Editing Cesare Borgia

{{short description|Late 15th-century Italian nobleman and Catholic cardinal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Cesare Borgia
| image              = Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois.jpg
| image_upright      = 
| alt                = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption            = Profile portrait of Cesare Borgia in the [[Palazzo Venezia]] in Rome, {{c.|1500–1510}} inscription<br/>{{small|CAES[AR] · BORGIA · VALENTINV[S]}}<ref name="valentinus"/>
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| pronunciation      = 
| birth_name         = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date         = 13 September 1475
| birth_place        = [[Subiaco, Lazio|Subiaco]], [[Papal States]] (now [[Italy]])<ref name="birth">{{cite web |language= it |url= https://www.studiarapido.it/cesare-borgia-detto-il-valentino/ |title= Cesare Borgia, detto Il Valentino |website= Studia rapido |date= 5 September 2014 |access-date= 4 July 2020 |archive-date= 1 December 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171201055939/http://www.studiarapido.it/cesare-borgia-detto-il-valentino/amp/ |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name= "Sacerdote1950">{{Cite book|first=Gustavo|last=Sacerdote| language = it	 | title= Cesare Borgia. La sua vita, la sua famiglia, i suoi tempi |year=1950|publisher= Rizzoli|location=Milano}}</ref>
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=y|1507|3|12|1475|9|13}}
| death_place        = [[Viana, Spain|Viana]], [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]] (now [[Spain]])
| death_cause        = 
| burial_place      = Iglesia de Santa María (Viana)
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| nationality        = 
| other_names        = 
| education          = 
| occupation         = 
| years_active       = 
| known_for          = 
| title = {{Collapsible list
 | title = ''See list''
 | 1 = [[Captain General of the Church]]
 | 2 = [[Gonfalonier of the Church]]
 | 3 = [[Duke of Valentinois]]
 | 4 = [[Duke of Romagna]]
 | 5 = [[Duke of Urbino]]
 | 6 = [[Duke of Camerino]]
 | 7 = Prince of [[Andria]]
 | 8 = Prince of [[Venafro]]
 | 9 = [[Count of Diois]]
 | 10 = [[Lord of Piombino]]
}}
| opponents          = 
| spouse             = [[Charlotte of Albret]]
| partner            = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) -->
| children           = {{ubl|[[Louise Borgia]]|Girolamo Borgia ''ill.''|Camilla Lucrezia Borgia ''ill.''|''9 others'' ''ill.''}}
| parents            = {{ubl|[[Pope Alexander VI]]|[[Vannozza dei Cattanei]]}}
| relatives          = 
| family             = [[Borgia]]
| module             = 
| signature          = 
| signature_size     = 
}}
'''Cesare Borgia'''{{efn|{{IPA|it|ˈtʃeːzare ˈbɔrdʒa, ˈtʃɛː-|lang|small=no}}; {{langx|ca-valencia|Cèsar Borja}} {{IPA|ca-valencia|ˈsɛzaɾ ˈbɔɾdʒa|}}; {{langx|es|link=no|César de Borja}} {{IPA|es|ˈθesaɾ ðe ˈβoɾxa|}}.}} (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)#Cardinal_deacons|cardinal deacon]] and later an [[Italians|Italian]] ''[[condottieri|condottiero]]''. He was the illegitimate son of [[Pope Alexander VI]] of the [[Aragonese people|Aragonese]] [[House of Borgia]] and was a sibling to [[Lucrezia Borgia]].

After initially entering the Church and becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the papacy, he resigned his diaconal profession after the death of his brother in 1498. He was employed as a ''condottiero'' for King [[Louis XII of France]] around 1500, and occupied both [[Milan]] and [[Naples]] during the [[Italian Wars]]. At the same time, he carved out a state for himself in [[Central Italy]], but he was unable to retain power for long after his father's death. His quest for political power was a major inspiration for ''[[The Prince]]'' by the renowned [[Florence|Florentine]] historian, [[Niccolò Machiavelli]].<ref>{{Citation | last = Machiavelli | first = Niccolò | title = The Prince | via = Google books | page = 33 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ehzOd8DVlNkC&pg=PA33 | chapter = VII| date = 15 May 2010 | publisher = University of Chicago Press | isbn = 9780226500508 }}.</ref>

==Early life==
{{See also|House of Borgia}}
[[File:Cesare Borgia as child (by Bernardino di Betto Pinturicchio).jpg|thumb|left|upright|A purported depiction of Cesare as a young boy, painted by Bernardino di [[Pinturicchio]].]]
Like many aspects of Cesare Borgia's life, the date of his birth is a subject of dispute. He was born in [[Subiaco, Lazio|Subiaco]], [[Papal States]] (now in [[Lazio, Italy]]).<ref name="birth" /><ref name="Sacerdote1950" /> in either 1475 or 1476, the illegitimate son of Cardinal Roderic Llançol i de Borja, usually known as "Rodrigo Borgia", later [[Pope Alexander VI]], and his Italian mistress [[Vannozza dei Cattanei]], about whom information is sparse. The [[Borgia]] family originally came from the [[Kingdom of Valencia]], and rose to prominence during the mid-15th century. Cesare's great-uncle Alphonso Borgia (1378–1458), bishop of Valencia, was elected [[Pope Callixtus III]] in 1455.<ref name="xvfywc">Herfried Münkler and Marina Münkler, ''Lexikon der Renaissance'', Munich: Beck, 2000, pp. 43ff.{{in lang|de}}</ref> Cesare's father, Pope Alexander VI, was the first pope who openly recognized his children born out of wedlock.

The Italian historian [[Stefano Infessura]] writes that Cardinal Borgia falsely claimed Cesare to be the legitimate son of another man—Domenico d'Arignano, the nominal husband of Vannozza dei Cattanei. More likely, [[Pope Sixtus IV]] granted Cesare a release from the necessity of proving his birth in a [[papal bull]] of 1 October 1480.<ref>Sabatini (pp. 45, 48), citing the supplement to the Appendix of Thuasne's edition of Burchard's ''Diarium''</ref>

==Career==

===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>).

===Military===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2012}}
Cesare's career was founded upon his father's ability to distribute patronage, along with his alliance with France (reinforced by his marriage with [[Charlotte d'Albret]], sister of [[John III of Navarre]]), in the course of the [[Italian Wars]]. Louis XII invaded Italy in 1499; after [[Gian Giacomo Trivulzio]] had ousted its duke [[Ludovico Sforza]], Cesare accompanied the king in his entrance into [[Milan]].{{cn|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Cesare Borgia eng.png|alt=Map of Cesare Borgia's Duchy of Romagna|thumb|right|Cesare Borgia's domains mapped. Sources are in the image's description.]]
At this point, Alexander decided to profit from the favourable situation and carve out for Cesare a state of his own in northern Italy. To this end, he declared that all his vicars in [[Romagna]] and [[Marche]] were deposed. Though in theory subject directly to the pope, these rulers had been practically independent or dependent on other states for generations. In the view of the citizens, these vicars were cruel and petty. When Cesare eventually took power, he was viewed by the citizens as a great improvement.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

Cesare was appointed commander of the papal armies with a number of Italian mercenaries, supported by 300 cavalry and 4,000 Swiss infantry sent by the king of France. Alexander sent him to capture [[Imola]] and [[Forlì]], ruled by [[Caterina Sforza]] (mother of the Medici ''condottiero'' [[Giovanni dalle Bande Nere]]). Despite being deprived of his French troops after the conquest of those two cities, Borgia returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph and to receive the title of [[Gonfalonier of the Church|Papal Gonfalonier]] from his father. In 1500 the creation of twelve new cardinals granted Alexander enough money for Cesare to hire the ''condottieri,'' [[Vitellozzo Vitelli]], [[Gian Paolo Baglioni]], [[Giulio Orsini|Giulio]] and [[Paolo Orsini (condottiero, born 1450)|Paolo]] Orsini, and [[Oliverotto Euffreducci]], who resumed his campaign in Romagna.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

[[Giovanni Sforza]], first husband of Cesare's sister [[Lucrezia Borgia|Lucrezia]], was soon ousted from [[Pesaro]]; [[Pandolfo IV Malatesta|Pandolfo Malatesta]] lost [[Rimini]]; [[Faenza]] surrendered, its young lord [[Astorre III Manfredi]] being later drowned in the [[Tiber]] by Cesare's order. In May 1501 the latter was created duke of Romagna. Hired by Florence, Cesare subsequently added the lordship of [[Piombino]] to his new lands.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

While his ''condottieri'' took over the siege of Piombino which ended in 1502, Cesare commanded the French troops in the sieges of Naples and [[Capua]], defended by [[Prospero Colonna|Prospero]] and [[Fabrizio Colonna]]. On 24 June 1501, Borgia's troops stormed the latter to end the siege of Capua.

In June 1502, he set out for Marche, where he was able to capture [[Urbino]] and [[Camerino]] by treason. He planned to conquer [[Bologna]] next. However, his ''condottieri'', most notably Vitellozzo Vitelli and the Orsini brothers (Giulio, Paolo and Francesco), feared Cesare's cruelty and set up a plot against him. [[Guidobaldo da Montefeltro]] and [[Giovanni Maria da Varano]] returned to Urbino and Camerino, and [[Fossombrone]] revolted. The fact that his subjects had enjoyed his rule thus far meant that his opponents had to work much harder than they would have liked. He eventually recalled his loyal generals to Imola, where he waited for his opponents' loose alliance to collapse. Cesare called for a reconciliation, but imprisoned his ''condottieri'' in [[Senigallia]], then called Sinigaglia, a feat described as a "wonderful deceiving" by historian [[Paolo Giovio]],<ref>Rendina, p. 250.</ref> and had them strangled. In 1503 he conquered the [[San Marino|Republic of San Marino]].<ref name="Paul Joseph 2017">Paul Joseph ''The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives: Volume IV'', 2017, p. 1511.</ref>

==Later years and death==
Although he was an immensely capable general and statesman, Cesare had trouble maintaining his domain without continued papal patronage. [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] cites Cesare's dependence on the goodwill of the papacy, under the control of his father, as being the principal disadvantage of his rule. Machiavelli argued that, had Cesare been able to win the favour of the new Pope, he would have been a very successful ruler. The news of his father's death in 1503 arrived when Cesare was planning the conquest of [[Tuscany]]. While he was convalescing in [[Castel Sant'Angelo]] from an attack of [[malaria]]l fever (likely contracted on the same occasion when Alexander contracted his fatal illness), his troops controlled the [[September 1503 papal conclave]].<ref name=Meyer>{{cite book|title=The Borgias: The Hidden History|author=[[G. J. Meyer]]|chapter=Chapter 21: Alone|year=2014|publisher= Bantam|pages=384–408|isbn=978-0345526922}}</ref>

The new pope, [[Pope Pius III]], supported Cesare Borgia and reconfirmed him as [[Gonfalonier of the Church|Gonfaloniere]], but after a brief pontificate of twenty-six days, he died. Borgia's deadly enemy, [[Giuliano Della Rovere]], then succeeded by dexterous diplomacy in tricking the weakened Cesare Borgia into supporting him by offering him money and continued papal backing for Borgia policies in the Romagna; promises which he disregarded upon his election as [[Pope Julius II]] by the near-unanimous vote of the cardinals in the [[October 1503 papal conclave]]. Realizing his mistake by then, Cesare tried to correct the situation in his favour, but Pope Julius II made sure of its failure at every turn. Cesare was for example forced by Julius to give up [[San Marino]], after occupying the republic for six months.<ref name="Paul Joseph 2017"/>

Cesare Borgia, who was facing the hostility of [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]],<ref name=BK10>{{cite book|last=Bustillo Kastrexana|first=Joxerra|title=Guía de la conquista de Navarra en 12 escenarios|year=2012|publisher=Txertoa Argitaletxea|location=Donostia|isbn=978-84-71484819|page=10}}</ref> was betrayed{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} while in Naples by [[Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba]], a man he had considered his ally, and imprisoned there, while his lands were retaken by the papacy. In 1504 he was transferred to Spain and imprisoned first in the [[Castle of Chinchilla]] de Montearagón in [[La Mancha]], but after an attempted escape he was moved north to the [[Castle of La Mota]], [[Medina del Campo]], near [[Segovia]].<ref name=BK10 /> He did manage to escape from the Castle of La Mota with assistance, and after running across [[Santander, Spain|Santander]], [[Durango, Biscay|Durango]] and [[Gipuzkoa]], he arrived in [[Pamplona#Three boroughs and one city|Pamplona]] on 3 December 1506, and was much welcomed by King [[John III of Navarre]],<ref name=BK11>Bustillo Kastrexana, J. p. 11</ref> who was missing an experienced military commander, ahead of the feared [[Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre|Castilian invasion]].

Borgia recaptured [[Viana, Spain|Viana, Navarre]], which had been in the hands of forces loyal to [[Louis de Beaumont, 2nd Count de Lerín|Louis de Beaumont]], the count of Lerín and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]]'s conspiratorial ally in [[Kingdom of Navarre#Spanish conquest|Navarre]], but not the castle, which he then besieged. In the early morning of 11 March 1507, an enemy party of knights fled from the castle during a heavy storm. Outraged at the ineffectiveness of the siege, Borgia chased them, only to find himself on his own. The party of knights, discovering that he was alone, trapped him in an ambush, where he received a fatal injury from a spear. He was then stripped of all his luxurious garments, valuables, and a leather mask covering half his face (disfigured, possibly by [[syphilis]], during his late years). Borgia was left lying naked, with just a red tile covering his genitals.<ref name=BK11 />

==Mortal remains==
[[File:Cesare-borgia-leaving-the-vatican-giuseppe-lorenzo-gatteri.jpg|thumb|''Cesare Borgia leaving the Vatican'' (1877) by [[Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri]]. Oil on canvas.]]
Borgia was originally buried in a marbled mausoleum King [[John III of Navarre|John III]] had ordered built at the altar of the Church of Santa María in [[Viana, Spain|Viana]] in [[Navarre]] in northern Spain, set on one of the stops on the [[Camino de Santiago]]. In the 16th century the [[Bishop of Mondoñedo]], [[Antonio de Guevara]], published from memory what he had seen written on the tomb when he had paid a visit to the church. This epitaph underwent several changes in wording and meter throughout the years and the version most commonly cited today is that published by the priest and historian Francisco de Alesón in the 18th century. It reads:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moret |first1=José de |last2=Alesón |first2=Francisco de |date=1891 |title=Anales del reino de Navarra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wQRXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA193 |volume=7 |location=Toloso, Spain |publisher=E. Lopez |page=163 |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428141549/https://books.google.com/books?id=wQRXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA193 |archive-date=28 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{|
|<poem style=margin-left:2em>{{Lang|es|Aquí yace en poca tierra
el que todo le temía
el que la paz y la guerra
en su mano la tenía.
Oh tú que vas a buscar
dignas cosas de loar:
si tú loas lo más digno,
aquí pare tu camino,
no cures de más andar.}}</poem>
|<poem style=margin-left:2em>Here lies in a little earth
he whom everyone feared,
he whom peace and war
held in his hand.
Oh, you who go in search 
of worthy things to praise,
if you would praise the worthiest
then your path stops here
and you do not need to go any farther.</poem>
|}

Borgia was an old enemy of Ferdinand of Aragon, and he was fighting the count who paved the way for Ferdinand's [[Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre|1512 invasion]] against John III and Catherine of Navarre. While the circumstances are not well known, the tomb was destroyed sometime between 1523 and 1608, during which time Santa María was undergoing renovation and expansion. Tradition goes that a [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño|Bishop of Calahorra]] considered it inappropriate to have the remains of "that degenerate" lying in the church, so the opportunity was taken to tear down the monument and expel Borgia's bones to where they were reburied under the street in front of the church to be trodden on by all who walked through the town.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

[[Vicente Blasco Ibáñez]], in ''A los pies de Venus'', writes that the then Bishop of Santa María had Borgia expelled from the church because his own father had died after being imprisoned under Alexander VI. It was held for many years that the bones were lost, although in fact local tradition continued to mark their place quite accurately and folklore sprung up around Borgia's death and ghost. The bones were in fact dug up twice and reburied once by historians (both local and international—the first dig in 1886 involved the French historian [[Charles Yriarte]], who also published works on the Borgias) seeking the resting place of the infamous Cesare Borgia. After Borgia was unearthed for the second time in 1945 his bones were taken for a rather lengthy forensic examination by Victoriano Juaristi, a surgeon by trade and Borgia aficionado, and the tests concurred with the preliminary ones carried out in the 19th century. There was evidence that the bones belonged to Borgia.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

Cesare Borgia's remains then were sent to Viana's town hall, directly across from Santa María, where they remained until 1953.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/100356277|title=Borgia 3 – The Quest For Cesare's Tomb|website=Borgia Season 3: Behind the Scenes: Mark Ryder and Tom Fontana travel to Spain, to search for the real Cesare Borgia's tomb.|date=9 July 2014|access-date=27 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428052103/https://vimeo.com/100356277|archive-date=28 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> They were then reburied immediately outside of the Church of Santa María, no longer under the street and in direct danger of being stepped on. A memorial stone was placed over it which, translated into English, declared Borgia the ''Generalissimo'' of the papal as well as the Navarrese forces. A movement was made in the late 1980s to have Borgia dug up once more and put back into Santa María, but this proposal was ultimately rejected by church officials due to a recent ruling against the interment of anyone who did not hold the title of pope or cardinal.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1540315/The-rehabilitation-of-Cesare-Borgia.html "The rehabilitation of Cesare Borgia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324102507/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1540315/The-rehabilitation-of-Cesare-Borgia.html |date=24 March 2018 }} by Malcolm Moore, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 23 January 2007</ref><ref name="César Borgia no descansa en paz">{{cite news| url = https://elpais.com/diario/2007/01/28/domingo/1169959956_850215.html| title = César Borgia no descansa en paz| newspaper = El País| date = 27 January 2007| last1 = Galán| first1 = Lola}}</ref>

Since Borgia had renounced the cardinalate it was decided that it would be inappropriate for his bones to be moved into the church. It was reported that [[Fernando Sebastián Aguilar]], the Archbishop of Pamplona, would acquiesce after more than 50 years of petitions and Borgia would finally be moved back inside the church on 11 March 2007, the day before the 500th anniversary of his death, but an Archbishopric spokesman declared that the church doesn't authorize any such practice.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/><ref name="César Borgia no descansa en paz"/> The local church said that "we have nothing against the transfer of his remains. Whatever he may have done in life, he deserves to be forgiven now."

==According to Niccolo Machiavelli==
[[File:A Glass of Wine with Caesar Borgia - John Collier.jpg|thumb|''A Glass of Wine with Caesar Borgia'' (1893) by [[John Collier (Pre-Raphaelite painter)|John Collier]]. From left: Cesare Borgia, [[Lucrezia Borgia]], [[Pope Alexander VI]], and a young man holding an empty glass. The painting represents the popular view of the treacherous nature of the [[House of Borgia|Borgias]]—the implication being that the young man cannot be sure that the wine is not poisoned.]]
[[Niccolò Machiavelli]] met the Duke on a diplomatic mission in his function as Secretary of the Florentine Chancellery. Machiavelli was at Borgia's court from 7 October 1502 through 18 January 1503. During this time he wrote regular dispatches to his superiors in Florence, many of which have survived and are published in ''Machiavelli's Collected Works''. In ''[[The Prince]]'', Machiavelli uses Borgia as an example to elucidate the dangers of acquiring a principality by virtue of another. Although Cesare Borgia's father gave him the power to set up, Cesare ruled the Romagna with skill and tact for the most part. However, when his father died, and a rival to the Borgia family entered the Papal seat, Cesare was overthrown in a matter of months.

Machiavelli attributes two episodes to Cesare Borgia: the method by which the Romagna was pacified, which Machiavelli describes in chapter VII of ''The Prince'', and the assassination of his captains on New Year's Eve of 1502 in Senigallia.<ref>Niccolò Machiavelli, "A Description of the Method Used by Duke Valentino in Killing Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, and Others", ''The Chief Works and Others'', trans. Allan Gilbert, Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1989, 3 vols., 163–169</ref>

Machiavelli's use of Borgia is subject to controversy. Some scholars see Machiavelli's Borgia as the precursor of state crimes in the 20th century.<ref>Ernst Cassirer, ''The Myth of the State'', New Haven: Yale University Press, 1946</ref> Others, including [[Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay|Macaulay]] and [[John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton|Lord Acton]], have historicized Machiavelli's Borgia, explaining the admiration for such violence as an effect of the general criminality and corruption of the time.<ref>Harvey C. Mansfield, ''Machiavelli's Virtue'', Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.</ref>

==Leonardo da Vinci==
Cesare Borgia briefly employed the artisan [[Leonardo da Vinci]] as a military architect and engineer between 1502 and 1503. Cesare provided Leonardo with an unlimited pass to inspect and direct all ongoing and planned construction in his domain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci|title=Leonardo da Vinci – Second Florentine period (1500–08)|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=25 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303114228/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci|archive-date=3 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> While in Romagna, Leonardo built the canal from Cesena to the Porto Cesenatico.<ref name="Sabatini">Rafael Sabatini, ''The Life of Cesare Borgia'', 3rd edn (London:Stanley Paul, [[Sine anno|n.d.]]), [https://archive.org/stream/lifeofcesareborg00sabarich#page/291 p.291] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043701/http://www.archive.org/stream/lifeofcesareborg00sabarich#page/291|date=5 March 2016}} [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3467] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014003541/http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3467|date=14 October 2013}}</ref>

Before meeting Cesare, Leonardo had worked at the Milanese court of [[Ludovico Sforza]] for many years, until [[Louis XII of France]] drove Sforza out of Italy. After Cesare, Leonardo was unsuccessful in finding another patron in Italy. King [[Francis I of France]] was able to convince Leonardo to enter his service, and the last three years of Leonardo's life were spent working in France.

==Personal life==
[[File:Cesareborgia.jpg|thumb|[[Portrait of a Gentleman (Melone)|Portrait traditionally said to depict Cesare Borgia]], by [[Altobello Melone]]]]
On 10 May 1499, Cesare married [[Charlotte of Albret]] (1480 – 11 March 1514), a sister of [[John III of Navarre|King John III of Navarre]]. The arrangement was part of a plan by the [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarrese monarchs]] to ease tensions with the newly proclaimed French King Louis XII by offering a royal blood bride in his dealings with the [[Holy See]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Juan de Albret y Catalina de Foix o la defensa del Estado navarro (1483–1517)|last=Adot Lerga|first=Álvaro|publisher=Pamiela|year=2005|isbn=84-7681-443-7|location=Pamplona-Iruña|pages=164–165}}</ref> They were parents to a daughter, [[Louise Borgia]] (1500–1553).

Cesare was also the father to at least 11 illegitimate children. Among them are Girolamo Borgia who married Isabella Contessa di Carpi and Camilla Lucrezia Borgia (the younger) who, after Cesare's death, was moved to Ferrara to the court of her aunt [[Lucrezia Borgia]] (the elder).

There are accounts recorded by Machiavelli during his time spent with Cesare Borgia during his diplomatic trips.<ref>G.J. Meyer, ''The Borgias: The Hidden History'', pg 337</ref><ref name="Sabatini"/><ref>Strathern, P. (2019). The Borgias: Power and Fortune. Atlantic Books. pg. 386</ref> Machiavelli found that he could be at times secretive and taciturn, at other times loquacious and boastful. He alternated bursts of demonic activity when he stayed up all night receiving and dispatching messengers, with moments of unaccountable sloth when he remained in bed refusing to see anyone. He was quick to take offence and rather remote from his immediate entourage, yet he was very open with his subjects, loving to join local sports and cutting a dashing figure. However, at other times, Machiavelli observed Cesare as having "inexhaustible" energy and an unrelenting genius in military matters, and also diplomatic affairs, and he would go days and nights on end without seemingly requiring sleep.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cesare-Borgia-duke-of-Valentinois|title=Cesare Borgia {{!}} Biography & Facts|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825122121/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cesare-Borgia-duke-of-Valentinois|archive-date=25 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Character discussed in works of philosophy==
* ''[[The Prince]]'' (1532) by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]
* ''[[The Antichrist (book)|The Antichrist]]'' (1895) by [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] 
* ''[[Beyond Good and Evil]]'' (1886) by [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]
* ''[[Twilight of the Idols]]'' (1889) by [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]
* ''[[Minima Moralia]]'' (1951) by [[Theodor Adorno]]
* ''The Philosophy of the Encounter'' (2006) by [[Louis Althusser]]
* ''Egoism and Freedom Movements: On the Anthropology of the Bourgeois Era '' (1982) by [[Max Horkheimer]]

==Non-fiction literature==
* ''The Life of Cesare Borgia'' (1912) by [[Rafael Sabatini]]
* ''Cesare Borgia: The Machiavellian Prince'' (1942) by Carlo Beuf
* ''A Triptych of Poisoners'' (1958) by [[Jean Plaidy]]
* ''Cesare Borgia'' (1976) by [[Sarah Bradford]]
* ''The Borgias'' (1981) by Sarah Bradford and [[John Prebble]]
* ''The Artist, The Philosopher and the Warrior'' (2009) by [[Paul Strathern]]
* ''[[The Borgias: The Hidden History]]'' (2013) by [[G. J. Meyer]]
* ''Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell'' (2016) by Samantha Morris

==Fictional portrayals==
* Cesare is a character in ''[[Prince of Foxes]]'', a 1947 historical fiction novel by [[Samuel Shellabarger]]. In the 1949 [[Prince of Foxes (film)|film adaptation]] of the story, he is portrayed by [[Orson Welles]].
* In the 1981 BBC TV series ''[[The Borgias (1981 TV series)|The Borgias]]'', Cesare is portrayed by [[Oliver Cotton]].
* Cesare appears as the main antagonist of the 2010 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''. He is voiced by Andreas Apergis. The game was developed primarily by Ubisoft Montreal with contributions by four other Ubisoft branches: Annecy, Singapore, Bucharest, and Quebec City.
* In ''[[The Borgias (2011 TV series)|The Borgias]]'', a 2011 American TV series, Cesare is portrayed by [[François Arnaud (actor)|Francois Arnaud]].
* In ''[[Borgia (TV series)|Borgia]]'', a 2011 European TV series, Cesare is portrayed by [[Mark Ryder]].
* In series 4 of ''[[Horrible Histories (2009 TV series)|Horrible Histories]]'', the cast performed a parody of [[The Addams Family]] about the lives of the Borgia family. [[Mathew Baynton]] portrayed Cesare Borgia.
* The [[Hatsune Miku]] & [[Kaito (software)|KAITO]] song "Cantarella" is based on Cesare Borgia and his sister Lucrezia Borgia.
* The ''[[Cantarella (manga)|Cantarella]]'' [[manga]] by [[You Higuri]] is a [[dark fantasy]] historical fiction on Cesare's life with some supernatural elements.
* ''[[Cesare (manga)|Cesare: Il Creatore che ha distrutto]]'' is a manga by [[Fuyumi Soryo]] that chronicles his life from the age of 15. A musical adaptation premiered in 2023. Cesare was portrayed by [[Akinori Nakagawa]] in the original cast.
*Cesare is a character in ''[[The Family (Puzo novel)|The Family]]'', a historical fiction novel created by ''[[The Godfather]]'' author [[Mario Puzo]].
*In Brazilian literature, César Borgia is one of the main characters in the novel The Devil's Strip, by [[Miguel M. Abrahão]]<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-02-10 |language=pt |title=Miguel M. Abrahão - Literatura Avaliada - Page 74-75 - |url=https://view.publitas.com/university/miguel-m-abrahao-literatura-avaliada/page/74-75}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

==See also==
{{EB1911 poster|Borgia, Cesare|Cesare Borgia}}
* [[Rocca di Borgia]]
* [[Route of the Borgias]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

'''Sources'''
* {{Cite book|first=Edoardo|last=Alvisi|title=Cesare Borgia, Duca di Romagna|year=1878}}
* {{Cite book|first=Ivan |last=Cloulas |title=The Borgias|year=1989 |publisher=F. Watts |isbn=9780531151013 |url=https://archive.org/details/borgias00clou |url-access=registration }}
* {{Cite book|first=Marion|last=Johnson|title=The Borgias|year=1981}}
* {{Cite book|first=Niccolò|last=Machiavelli|title=The Prince|title-link=The Prince|year=1532}}
* {{Cite book|first=Shiono |last=Nanami |title=Cesare Borgia the Elegant Tyrant|year=1970}}
* {{Cite book|first=Rafael|last=Sabatini|author-link=Rafael Sabatini|title=The Life of Cesare Borgia|url=https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3467|year=1912}}
* {{Cite book|first=Antonio|last=Spinosa|title=La saga dei Borgia|publisher=Mondadori|year=1999}}
* {{Cite book|first=Paul |last=Strathern |title=The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior|year=2009}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Cesare Borgia}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cesare-Borgia-duke-of-Valentinois Cesare Borgia, Encyclopedia Britannica]
* {{Cite book| url=http://www.classicreader.com/booktoc.php/sid.2/bookid.873/| title=The Prince| author=Niccolò Machiavelli| publisher=classicreader.com| author-link=Niccolò Machiavelli| access-date=6 December 2005| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706174909/http://www.classicreader.com/booktoc.php/sid.2/bookid.873| archive-date=6 July 2008| url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite web| url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404700788.html|title=Cesare Borgia|publisher=Encyclopedia World Biography|author=Sarah Bradford|author-link=Sarah Bradford}}
* [http://sites.google.com/site/diarioborjaborgia/Home Diario de los Borja (Borgia)] {{in lang|es}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-reg|it}}
{{S-bef|rows=2|before=[[Ottaviano Riario]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=Lord of [[Forlì]]|years=1499–1503}}
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{{S-ttl|title=Lord of [[Imola]]|years=1499–1503}}
{{S-non|reason=To the [[Papal States]]}}
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{{S-ttl|title=Lord of [[Rimini]]|years=1500–1503}}
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{{S-bef|before=[[Astorre III Manfredi]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=Lord of [[Faenza]]|years=1501–1503}}
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{{s-rel|ca}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valencia in Spain|Archbishop of Valencia]]|years=1492–1498}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Captain General of the Church]]|years=1500–1503}}
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{{S-ttl|title=[[Gonfalonier of the Church]]|years=1500–1503}}
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{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Borgia, Cesare}}
[[Category:Cesare Borgia| ]]
[[Category:1475 births]]
[[Category:1507 deaths]]
[[Category:15th-century condottieri]]
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[[Category:House of Borgia|Cesare]]
[[Category:University of Perugia alumni]]
[[Category:University of Pisa alumni]]
[[Category:Dukes of Urbino]]
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[[Category:Dukes of Valentinois]]
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[[Category:Italian escapees]]
[[Category:Italian people imprisoned abroad]]
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[[Category:Italian military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:Deaths by edged and bladed weapons]]