Duke of valentinois biography of michael

Late 15th-century Italian nobleman and Catholic cardinal

Cesare Borgia^[b] (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was a Roman Catholicdeacon—cardinal and later an Italiancondottiero (mercenary).

He was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the AragoneseHouse of Borgia and was a sibling to Lucrezia Borgia.

After initially entering the Church and becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the papacy, he resigned his diaconal profession after the death of his brother in 1498.

He was employed as a condottiero for King Louis XII of France around 1500, and occupied both Milan and Naples during the Italian Wars. At the same time, he carved out a state for himself in Central Italy, but he was unable to retain power for long after his father's death.

His quest for political power was a major inspiration for The Prince by the renowned Florentine historian, Niccolò Machiavelli.^[3]

Early life

See also: House of Borgia

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