Editing Pope Alexander VI (section)

=== Election to the papacy ===
{{Main|Papal conclave, 1492}}

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There was change in the constitution of the College of Cardinals during the course of the 15th century, especially under Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII. Of the 27 cardinals alive in the closing months of the reign of Innocent VIII no fewer than 10 were [[cardinal-nephew]]s, eight were crown nominees, four were Roman nobles and one other had been given the cardinalate in recompense for his family's service to the [[Holy See]]; only four were able career churchmen.<ref name="Burkle">{{cite web |url=http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/election-alexandervi.htm |title=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church – Papal elections – XV Century }}</ref>

On the death of [[Pope Innocent VIII]] on 25 July 1492, the three likely candidates for the [[Papacy]] were the 61-year-old Borgia,<ref name="Burkle" /> seen as an independent candidate, [[Ascanio Sforza]] for the Milanese, and [[Pope Julius II|Giuliano della Rovere]], seen as a pro-French candidate.
It was rumoured but not substantiated that Borgia succeeded in buying the largest number of votes and Sforza, in particular, was bribed with four mule-loads of silver.<ref>{{harvp|de Rossa|1989|p=144}}</ref> Mallett shows that Borgia was in the lead from the start and that the rumours of bribery began after the election with the distribution of benefices; Sforza and della Rovere were just as willing and able to bribe as anyone else.<ref>{{harvp|Mallett|1981|pp=123–126}}</ref> The benefices and offices granted to Sforza, moreover, would be worth considerably more than four mule-loads of silver. [[Johann Burchard]], the conclave's master of ceremonies and a leading figure of the papal household under several popes, recorded in his diary that the [[Papal conclave, 1492|1492 conclave]] was a particularly expensive campaign. Della Rovere was bankrolled to the cost of 200,000 gold [[ducat]]s by [[Charles VIII of France|King Charles VIII of France]], with another 100,000 supplied by the [[Republic of Genoa]].<ref name="Burchard">Johann Burchard, ''Diaries 1483–1492'' (translation: A.H. Matthew, London, 1910)</ref>

The leading candidates in the first ballot were [[Oliviero Carafa]] of Sforza's party with nine votes, and [[Giovanni Michiel]] and Jorge Costa, both of della Rovere's party with seven votes each. Borgia himself gathered seven votes. However, Borgia convinced Sforza to join with his camp through the promise of being appointed vice-chancellor as well as bribes that included benefices and perhaps four mule-loads of silver. With Sforza now canvassing for votes, Borgia's election was assured. Borgia was elected on 11 August 1492 and assumed the name of Alexander VI (due to confusion about the status of [[Pope Alexander V]], elected by the [[Council of Pisa]]). Many inhabitants of Rome were happy with their new pope because he was a generous and competent administrator who had served for decades as vice-chancellor.<ref>Hollingsworth 2014, p. 126</ref>