Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandía
Giovanni Borgia, 2nd Duke of Gandía (1476–1497) was the second born and the second son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza Cattanei and a member of the House of Borgia. He was the brother of Cesare, Gioffre, and Lucrezia Borgia. He was murdered on 14 June 1497. Even today, it is not known with certainty who was responsible for his death, although many at the time blamed his brother Cesare.
Alleged portrait of Giovanni Borgia
Disputation of St. Catherine by Pinturicchio in the Borgia Apartments in the Vatican. The mounted male figure on the far right may be a depiction of Juan.
A posthumous portrait of Juan Borgia by his widow
Pope Alexander VI was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into the prominent Borgia family in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon, Rodrigo studied law at the University of Bologna. He was ordained deacon and made a cardinal in 1456 after the election of his uncle as Pope Callixtus III, and a year later he became vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church. He proceeded to serve in the Curia under the next four popes, acquiring significant influence and wealth in the process. In 1492, Rodrigo was elected pope, taking the name Alexander VI.
Portrait attributed to Pedro Berruguete (c. 1495, oil on canvas, Vatican Museums)
Vannozza dei Cattanei
Plaque outside the Archbishop's Palace, Valencia . Translation: Alexander VI, 9 July 1492, Pope Innocent VIII, at the request of Cardinal Borja and the Catholic Monarchs, raised the Valencian See to the rank of metropolitan, making Rodrigo of Borja the first Archbishop of Valencia 1492–1503.
Coat of arms of Alexander VI – Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome
