Page "Cesare Borgia" Paragraph 9

Cesare was appointed commander of the papal armies with a number of Italian mercenaries, supported by 300 cavalry and 4, 000 Swiss infantry sent by the King of France.

Alexander sent him to capture Imola and Forlì, ruled by Caterina Sforza ( mother of the Medici condottiero Giovanni dalle Bande Nere ).

Despite being deprived of his French troops after the conquest of those two cities, Borgia returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph and to receive the title of Papal Gonfalonier from his father.

In 1500 the creation of twelve new cardinals granted Alexander enough money for Cesare to hire the condottieri, Vitellozzo Vitelli, Gian Paolo Baglioni, Giulio and Paolo Orsini, and Oliverotto da Fermo, who resumed his campaign in Romagna.