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Rodrigo de Borja becomes Pope Alexander VI

Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c. 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head...

Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c. 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.

Born into the prominent Borja family in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon (in present-day Spain), he was known as Roderic de Borja, and he is commonly referred to by the Italianized form as Rodrigo Borgia. He studied law at the University of Bologna. He was ordained deacon and made a cardinal in 1456 after the election of his uncle as Pope Callixtus III, and a year later he became vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church.

Historical Significance

Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c.

Events Before

  1. King Charles VIII of France (21) marries Anna Duchess of Brittany (14) giving France control over Brittany

    King Charles VIII of France (21) marries Anna Duchess of Brittany (14) giving France control over Brittany

  2. Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I

    Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I

  3. Opening ceremony of Kyoto's Daitokuji Shinju at the sub-temple

    Opening ceremony of Kyoto's Daitokuji Shinju at the sub-temple

  4. The case of the 'Holy Child of La Guardia', involving the kidnapping and murdering a Christian boy, concludes with publi

    The case of the 'Holy Child of La Guardia', involving the kidnapping and murdering a Christian boy, concludes with public burning at the stake of nine Jews in Ávila, Spain

  5. The siege of Granada, last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins

    The siege of Granada, last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins

Events After

  1. Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first voyage to the New World

    Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first voyage to the New World

  2. Spanish Pope Alexander VI decrees in the papal bull "Inter caetera" that all lands west of a line 100 leagues west of an

    Spanish Pope Alexander VI decrees in the papal bull "Inter caetera" that all lands west of a line 100 leagues west of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands belong to Castile, ultimately dividing the Americas between Spain and Portugal

  3. Christopher Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships

    Christopher Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships

  4. Christopher Columbus returns to the colony of La Navidad, finding it destroyed by the first Native American uprising aga

    Christopher Columbus returns to the colony of La Navidad, finding it destroyed by the first Native American uprising against Spanish rule. Taíno Cacique Caonabo led his people to attack the settlement after the brutal treatment they received from the garrison who disobeyed Columbus's orders.

  5. Last day for all Jews to leave Sicily

    Jews, or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They traditionally adhere to Judaism.

More from the 1490s

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Casti

Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders the city of Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, ending the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula

Juw Dekama is elected Potestaat of Frisia

Potestaat was the title of a supposed governor of medieval Friesland. According to the legendary Karelsprivilege, a 14th-century forgery, Charlemagne had first granted the title of potestaat to…

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 11, 1492?
Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c. 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into the prominent Borja family in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon (in present-day Spain), he was known as Roderic de Borja, and he is commonly referred to by the Italianized form as Rodrigo Borgia.
Why is Rodrigo de Borja becomes Pope Alexander VI significant?
Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c.

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August 11 in HistoryYear 1492