Pope Alexander VI

The controversial Renaissance pope from the Borgia family.

Pope Alexander VI, born Roderic de Borja y Llançol, was known by the epithet "The Valencian"^[1] His papal bulls of 1493 confirmed Spanish crown rights in the New World following Columbus's discoveries.^[2]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Church: Catholic Church
Took office: 11 August 1492
Left office: 18 August 1503
Predecessor: Innocent VIII
Successor: Pius III
Ordination: 1468
Consecration: 30 October 1471
Cardinal: 17 September 1456

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

His career in the Church began at age 14 when his uncle appointed him sacristan at the Cathedral of Valencia.^[3] He studied law at Bologna, graduating as "the most eminent and judicious jurisprudent"^[4] His uncle's election as Pope Callixtus III in 1455 enabled Borgia's appointments to other Church positions.^[5] Borgia was elected pope on 11 August 1492, assuming the name Alexander VI.^[6][7]

He had four children with Vannozza dei Cattenei: Cesare, Giovanni, Lucrezia, and Gioffre.^[8] For 35 years, until his own election as pope in 1492, Borgia occupied the powerful and lucrative post of vice-chancellor of the Holy Roman Church.^[9] Alexander VI's international strategy was designed to secure the most favorable outcomes for his own family.^[2]

What the cited sources add

The Catholic Encyclopedia account states that Alexander VI was strictly abstemious in eating and drinking and a careful administrator, becoming one of the wealthiest men of his time.^[7] The same source notes that Alexander issued a wise decree concerning the censorship of books and sent the first missionaries to the New World.^[7] Burkle-Young records that Borgia was the most powerful cardinal at that time by reason of wealth, prestige, and power.^[10] The same source credits Alexander with the beautiful ceiling of Santa Maria Maggiore, which tradition says employed the first gold brought from America by Columbus.^[7]

The Catholic Encyclopedia states that Alexander set up four districts in the city, each with a magistrate holding full authority to keep order, and set aside Tuesdays for hearing personal complaints.^[7]

References

Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See inscription on 5 Ducat piece :File:Roma, alessandro VI, 5 ducati, 1492-1503.jpg "Alexander VI Pontifex Maximus Borgia Valentinus" ("The Valencian", his epit (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Weckman-Muñoz, Luis."The Alexandrine Bulls of 1493" in First Images of America: The Impact of the New World on the Old. Edited by Fredi Chiappelli. Berkeley and; Batllori, Miguel, S.J. "The Papal Division of the World and its Consequences" in First Images of America: The Impact of the New World on the Old. Edited by Fred (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hollingsworth, "The Borgias: history's most notorious dynasty", 2014, p. 17 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Archived copy" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church – Papal elections – XV Century" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hollingsworth 2014, p. 126 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
"CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope Alexander VI", www.newadvent.org. facts only, no text reused. newadvent.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hollingsworth 2014, p. 100 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Pope Alexander VI" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hollingsworth 2014, p. 43 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
"The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church – Papal elections – XV Century". facts only, no text reused. cardinals.fiu.edu

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pope Alexander VI (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.