Giovanni Sforza
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Sforza d'Aragona (1466 – 27 July 1510) was an Italian condottiero, lord of Pesaro
and Gradara
from 1483 until his death. He is best known as the first husband of Lucrezia Borgia
. Their marriage was annulled on claims of his impotence in March 1497.
, he was a member of the powerful House of Sforza
, in the line of Pesaro and Gradara
(the Milanese line held the Duchy of Milan
at the time). At the death of his father in 1483 he inherited the lordship of Pesaro and Gradara.
In 1489 Giovanni had married Maddalena Gonzaga, daughter of Federico I
of Mantua
, but she died the following year. He was thus viewed as a valuable link to Milan by the Borgia
family. With the help of Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
, the family finalized marriage negotiations in February 1492 between Giovanni, then in his mid-twenties, and Lucrezia Borgia, the thirteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI
. A proxy marriage
took place on 12 June that year, as the wedding contract stipulated that Lucrezia would stay in Rome
and not consummate the marriage for a year. Her dowry was 31,000 ducats. The official marriage was celebrated in the Vatican
in 1493, and reputedly was a lavish and decadent affair.
He and Lucrezia spent two years in Pesaro, during which his importance to the ambitious Borgia family dwindled. Sforza tried to wield his proximity to the Borgias to Milan's advantage by acting as a spy, and was found out by Alexander VI. Meanwhile, other political advantages (particularly with Naples) were formed, rendering the strategic marriage useless. Lucrezia, used to privileged life in the Papal court, did not adjust to the provincial atmosphere of Pesaro. By Christmas 1495, both Giovanni and Lucrezia were present again in the court at Rome.
By then, Sforza was aware that his fortune was precarious. He left Rome to continue with a military campaign, and upon his return in February 1497 quickly fled the city in disguise. The accepted reason for this is that the Pope and his son Cesare
had contrived a plot to murder Giovanni, but Lucrezia was informed in advance by Cesare and warned her husband to leave. This has not been proven, but remains a popular explanation.
In response, Sforza accused Lucrezia of parental and fraternal incest. This claim, first made solely against the Pope and later extended to all of Lucrezia's brothers, still continues to shade the family's history. It became a popular example of the depravity later attributed to the family, despite its lack of verifiability.
The marriage was eventually annulled in 1497 on grounds of non-consummation. The Sforza family had by then threatened to withhold protection of Giovanni if he did not comply with the offer, which allowed him to keep the dowry but still required signing the confirmation of impotence. In March or December, Sforza agreed to the terms; six months later, he provided sworn testimony that Lucrezia was a virgin. Ironically, Lucrezia was then allegedly pregnant with the Roman Infante, whose parentage was cited by some as proof of incest between her and Cesare. It is certain that Sforza did not parent the child, but details beyond that are uncertain.
In 1500 Giovanni was excommunicated, and the citizens of one of his cities attempted to kill him. He was also attacked by Cesare Borgia, who aimed to gain Sforza's lands, and was forced to abandon Pesaro. He sued for help to all the major powers of the time --including France and Holy Roman Empire -- but in vain. Giovanni Sforza could return to Pesaro only after the death of Alexander VI and the illness of Cesare Borgia (1503). The following year the new Pope, Julius II
, confirmed him as vicariate in Pesaro.
He remarried to Ginevra Tiepolo, who gave him an heir, Costanzo II (Giovanni Maria), who succeeded him in Pesaro and Gradara.
He died in Pesaro in 1510.
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
and Gradara
Gradara
Gradara is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is located 25 km from Rimini and 13 km from Pesaro....
from 1483 until his death. He is best known as the first husband of Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
. Their marriage was annulled on claims of his impotence in March 1497.
Life and marriage
The illegitimate son of Costanzo I SforzaCostanzo I Sforza
Costanzo I of Sforza was an Italian condottiero, lord of Pesaro and Gradara.He was the son of Alessandro Sforza, under whom he fought in his early years and from whom he inherited the lordship of Pesaro...
, he was a member of the powerful House of Sforza
House of Sforza
Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan.-History:The dynasty was founded by Muzio Attendolo , called Sforza , a condottiero from Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples...
, in the line of Pesaro and Gradara
Gradara
Gradara is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is located 25 km from Rimini and 13 km from Pesaro....
(the Milanese line held the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
at the time). At the death of his father in 1483 he inherited the lordship of Pesaro and Gradara.
In 1489 Giovanni had married Maddalena Gonzaga, daughter of Federico I
Federico I Gonzaga
Federico I Gonzaga was marquess of Mantua from 1478 to 1484, as well as a condottiero.-Biography:Federico was born in Mantua in 1441, son of Ludovico II and Barbara of Brandenburg...
of Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
, but she died the following year. He was thus viewed as a valuable link to Milan by the Borgia
Borgia
The Borgias, also known as the Borjas, Borjia, were a European Papal family of Italian and Spanish origin with the name stemming from the familial fief seat of Borja belonging to their Aragonese Lords; they became prominent during the Renaissance. The Borgias were patrons of the arts, and their...
family. With the help of Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church, generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI.-Early years:...
, the family finalized marriage negotiations in February 1492 between Giovanni, then in his mid-twenties, and Lucrezia Borgia, the thirteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
. A proxy marriage
Proxy marriage
A proxy wedding or is a wedding in which the bride or groom is not physically present, usually being represented instead by another person...
took place on 12 June that year, as the wedding contract stipulated that Lucrezia would stay in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and not consummate the marriage for a year. Her dowry was 31,000 ducats. The official marriage was celebrated in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
in 1493, and reputedly was a lavish and decadent affair.
He and Lucrezia spent two years in Pesaro, during which his importance to the ambitious Borgia family dwindled. Sforza tried to wield his proximity to the Borgias to Milan's advantage by acting as a spy, and was found out by Alexander VI. Meanwhile, other political advantages (particularly with Naples) were formed, rendering the strategic marriage useless. Lucrezia, used to privileged life in the Papal court, did not adjust to the provincial atmosphere of Pesaro. By Christmas 1495, both Giovanni and Lucrezia were present again in the court at Rome.
By then, Sforza was aware that his fortune was precarious. He left Rome to continue with a military campaign, and upon his return in February 1497 quickly fled the city in disguise. The accepted reason for this is that the Pope and his son Cesare
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
had contrived a plot to murder Giovanni, but Lucrezia was informed in advance by Cesare and warned her husband to leave. This has not been proven, but remains a popular explanation.
Annulment and late life
The Pope filed for divorce on Lucrezia's behalf in 1497. Ascanio Sforza was again called in to mediate between his nephew and the Borgias, and tried to persuade Giovanni into accepting the divorce. However, Giovanni refused to do so on at least two grounds: first, he would have to return Lucrezia's sizable dowry, and second, doing so would require signing a paper that stated he was impotent. Some sources state that Giovanni had married and even fathered illegitimate children prior to his union with Lucrezia, which is not unreasonable given his age; therefore, genuine impotence on his part would be unlikely.In response, Sforza accused Lucrezia of parental and fraternal incest. This claim, first made solely against the Pope and later extended to all of Lucrezia's brothers, still continues to shade the family's history. It became a popular example of the depravity later attributed to the family, despite its lack of verifiability.
The marriage was eventually annulled in 1497 on grounds of non-consummation. The Sforza family had by then threatened to withhold protection of Giovanni if he did not comply with the offer, which allowed him to keep the dowry but still required signing the confirmation of impotence. In March or December, Sforza agreed to the terms; six months later, he provided sworn testimony that Lucrezia was a virgin. Ironically, Lucrezia was then allegedly pregnant with the Roman Infante, whose parentage was cited by some as proof of incest between her and Cesare. It is certain that Sforza did not parent the child, but details beyond that are uncertain.
In 1500 Giovanni was excommunicated, and the citizens of one of his cities attempted to kill him. He was also attacked by Cesare Borgia, who aimed to gain Sforza's lands, and was forced to abandon Pesaro. He sued for help to all the major powers of the time --including France and Holy Roman Empire -- but in vain. Giovanni Sforza could return to Pesaro only after the death of Alexander VI and the illness of Cesare Borgia (1503). The following year the new Pope, Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
, confirmed him as vicariate in Pesaro.
He remarried to Ginevra Tiepolo, who gave him an heir, Costanzo II (Giovanni Maria), who succeeded him in Pesaro and Gradara.
He died in Pesaro in 1510.