Lucretia Borgia

Lucretia Borgia, by Ferdinand Gregorovius

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Title: Lucretia Borgia According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day
Author: Ferdinand Gregorovius
Translator: John Leslie Garner
Release Date: March 13, 2007 [EBook #20804]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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LUCRETIA BORGIA
[Illustration: LUCRETIA BORGIA.
From a portrait attributed to Dosso Dossi, in the possession of Mr. Henry Doetsch, London.]
FERDINAND GREGOROVIUS
LUCRETIA BORGIA
ACCORDING TO ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF HER DAY
TRANSLATED FROM THE THIRD GERMAN EDITION BY JOHN LESLIE GARNER
BENJAMIN BLOM New York/London

TO
DON MICHELANGELO GAETANI
DUKE OF SERMONETA
First published New York 1904 Reissued 1968 by Benjamin Blom, Inc. 10452
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 68-20226
Manufactured in the United States of America

TO DON MICHELANGELO GAETANI DUKE OF SERMONETA
MY HONORED DUKE: I am induced to dedicate this work to you by the historical circumstances of which it treats and also by personal considerations.
In it you will behold the founders of your ancient and illustrious family. The Borgias were mortal enemies of the Gaetani, who narrowly escaped the fate prepared for them by Alexander VI and his terrible son. Beautiful Sermoneta and all the great fiefs in the Maremma fell into the maw of the Borgias, and your ancestors either found death at their hands or were driven into exile. Donna Lucretia became mistress of Sermoneta, and eventually her son, Rodrigo of Aragon, inherited the estates of the Gaetani.
Centuries have passed, and a beautiful and unfortunate woman may be forgiven for this confiscation of the appanages of your house. Moreover, it was not long before your family was reinstated in its rights by a bull of Julius II, which is now preserved--a precious jewel--in your family archives. To your house has descended the fame of its founders, but to yourself is due the position which the Gaetani now again enjoy.
The survival of historical tradition in things and men exercises an indescribable charm on every student of civilization. To recognize in the ancient and still nourishing families of modern Rome the descendants of the great personalities of other times, and to enjoy daily intercourse with them, made a profound impression on me. The Colonna, the Orsini, and the Gaetani are my friends, and all afforded me the greatest assistance. These families long ago vanished from the stage of Roman history, but the day came, illustrious Duke, when you were to make a place again for your ancient race in the history of the Imperial City; the day when--the temporal power of the popes having passed away, a power which had endured a thousand years--you carried to King Victor Emmanuel in Florence the declaration of allegiance of the Roman populace. This episode, marking the beginning of a new era for the city, will live, together with your name, in the annals of the Gaetani, and will preserve it forever in the memory of the Romans.
GREGOROVIUS.
ROME, March 9, 1874.

CONTENTS
BOOK THE FIRST--LUCRETIA BORGIA IN ROME
CHAPTER I
PAGE
LUCRETIA'S FATHER 3
CHAPTER II
LUCRETIA'S MOTHER 10
CHAPTER III
LUCRETIA'S FIRST HOME 15
CHAPTER IV
LUCRETIA'S EDUCATION 20
CHAPTER V
NEPOTISM--GIULIA FARNESE--LUCRETIA'S BETROTHALS 34
CHAPTER VI
HER FATHER BECOMES POPE--GIOVANNI SFORZA 44
CHAPTER VII
LUCRETIA'S FIRST MARRIAGE 53
CHAPTER VIII
FAMILY AFFAIRS 62
CHAPTER IX
LUCRETIA LEAVES ROME 71
CHAPTER X
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF PESARO 76
CHAPTER XI
THE INVASION OF ITALY--THE PROFLIGATE WORLD 87
CHAPTER XII
THE DIVORCE AND SECOND MARRIAGE 102
CHAPTER XIII
A REGENT AND A MOTHER 113
CHAPTER XIV
SOCIAL LIFE OF THE BORGIAS 125
CHAPTER XV
MISFORTUNES OF CATARINA SFORZA 137
CHAPTER XVI
MURDER OF ALFONSO OF ARAGON 145
CHAPTER XVII
LUCRETIA AT NEPI 152
CHAPTER XVIII
C?SAR AT PESARO 159
CHAPTER XIX
ANOTHER MARRIAGE PLANNED FOR LUCRETIA 167
CHAPTER XX
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE HOUSE OF ESTE 182
CHAPTER XXI
THE EVE OF THE WEDDING 196
CHAPTER XXII
ARRIVAL AND RETURN OF THE BRIDAL ESCORT 207
BOOK THE SECOND--LUCRETIA IN FERRARA
CHAPTER I
LUCRETIA'S JOURNEY TO FERRARA 229
CHAPTER II
FORMAL ENTRY INTO FERRARA 239
CHAPTER III
F��TES GIVEN IN LUCRETIA'S HONOR 250
CHAPTER IV
THE ESTE DYNASTY--DESCRIPTION OF FERRARA 266
CHAPTER V
DEATH OF ALEXANDER VI 279
CHAPTER VI
EVENTS FOLLOWING THE POPE'S DEATH 293
CHAPTER VII
COURT POETS--GIULIA BELLA AND JULIUS II--THE ESTE DYNASTY ENDANGERED 303
CHAPTER VIII
ESCAPE AND DEATH OF C?SAR 317
CHAPTER IX
MURDER OF ERCOLE STROZZI--DEATH OF GIOVANNI SFORZA AND OF LUCRETIA'S ELDEST SON 326
CHAPTER X
EFFECTS OF THE WAR--THE ROMAN INFANTE 338
CHAPTER XI
LAST YEARS AND DEATH OF VANNOZZA 345
CHAPTER XII
DEATH OF LUCRETIA BORGIA--CONCLUSION 355

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Lucretia Borgia, from a portrait attributed to Dosso Dossi Frontispiece
Trajan's Forum, Rome 16
Church of S. Maria del Popolo, Rome 20
Vittoria Colonna 30
The Farnese Palace, Rome 36
Alexander VI 44
Church of Ara Coeli, Rome 58
Tasso 82
Charles VIII 88
Savonarola 94
Macchiavelli 100
C?sar Borgia 148
Guicciardini 176
Ercole d'Este, Duke of Ferrara 206
Castle of S. Angelo, Rome 210
Ariosto 248
Castle Vecchio, Ferrara 270
Benvenuto Garofalo 278
Facsimile of a letter from Alexander VI