Page "Cesare Borgia" Paragraph 2

Like nearly all aspects of Cesare Borgia's life, the date of his birth is a subject of dispute.

He was born in Rome — in either 1475 or 1476 — the son of Cardinal Rodrigo de Lanzol y Borgia, soon to become Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, about whom information is sparse.

The Borgia family originally came from the Kingdom of Valencia, and rose to prominence during the mid-15th century ; Cesare's great-uncle Alonso Borgia ( 1378 – 1458 ), bishop of Valencia, was elected Pope Callixtus III in 1455.

Cesare's father, Pope Alexander VI, was the first pope who openly recognized his children by a lover.