Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia
Duchess of Bisceglie Princess of Salerno Countess of Cotignola
Possible Lucrezia portrait painted from life (attributed to Dosso Dossi, c. 1519, National Gallery of Victoria[1])
Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio
Tenure	25 January 1505 – 24 June 1519
Lady consort of Pesaro and Gradara
Tenure	12 June 1493 – 20 December 1497
Born	18 April 1480 Subiaco, Papal States
Died	24 June 1519(1519-06-24) (aged 39) Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara
Burial	Corpus Domini, Ferrara
Spouse	Giovanni Sforza ​ ​ (m. 1493; ann. 1497)​ Alfonso of Aragon ​ ​ (m. 1498; died 1500)​ Alfonso d'Este ​ (m. 1501)​
Issue Detail	Rodrigo of Aragon Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara Ippolito d'Este Eleonora d'Este Francesco d'Este, Marquis of Massalombarda
House	Borgia
Father	Pope Alexander VI
Mother	Vannozza dei Cattanei

Lucrezia Borgia (Italian pronunciation: [luˈkrɛttsja ˈbɔrdʒa]; Valencian: Lucrècia Borja [luˈkrɛsia ˈbɔɾdʒa]; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the governor of Spoleto, a position usually held by cardinals, in her own right.

Her family arranged several marriages for her that advanced their own political position including Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro and Gradara, Count of Cotignola; Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie and Prince of Salerno; and Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples and tradition has it that Lucrezia's brother Cesare Borgia may have had him murdered after his political value waned.

Rumors about her and her family cast Lucrezia as a femme fatale, a role in which she has been portrayed in many artworks, novels and films.