Vixen or Victim? The Truth About Lucrezia Borgia
History’s favorite femme fatale was not what you might think
“In evil and perverse doings woman is cleverer, that is, slyer, than man. Her feelings drive woman toward every evil, just as reason impels man toward all good” ~ Albertus Magnus (approx. 1200–1280)
“Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands.” ~ Jewish Proverb
Lucrezia Borgia (1480–1519) is perhaps one of the most maligned women in history. Rumors about her abound, and none of them are good. Here is a sampling:
- Lucrezia and her brother Cesare were lovers
- Lucrezia and her father Pope Alexander VI were lovers
- She is said to have poisoned her family’s enemies
Scandalous rumors about Lucrezia and the rest of her family abound, but few are grounded in fact.
The Italian nobles disliked the Borgias because they were Spaniards. They resented the fact that foreigners wielded so much power in their country.
Jealousy, resentment, and retaliation for offenses real and imagined were mostly responsible for the rumors, innuendo, and outright lies about the Borgias that endure to this day.
