Cesare Borgia
Duke of Urbino and Catholic cardinal
Died when: 31 years 180 days (377 months)Star Sign: Virgo
Cesare Borgia (Italian pronunciation: ['t?e?zare 'b?rd?a, 't???-]; Valencian: Cèsar Borja ['s?za? 'b??d?a];
Spanish: César Borja ['?esa? 'ßo?xa]; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex-cardinal and condottiero (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major inspiration for The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli.
He was an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI and member of the Spanish-Aragonese House of Borgia. After initially entering the Church and becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the Papacy, he became, after the death of his brother in 1498, the first person to resign a cardinalate.
He served as a condottiero for King Louis XII of France around 1500, and occupied Milan and Naples during the Italian Wars.
At the same time he carved out a state for himself in Central Italy, but after his father's death he was unable to retain power for long.
According to Machiavelli, this was not due to a lack of foresight, but his error in creating a new pope.
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Catholic cardinal
Catholic cardinal