Italian Aristocracy. Duke of Valentinois and Romagna. Born the second of three illegitimate children of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia - who would become known to history as Pope Alexander VI - and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattani. As a second son, Borgia was expected to go into the church. With his father's elevation to the papacy, he was created archbishop of Valencia, and a year later, at the age of 18, a cardinal. In 1497 his brother Juan, Duke of Gandia, was murdered, a deed attributed to Borgia. In August 1498, he asked for the permission of the cardinals and the pope to renounce the priesthood which was duly granted. That autumn, he served as the papal legate to Louis XII for which he received the duchy of Valentinois from the king. In 1499 he married Charlotte d'Albret, sister of the king of Navarre. In July 1500, the murder of the Duke of Bisceglie, sister Lucrezia Borgia's third husband, was also attributed to Césare. Acknowledged a capable general and statesman, he was sent to subdue independent minded Italian states and bring them back under the control of the papacy. The Pope made him Duke of Romagna in 1501 as an impetus to his campaign. He seized the city of Piombino in 1502, followed by Elba, Camerino, and the duchy of Urbino. He then lured his chief rivals to the castle of Senigallia, where he had two of them strangled. His campaigns are regarded as instrumental in the consolidation of the Papal States. He was in Rome early in 1503 preparing for a new expedition in central Italy when both he and his father were simultaneously felled by a mysterious illness. Historians have speculated on the origins of the illness and have not ruled out the possibility of poison. By August the Pope was dead, effectively eliminating Borgia's protection from his legion of enemies. Barley recovered himself, his power base collapsing, he fled Rome in September. A new pope only survived for two months before succumbing to ill health, clearing the way for the election of Pope Julius II, a Borgia family enemy. Julius had Borgia arrested and demanded the immediate return of territory that remained in Borgia's control. Released, he fled to Naples which was under Spanish control. As the result of collusion between Julius II and the Spanish rulers, Borgia was again arrested and imprisoned in Spain. He escaped in 1506. The only refuge that remained to Borgia was the court of his brother-in-law, Jean d'Albret, King of Navarre. There he took service as a general of the army. During a siege if the castle of Viana, Borgia was killed less than a year later. He showed himself to be intelligent, cruel, treacherous, and ruthlessly opportunistic and has long been considered a model for Niccolò Machiavelli's 'The Prince.'