The historical Alexander VI was born in 1431. He became Pope in 1492 and died in 1503. His papacy was characterised by libertinism and nepotism. He was one of the most controversial popes in the Renaissance but was known for his skills in diplomacy, politics, and civil administration rather than for his pastoral contribution.
Alexander's mistress Vannozza (Giovanna) dei Cattani, bore him four children whom he openly acknowledged as his: Giovannie, Cesare, Lucrezia, and Goffredo or Gioffre. He kept some of his children in hiding due to shame as he aspired to become the pope. Another important mistress is Giulia Farnese, who bore him a daughter Laura. Alexander is an ancestor of virtually all royal houses in Europe, especially the southern and western ones.
When Pope Innocent VIII died in 1492, there were three likely candidates to succeed the papacy. One was Cardinal Borgia, another was Ascanio Sforza for the Milanese, and another Guiliano della Rovere as a pro-French candidate. There was a rumour that Sforza was bribed by Borgia but this is most likely not true. The two other candidates were just as willing to bribe; Borgia was in the lead from the beginning and did not need to offer bribes. When Alexander VI was elected, Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici (later Pope Leo X) is rumoured to have issued this warning: "Now we are in the power of a wolf, the most rapacious perhaps that this world has ever seen. And if we do not flee, he will inevitably devour us all." But this is most likely a rumour only and what Medici actually said was, "Flee, we are in the clutches of the world." As Pope Alexander VI tried to endow his family and relatives with estates and power, he came into direct conflict with Ferdinand I, the King of Naples. As Alexander VI prepared for war with the King of Naples, Spain was eager to be on good terms with the Pope to obtain the title of the newly discovered New World. In 1493, Alexander VI issued the bull Inter Caetera, where he divided the title between Spain and Portugal along a demarcation line. This was known as the Treaty of Tordesillas and was ratified by the two countries in 1494.
As Alexander VI was preparing for war with the Kingdom of Naples, he also sought help from Sforza, the pro-French papal candidate in the previous papal election, and King Charles VIII of France. The Pope encouraged Charles VIII in his plan for the conquest of Naples. However, the Pope also made peace with Naples by arranging a marriage between his son Gioffre and a princess of Naples, a granddaughter of King Ferdinand I of Naples. He also created 12 new cardinals to dominate the Sacred College of Cardinals, which caused a huge scandal. Among the 12 new cardinals was his son Cesare and the brother of one of his mistresses, Guilia Farnese.
In 1494, Ferdinand I died and was succeeded by his son Alfonso II. As Charles VIII of France advanced his claims on the Kingdom of Naples and set out for Rome, the Pope appealed to Sforza and the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid II for help. On December 31, 1494, Charles VIII entered Rome along with the cardinals of the French faction and Giuliano della Rovere. As Charles VIII advanced on Naples, Alfonso II abdicated in favour of his son Ferdinand II and fled. Eventually, Ferdinand II was abandoned by all as well and had to escape, and the Kingdom of Naples was conquered by France.
When the European powers saw how easily Charles VIII took Naples, they were highly alarmed. The Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, Venice, Lodovico il Moro the Duke of Milan, and Ferdinand of Spain formed the Holy League in 1495 ostensibly against the Turks but actually against France. Charles VIII crowned himself King of Naples but soon retreated back to France and Ferdinand II was reinstated in Naples. The incident showed how the Mediccean doctrine of equilibrium only created very weak Italy city states and how these city states could not defend themselves against the powerful nation states like France and Spain. Alexander VI made use of this incident to establish a centralised despotism and to build himself a strong power base in the papal states.
Giovanni, the Duke of Gandia and one of the Pope's sons, died mysteriously. The Pope investigated the crime but no conclusion was made.
