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Updated: May 12, 2025
In other words, I claim for my reconstruction of the circumstances attending the mysterious death of Giovanni Borgia, Duke of Gandia, that it no more lacks historical authority than do any other of the explanatory narratives adopted by history to assign the guilt to Gandia's brother, Cesare Borgia.
In 1529 he married one of the ladies in waiting to the empress, Eleonora de Castro, who bore him five sons and three daughters. When she died, in 1546, the Duke of Gandia yielded to his long-standing desire to enter the Society of Jesus and to relinquish his brilliant position forever. It seemed as if a mysterious force was impelling him thus to expiate the crimes of his house.
From this moment all is wrapped in mystery and darkness, like that in which the terrible deed was done that we are now to relate. This, however, is what is believed. The Duke of Gandia, when he quitted Caesar, sent away his servants, and in the company of one confidential valet alone pursued his course towards the Piazza della Giudecca.
Peter, dispossessing Cardinal Farnese of the latter office to bestow it upon this well-beloved son. In Venice it was being related, a few months later, in October that Gandia had brought a woman from Spain for his father, and that the latter had taken her to live with him. The story is given in Sanuto, and of course has been unearthed and served up by most historians and essayists.
Her punishment was not long delayed, for the divorce proceedings made her notorious and started terrible rumors regarding her private life. These reports began to circulate at the time of the murder of Gandia and of her divorce from Sforza; the cause of both these events was stated to have been an unmentionable crime.
"Do you know," Caesar resumed, giving no sign of assent but a nod and a bitter smile, "do you know who has all the money and none of the genius, who has the helmet and none of the brains, who has the sword and no hand to wield it?" "That too is the Duke of Gandia," said Michelotto.
Where the need to accuse in turn every enemy that Gandia could possibly possess before finally fastening upon his own brother? Certain evidence is afforded by the known facts of the case, scant as they are.
On the 19th Capello writes again, and, having stated that Lucrezia who was really prostrate with grief at her husband's death was stricken with fever, adds that "it is not known who has wounded the Duke of Biselli, but it is said that it was the same who killed and threw into Tiber the Duke of Gandia.
At about the same time that Lucrezia withdrew to her convent her brother Gandia was the recipient of further honours at the hands of his fond father. The Pope had raised the fief of Benevento to a dukedom, and as a dukedom conferred it upon his son, to him and to his legitimate heirs for ever. To this he added the valuable lordships of Terracina and Pontecorvo.
Gonzalo de Cordoba made a triumphal entry into Rome, bringing with him Monaldo da Guerra, the unfortunate defender of Ostia, in chains. He was received with great honour by the Duke of Gandia, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Giovanni Sforza, and they escorted him to the Vatican, where the Pope awaited him.
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