The Borgias in Gandia
Most people have heard of the Borgias (Borja in Valenciano). Renaissance Italy was dominated by rich and powerful families whose reputations were shaped by their dark and dastardly deeds. Without a doubt, the Borgia’s are the most infamous of those families. Showtime did an Emmy winning series on them. One of Netflix’s oldest original series was also about them. There have also been several movies over the years. Those shows focused mostly on Italy and on the scandals associate with the Borgias. What I’m focusing on here is their time right here in my backyard — in Gandia Spain, although I’m including some history about the family.
When we were on our house-hunting trip, we learned that the Borgia palace (Ducal Palace) was located in Gandia, and that the mountain valley where we ended up living (La Drova/Barx) was their private hunting ground.
I’d heard of them, of course, but wasn’t well-versed, so I set out to learn more about their presence here.
A brief history
The Borgias were a Spanish-Aragonese noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. History claims that by all measures, they would make most contemporary scandal-filled families look like characters from Sesame Street. They were infamous for their sin and immorality and suspected of adultery, incest, simony (buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges, for example pardons or benefices), theft, bribery, and murder.
The Borgias were prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two Borgias became popes: Alfons de Borja, who ruled as Pope Callixtus III during 1455–1458, and Rodrigo Lanzol Borgia, as Pope Alexander VI, during 1492–1503.
With the exception of Francisco Borgia (later Saint Francis Borgia) it seems there wasn’t a single member of the Borgia family who wasn’t stained with stories of corruption, sin, and debauchery, including:
- The original patriarch, Alfonso de Borja (1378–1458) who reigned as Pope Callixtus III from 1455 until his death.
- Rodrigo (1431–1503), nephew of Alfonso, who was elevated to the cardinalate and in 1492 became Pope Alexander VI.
- Rodrigo’s daughter Lucrezia (1480–1519) who was labelled as a whore, a poisoner, a murderer, and even a witch.
- Rodrigo’s son Cesare (1475/6–1507) a handsome, dashing man who had a reputation as “the most despicable Borgia of all” for a laundry list of supposed crimes.
Is the history true?
Were the Borgias really that bad? Some studies find much of their reputation was designed to discredit, rather than accurately document, the family. Many of the supposed claims, such as incest, rage-murder, and poisoning, do not seem to have any legitimate proof. They are based more on salacious gossip than on reliable evidence. A few historians believe the stories were a deliberate attempt by other powerful families to destroy the Borgia family’s standing in society.
When all of the evidence is more closely examined, it becomes apparent that the Borgias were entirely typical of the families of that era, who continually vied for the papal throne during the Renaissance. But the Borgias were from Spain, and powerful Italian families were not happy with the idea of Spanish popes. Twice! That one fact may be the root of most of the stories of scandal.
Influence around Gandia
The Borgias certainly didn’t have such an extreme reputation in Spain. They had extensive and positive influence all over the country, especially here in the Gandia area, where they lived for more than a century. Even today, many businesses include the Borgia name: orthopedist, optometrist, real estate agent, hotel, and more. Even a school and the new hospital feature the Borgia name.
In addition, there’s even a status of Saint Francis Borgia in front of the Ajuntament de Gandia (city council) building.
And in December 2021, the Ajuntament started a new festival, the Fira de Borgiana. The city’s announcement said, “Gandia will wear the most Borgiana face from December 3 to 6. For four days, Gandia City Council has prepared a whole series of activities aimed at all audiences to highlight the most universal family in our city while generating a new focus of attraction for visitors and tourists.”
Here’s a closer look at some of the most prominent influences in Gandia by the Borgias.
The Ducal Palace
Our local story begins with Pedro Luis de Borgia, the son of Rodrigo Borgia/Pope Alexander VI. Pedro fought alongside the Spanish armies during the Granada War (Reconquista). Following his heroic triumph during the Battle of Ronda, in 1483 King Ferdinand II rewarded him with the title First Duke of Gandia (although some claim he bought that title). Pedro occupied the Ducal Palace in Gandia, along with many other members of the Borgia family.
I really struggled to find a construction date for the Ducal Palace (online dates varied wildly, even on history sites). I contacted the palace staff and was told the date that they consider valid is the beginning of the 14th century and that they haven’t found a more precise definition.
The Collegiate Church of Santa María
In October 1499, Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo de Borgia), granted the status of collegiate church to The Collegiate Church of Santa María, located in the Plaza Mayor (across from the Ajuntament de Gandia building). In fact, the Apostles’ door features bas-reliefs of the Borgia and Enríquez families’ coats of arms.
Even today, several times a month, Gandía’s buñoleras cook and sell their freshly made buñuelos (dough fritters) at the church. The money collected is used to fund social projects.
The Collegiate church isn’t just historically prominent. It’s physically prominent as well. The bell tower can be seen from almost everywhere in the city and was even used as a reference point during building of the road running into Gandia from the beach.
University of Gandia
In 1543, Francis Borgia (Francisco de Borja in Valenciano) created the University of Gandia, the first in the city, and the world’s first for the Order of the Jesuits. In 1546, after the death of his wife, he decided to become a Jesuit Priest in the Order. He went on to help establish what is now the Gregorian University in Rome, advised kings and popes, and closely supervised all the affairs of the growing Order. In spite of all that, Francis led a humble life. For all his contributions, he was canonized (declared a saint) in 1670 by Pope Clement X.
For several centuries the university was one of the most important centers of its kind in the area. University classes were taught there to leading figures of the period until the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish soil in 1767, leading to the school’s closure. The building was subsequently used for other activities.
In 1806, the Antigua Universidad (old university) came under the ownership of the Escolapios (also known as the Piarists). The Escolapios brought teaching back to the the school. Today it is Francis Borgia College, a private Catholic multilingual nursery through secondary school. It was listed as a Property of Cultural Interest in 1977.
In the Plaza of the Pious Schools (in front of the school), are five bronze sculptures that depict the most outstanding members of the Borgia family: Pope Calixto III, Pope Alexander VI, Cesar Borgia, Lucrezia Borgia, and San Francisco de Borgia.
Convent of Santa Clara
This convent for poor ladies was founded in 1423 by Violante of Aragon, daughter of the royal Duke Alfonso the Elder. It is a Roman Catholic convent and belongs to the cloistered order of the Colettine Poor Clares.
Although neither the building nor the religion were founded by any member of the Borgia family, several prominent Borgia women chose to live there, including sisters of Saint Francis Borgia. Isabel de Borgia (1498–1557)—daughter of Juan de Borgia— wasn’t just a resident of the convent. She became Abbess of the Order and went on to found other convents in La Rioja, Valladolid, and Madrid. She’s also remembered as the founder of the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales, in the heart of Madrid.
The convent preserves an outstanding art collection bequeathed by the Borgias including the works of José de Ribera, Juan de Juanes, Paolo da San Leocadio, and Francisco Salzillo. In the courtyard of the convent is an olive tree which, according to tradition, was planted by Saint Francis Borgia. The convent also houses the image of the Virgen de Baluarte, the virgin of the rain.
The convent remains an active cloister to this day, so it’s only possible to visit its gothic-style church.
Convent de Sant Roc/San Roque
The female convents used to be linked to another male convent of the order in the same city. The one corresponding to Santa Clara is San Roque. It was founded in 1588 by Don Carlos de Borja y de Meneses, 5th Duke of Gandía and eldest son of Saint Francis.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the convent passed into the hands of the City Council. Today it’s the headquarters of the Institut Municipal d’Arxius i Biblioteques (central library).
As I said in the beginning, the Borgias had influence over much of Spain. The entire Route of the Borgias encompasses many locations in the Region of Valencia, including Canals, Xàtiva, Simat de la Valldigna, and València. I couldn’t cover everything here, but if the Borgias fascinate you, and you are ever in the Valencia region, it’s worth a day’s exploration.
