The Scandalous Reign Of Pope Alexander VI
The death of Pope Innocent VIII in 1492 sparked a power struggle among papal candidates. Like his uncle before him, the now 61-year-old Rodrigo Borgia successfully bribed a majority of cardinals for their votes and was coronated Pope Alexander VI within months of Pope Innocent VIII’s death.
Now in office, Pope Alexander VI used his influence to grow the Borgia family’s power and wealth — and his own. He appointed 10 of his relatives to the College of Cardinals, including his 18-year-old son Cesare and the younger brother of his mistress, Alessandro Farnese, who later became pope himself.
Furthermore, Pope Alexander VI endowed his closest allies with fiefdoms across the Papal States and often practiced simony, the sin of selling church offices.
Meanwhile, he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle filled with expensive ceremonies unbecoming to the head of the church. In 1500, he famously proclaimed the year as a Holy Year of Jubilee and organized an extravagant celebration to mark the occasion. The following year, he held the most infamous party in papal history.
On October 30, 1501, Pope Alexander VI and his son, Cesare, held what’s become known as the Banquet of Chestnuts at the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence. It was reportedly an all-night orgy that saw the pope, his son, and some of their inner circle enjoy the services of 50 prostitutes at once and make a competition out of it.
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