Editing Cesare Borgia (section)

===Diaconate===
Cesare was initially groomed for a career in the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Following school in [[Perugia]] and [[Pisa]], Cesare studied law at the ''Studium Urbis'' (today as the [[Sapienza University of Rome]]). He was made Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela|Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela]] (aged 15) and Archbishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valencia in Spain|Valencia]] (aged 17). In 1493, he had also been appointed bishop of both [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Albi|Castres]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Perpignan-Elne|Elne]]. In 1494, he also received the title of abbot of the [[abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa]].<ref>{{66 PHPC}}</ref> Along with his father's elevation to Pope, Cesare was made [[Catholic Cardinal|Cardinal]] at the age of 18.<ref name="xvfywc" />
[[File:Coat of arms of Cesare Borgia.svg|thumb|The [[coat of arms]] of Cesare Borgia as [[Duke of Valentinois]] and [[Duke of Romagna]] and [[Captain-General of the Church]].]]
Alexander VI staked the hopes of the Borgia family on Cesare's brother [[Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandia|Giovanni]], who was made captain-general of the military forces of the papacy. Giovanni was assassinated in 1497 under mysterious circumstances. Several contemporaries suggested that Cesare might have been his killer,<ref>Spinosa, ''La saga dei Borgia''</ref> as Giovanni's disappearance could finally open to him a long-awaited military career and also solve the jealousy over [[Sancha of Aragon]], wife of Cesare's younger brother, [[Gioffre Borgia|Gioffre]], and mistress of both Cesare and Giovanni.<ref>Rendina, ''I capitani di ventura''</ref> Cesare's role in the act has never been clear. However, he had no definitive motive, as he was likely to be given a powerful secular position, whether or not his brother lived. It is possible that Giovanni was killed as a result of a sexual liaison.<ref>Michael de la Bedoyere, ''The Meddlesome Friar and the Wayward Pope'', p. 20, Quote: "Next morning the absence of the Duke was noticed by his servants, and the Pontiff was informed. He was not too worried for, as Burchard says, Alexander jumped to the conclusion that his son had spent the night with some girl and preferred to avoid the indiscretion of leaving by day. It may be mentioned in passing that this touch, as with many others one comes across, hardly squares with the general view that the Pope, his family and those around him were without shame. Juan was a dissolute young man and not a churchman, yet Alexander presumed on a discretion more in keeping with later times."</ref>

On 17 August 1498, Cesare resigned from the cardinalate, in order to pursue a military career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Today in Catholic History|url=http://catholicunderthehood.com/2010/08/17/today-in-catholic-history-cesare-borgia-resigns-from-the-cardinalate/|publisher=Catholic Under the Hood|access-date=29 December 2012|date=17 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802191653/http://catholicunderthehood.com/2010/08/17/today-in-catholic-history-cesare-borgia-resigns-from-the-cardinalate/|archive-date=2 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=December 2019}} On the same day, [[Louis XII of France]] named Cesare [[Duke of Valentinois]]. This random title was selected as being homophonous with his nickname ''Il Valentino'' ("The [[Kingdom of Valencia|Valencian]]"), derived from his father's papal epithet in Latin ''Valentinus'' ("The [[Kingdom of Valencia|Valencian]]")<ref name="valentinus">See inscription on 5 Ducat piece of his father Pope Alexander VI "Alexander VI Pontifex Maximus Borgia Valentinus" ("The Valencian", his epithet indicating his birth in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the [[Crown of Aragon]] (now Spain)</ref> indicating his birth in Xàtiva in the [[Kingdom of Valencia]] under the [[Crown of Aragon]], and along with Cesare's former position as Cardinal of Valencia. On 6 September 1499, he was released from all ecclesiastical duties and [[Loss of clerical state|laicised]] from his diaconal orders (because he only was ordained deacon on 26 March 1494 and never received other major orders as [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|priesthood]] and [[Bishops in the Catholic Church|bishop consecration]]<ref name="CH">{{Catholic-hierarchy|bishop|bdeborjac|Mister César de Borja (Borgia)|6 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="miranda2">{{Cite web|title=Consistory of Friday September 20, 1493 (II) Celebrated at the Apostolic Palace, Rome|url=https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios1493.htm#Borgia|access-date=7 August 2022|website=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church}}</ref>).