A Bird’s – eye View of the History of the Borgia Family

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A D	Borgia History	World History	Arts and Letters
1378	Alfonso de Borja (Borgia), the future pope Calixtus III is born at Xativa, province of Valencia
1412		Ferdinand de Antequerra is elected king to the Crown of Aragon
1417		End of the Western Schism
1423		Death of pope Benedictus XIII at Peñiscola
1429	Alfonso Borgia is appointed bishop of Valencia
1431	Rodrigo de Borja (Borgia), the future pope Alexander VI is born at Xativa		Donatello erects the tabernacle in the sacristy of the Saint Peter in Rome
1444	Alfonso Borgia is appointed a cardinal
1449	Rodrigo and Pedro Luis Borgia arrive in Rome
1453		Constantinopel falls into the hands of Mohamed II the Ottoman sultan
1454	Alfonso Borgia is elected pope under the name of Calixtus III
1455	Rodrigo Borgia and Juan del Mila are appointed cardinals by their uncle pope Calixtus III	The Turcs invade Greece. Victory of the Christians at Belgrade	The first printed book – the Gutenberg Bible- leaves the printing press
1456			Andrea Mantegna paints the Pala in Verona. Leon Battista Alberti builds the Santa Maria Novella at Florence
1458	Death of Calixtus III	Pius II Piccolimi is elected pope
1459			Benozzo Gozzoli paints the fresco Journey of the Magi in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi at Florence
1464		Death of Pius II. Election of Paulus II Barbo
1468	Isabel de Borja, Rodrigos mother, dies
1468-1470	Pedro Luis, Jeronima and Isabel, children of cardinal Rodrigo Borgia are born
1469			Lorenzo de Medici, also known as the Magnificent, assumes power at Florence. Also in Spain Ferdinand of Aragon weds Isabella of Castilia
1471		Death of Paulus II . Sixtus IV della Rovere is elected pope
1472-1473	Journey of cardinal Borgia to Valencia and Castilia
1474-1481	Most intimate period in the relation of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza Cattanei
1474		Death of Sixtus IV. Election of Inocentius VIII Cibo	Andrea Mantegna finishes the frescoes of the Ducal Palaca at Mantua (Camera degli Sposi)
1475	Birth of Cesare Borgia, son of cardinal Rodrigo and Vanozza Catanei		Birth of Michelangelo Buonarotti. Angelo Poloziano writes Le Stanze
1476	Vanozza Catanei contracts a marriage of convenience first with Domenica D’Arignanom then, after his decease, with Giorgio della Croce. Birth of the second child of the cardinal and Vanozza, Juan Borgia.
1480	Birth of Lucrezia, daughter of the cardinal and Vanozza.		Andrea Mantegna paints The Dead Christ. Hieronymous Bosch paints The seven Capital Sins.
1481	Birth of Jofré, the fourth son of cardinal Borgia. A bull of pope Sixtus IV attributes to the children of Rodrigo and Vanozza the status of “nephews”.	Institution of the Inquisition in Spain against the pseudo converted jews and arabs.	Leonardo da Vinci paints The Adoration of the magi
1482			Sandro Botticelli paints Spring
1483		Birth of Martin Luther. Torquemada is inquisitor general of the kingdoms of Castilia and Aragon. Charles VIII succeeds to the throne of France after the death of Louis XI	Leonardo da Vinci paints his Madonna in the Grotto. Birth of Rafael
1484		Charles VIII is crowned at Reims. Pope Sixtus IV dies and is succeeded by Innocentius VIII	Botticelli paints the Birth of Venus
1485		Pope Innocentius VIII declares war against the king of Naples, Ferdinand of Aragon. Lorenzo de Medici allies with the latter.
1486	Giorgio della Croce dies and Vanozza contracts another marriage of convenience with Carlo Canale.	Innocentius VIII and Ferdinand of Aragon, with thanks to Lorenzo de Medici, end their war and sign the peace.
1487	Lucrezia Borgia is entrusted to Adriana Orsini, cousin of Rodrigo Borgia, to receive her education.		Pico della Mirandola publishes Conclusiones ( Nine hundred theses on the history of men), in which he summarizes all of human knowledge.
1488	Death of Pedro Luis, son of Rodrigo and first Borgia duke of Gandia
1490		In Venice Aldo Manuzio founds his publishing house.	Vittorio Carpaccio paints the Courtesans
1491	Lucrezia Borgia is promised in marrige to two fiancés at the same time.		Hans Memling paints the Triptych of the Crucifixion
1492	Cardinal Rodrigo receives in Rome groups of Spanish Jews who had been evicted from their country following an edict of the catholic king. Rodrigo Borgia is elected pope and takes the name Alexander VI	The catholic king of Spain succeeds in driving the Arabs out of the Iberian peninsula by the conquest of Granada. At Florence Lorenzo de Medici, the Magnificent, dies. Christopher Columbus discovers the New Continent.	Piero della Francesca dies. Pintoricchio starts working on the frescoes in the Borgia Apartments in the Vatican.
1493	Lucrezia Borgia is united in matrimony with Giovanni Sforza, nephew of the Duke of Milano, to reinforce the alliance with France. Cesare is appointed a cardinal by his father pope Alexander VI. Marriage of Juan Borgia in Barcelona	Publishing of the papal bulls concerning the newly discovered lands Alexander VI signs the bull Inter Coetera regulating the division of the West Indies between Portugal and Spain.	Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti
1494	Marriage of Jofre Borgia with Sancha de Aragon. To protect them for the risk of a French invasion, Alexander VI sends Lucrezia Borgia, Giulia Farnese and the latters aunt, Adriana Orsini, to Pesaro.	The French invade Italy. Charles VIII occupies Rome Spain and Portugal modify the papal bull Inter Coetera and in Tordesillas they sign a new treaty about the division of the western lands	Albrecht Dürer paints his Selfportrait. Pintoricchio begins working on The Dispute of Saint Catherine with Lucrezia Borgia serving as the model for the saint. Andrea Mantegna paints The triumph of Cesare. Pico della Mirandola dies
1495	Alexander VI sides with the League of Venice against Charles VIII	Charles VIII in Naples. Retreat and defeat of the French	Sandro Botticelli paints La calumnia Leonardo in Milano starts working on The last Supper
1496	Juan Borgia flees to Gandia. Campaign against the Orsini clan
1497	Assassination of Juan Borgia, duke of Gándia, presumably at the hands of his brother Cesare. Alexander VI annuls the marriag of his daughter Lucrezia to Giovanni Sforza. Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola	Girolamo Savonarola , a Dominican prior of San Marco at Florence, is excommunicated because he preaches against the degeneration of religious customs. Giovanni Caboto, a Venetian navigator serving England, sails to the American continent. Vasco da Gama circumvents the Cape of Good Hope.	Michelangelo commences sculpting the Pieta
1498	Lucrezia Borgia gives birth to a son, the “Roman infant”, presumably born out of her realation with Perotto a servant of the pope. Cesare murders Perotto. Marriage of Lucrezia with Alfonso de Aragona, son of king Alfonso of Naples. Cesare lays down the cardinal’s hat and travels to France.	In Florence Girolamo Savanorola is burnt at the stake. Charles VIII dies and is succeeded by Louis XII, who, as a token of his good intentention towards the Vatican, offers to Cesare Borgia the hand of Charlotte d’ Albret.	Albrecht Dürer realises a series of xylographies on the Apocalypse
1499	In France Cesare Borgia weds Charlotte d’Albrêt and leads Louis XII into alliance with the pope. Lucrezia Borgia is appointed regent of Spoleto First campaign of Cesare in the Romagna	Louis XII in Milano
1500	Alexanders VI inaugurates the Year of the Jubilee. Successes of Cesare, captain general of the Church Assasination of Alfonso de Aragona, spouse of Lucrezia, by order of Cesare Borgia.	The Portugese discover Brasilia	Hieronymous Bosch paints The ship of Fools
1501	Pope Alexander VI authorizes Louis XII to cross the Papal Lands to enable the conquest of Naples. In return the king will support a new marriage of Lucrezia with the heir of the duchy of Ferrara, Alfonso d’Este. Alexander VI confiscates the castles and territories of the roman barons. Conquests of Cesare in central Italy. Cesare becomes duke of Romagna.	The French armies occupy Naples
1502	Lucrezia Borgia becomes duchess of Ferrara The captains’ conspiracy against Cesare		Bramante begins the construction of the Tempietto in the Saint Peter in Montorio At Rome commissioned by the catholic king of Spain.
1503	Vendetta of the Borgias against the Orsini clan Death of Alexander VI Cesare is arrested by order of the new pope Julius II	Alexander VI dies and is succeeded, first by Pius III Piccolomini, then by Julius II della Rovere. At the court of Ferrara Lecrezia Borgia meets the poet Pietro Bembo, who will play an important role in her life.
1504	Cesare Borgia is made prisoner by order of Julius II. He is detained in Naples and later sent to Navarra	Isabella of Castilia, the catholic, dies.	Albrecht Dürer makes The Adoration of the Magi, Michelangelo his David, Raphael the Marriage of the Virgin, and Hieronymous Bosch the Garden of Delights.
1505	Alfonso d ‘Este and Lucrezia Borgia inherit the duchy of Ferrara after the death of Ercole d’ Este.		Pietro Bembo composes The Asolani which he dedicates to Lucrezia Borgia
1506	Lucrezia, acting as regent of Ferrara in absence of her husband, issues an edict in favour of the Jews.		Bramante begins the construction of the Saint Peter in Rome
1507	Cesare Borgia escapes from the fortress of Medina del Campo, where he was impriosoned by order of Julius II. Cesare Borgia dies at Viana		Vittore Carpaccio paints the Saint George series
1508	Lucrezia hosts Erasmus of Rotterdam at the court of Ferrara.	Institution of the League of Cambrai against the Republic of Venice	Giorgione paints The Tempest. Michelangelo commences painting the ceiling of the Sixtine Chapel
1509	At Ferrara a son is born to Lucrezia Borgia, named Ippolito d ‘Este, who will become a cardinal.	Henri VIII becomes king of England	Erasmus of Rotterdam writes Praise of Folly
1510	Julius II annuls the accord that was concluded between the Church and the duchy of d’Este under pope Alexander VI on the occasion of the marriage between Lucrezia and Alfonso. Franciscus Borgia is born	Julius II accepts the offer of the bishop of Sion to have the defence of the Church in Rome entrusted to the Swiss cavalry	Death of Sandro Boticelli. Raphael paints the Stanze of the Vatican.
1511	Alfonso d’Este gains victory over Julius II at the Bastida of the Fossa Geniola		Giorgione dies
1513	Julius II dies and the new Medici pope, Leo X, annuls the papal interdicton on Ferrara, thanks to the intercession of Bembo, who in the Vatican acts as protector of Lucrezia and the d’Estes. Lucrezia Borgia enter the Tertiary Order of Saint Francis.		Michelangelo starts sculpting the Moses which he will finish two years later. Niccolò Machiavelli writes The Prince
1515		Francis I becomes king of France	Ludovico Ariosto at Ferrara publishes Orlando Furioso
1516	Lucrezia Borgia receives at the court of Ferrara Titian and entrusts him with various commissions.	Death of Ferdinand the catholic	Titian paints Sacred Love and Profane Love, inspired by Lucrezia Borgia
1517		Martin Luther affixes his 95 theses against the doctrine of the indulgences at the door of the chapel of Wittenberg in Saxony.
1518	Decease of Vannozza Catanei, the mother of children of Alexander VI Borgia. Lucrezia Borgia pronounces the definite vows of the tertiary franciscans	Beginning of the Reformation in Zürich
1519	Lucrezia Borgia dies at Ferrara after giving birth. She is buries in the naked earth in the convent of St. Clare	Luther denies the primate of the roman church. Magellan departs for his circumnavigation of the globe. Cortes reaches the Mexican coast and is received by the ruler Montezuma. Charles of Spain is elected Emperor with the name Charles V.	Leonardo da Vinci dies at Amboise in France.
1520		Sultan Suleiman II the Great becomes emperor of the Ottoman empire	Raphael dies
1521		Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther. Beginning of the war between Francis I of France and Charles V, pope Leo X dies.	At Florence Michelangelo starts work on the new sacristy of San Lorenzo. Niccolò Machiavelli composes The Mandragola. Raphael Sanzio dies at Rome and in the Vatican stanzas leaves unfinished the Transfiguration
1527		The sack of Rome at the hands of the troops of Charles V
1539	Franciscus Borgia Vice-roy of Catalonia	Death of the empress Isabel of Portugal
1548	Fransiscus Borgia, duke of Gandia, widowed, enters the Company of Jesus
1556		Charles V abdicates in favour of Philip II
1565	Franciscus Borgia, elected general of the Jesuits
1571		Battle of Lepanto
1572	Death of Franciscus Borgia

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