were Cesare, Juan, and Joffré. Like many others born to cardinals and bishops at this time, the children were raised with all the privileges of royalty. Each could look forward to a fairly secure position later in life and had the potential to gain great power. Lucrezia was to be a highly valued marriage partner, and several noble families would have been pleased to align themselves with the powerful Rodrigo Borgia by arranging a marriage with his daughter. …