Cesare Borgia

However much Rome may be in the habit of speaking and writing,for my own part, I shall give these libellers a lesson in good manners--Cesare to his father, Pope Alexander IV.

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Cesare Borgia (April 1476-March 12, 1507) was born to Pope Alexander VI and his mistress Vanodda die Cattanei. He was one of the children of the infamous Borgia clan. His birthday is disputed, but his military career is the stuff of legend. He was groomed as the Prince of the Papal States, by his father, but did not hang on to them long. He escaped from prison and died fighting in Spain.

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Cesare was appointed commander of the Papal armies with a number of Italian mercenaries, supported by 300 cavalry and 4,000 Swiss infantry sent to him by the King of France. Alexander sent him to capture Imola and Forli. When he led the charge in the Siege of Piombino which ended in 1502, Cesare commanded the French troops in seiging Naples and Capua, defended by Prospero and Fabrizio Colonna. In 1502, he set out for Marche, where he was able to capture Urbino and Camerino by treason. He planned to conquer Bologna, but his troops feared his cruelty, so they plotted against him. Cesare called for a reconciliation, but he imprisoned condettieri in Senigallia. Cesare went to Naples where he was betrayed by his ally, Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba. He was imprisoned in the Castle of Chinchilla de Montearagon, but after an attempted escape, to Castle of La Mota. He escaped Castle of La Mota with assistance, then joined King John III of Navarre. He was killed in the early morning of March 12, 1507 after fighting outside of Viana,Spain.