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Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the worldMcCabe, Joseph

History

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

Name: Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world
Author: McCabe, Joseph

McCabe, Joseph

Catholic Church -- History; Papacy -- History

_favorite_ made a transient appearance at the Vatican.

The next two years were employed in the establishment of Cæsar's power
in Romagna and the reduction of the Pope's personal enemies. Louis of
France and Ferdinand of Spain drew up their famous, or infamous, scheme
for the partition of Naples, and Alexander conveniently discovered
for them, and proclaimed in a Bull, that Federigo of Naples had, by
an alliance with the Turks, become a traitor to Christendom. The
fall of Naples involved the ruin of the Colonna, and they and the
Savelli were condemned to lose their estates for rebellion against
the Holy See. From part of these estates the Pope formed the duchy of
Sermoneta for Lucrezia's two-year-old son, Rodrigo, and the duchy of
Nepi was bestowed on his own infant son Juan. Alexander next turned
his attention to Ferrara, and, when Venice and Florence forbade him
to attack it, he arranged a marriage of the widowed Lucrezia with
the Duke's son Alfonso: overcoming the abhorrence of the proud Este
family by the influence of Louis XII. and by a grant to the Duke of all
Church-dues in Ferrara for three years. From Ferrara, when it fell to
his sister, Cæsar would have a comparatively easy march on Bologna, if
not Florence.

So the year 1501 ended in such rejoicings as the fortune of the Borgia
family inspired. At the date October 11, 1501, Burchard dispassionately
notes in his diary that the Pope was unable to attend to his spiritual
duties, but was not prevented from enjoying, in the Vatican, a
"chestnut dance" and other performances of fifty nude courtesans whom
Cæsar introduced.[283] Lucrezia, whose purity some recent writers
are eager to vindicate, was present with her father and brother. On
December 30th she was married. Alexander gave her the finest set of
pearls in Europe and 100,000 ducats; and for a week Rome enjoyed such
spectacles and bull-fights as had not been seen for years. Within the
Vatican such comedies as the _Menæchmi_ of Plautus were enacted before
the Pope and his family and cardinals. Even tolerant Italy now broke
into caustic criticisms, and Cæsar replied vigorously by the daggers of
his followers. The Pope genially urged him to let men talk.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the worldMcCabe, Joseph

History

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

McCabe, Joseph

Catholic Church -- History; Papacy -- History

_favorite_ made a transient appearance at the Vatican.

The next two years were employed in the establishment of Cæsar's power
in Romagna and the reduction of the Pope's personal enemies. Louis of
France and Ferdinand of Spain drew up their famous, or infamous, scheme
for the partition of Naples, and Alexander conveniently discovered
for them, and proclaimed in a Bull, that Federigo of Naples had, by
an alliance with the Turks, become a traitor to Christendom. The
fall of Naples involved the ruin of the Colonna, and they and the
Savelli were condemned to lose their estates for rebellion against
the Holy See. From part of these estates the Pope formed the duchy of
Sermoneta for Lucrezia's two-year-old son, Rodrigo, and the duchy of
Nepi was bestowed on his own infant son Juan. Alexander next turned
his attention to Ferrara, and, when Venice and Florence forbade him
to attack it, he arranged a marriage of the widowed Lucrezia with
the Duke's son Alfonso: overcoming the abhorrence of the proud Este
family by the influence of Louis XII. and by a grant to the Duke of all
Church-dues in Ferrara for three years. From Ferrara, when it fell to
his sister, Cæsar would have a comparatively easy march on Bologna, if
not Florence.

So the year 1501 ended in such rejoicings as the fortune of the Borgia
family inspired. At the date October 11, 1501, Burchard dispassionately
notes in his diary that the Pope was unable to attend to his spiritual
duties, but was not prevented from enjoying, in the Vatican, a
"chestnut dance" and other performances of fifty nude courtesans whom
Cæsar introduced.[283] Lucrezia, whose purity some recent writers
are eager to vindicate, was present with her father and brother. On
December 30th she was married. Alexander gave her the finest set of
pearls in Europe and 100,000 ducats; and for a week Rome enjoyed such
spectacles and bull-fights as had not been seen for years. Within the
Vatican such comedies as the _Menæchmi_ of Plautus were enacted before
the Pope and his family and cardinals. Even tolerant Italy now broke
into caustic criticisms, and Cæsar replied vigorously by the daggers of
his followers. The Pope genially urged him to let men talk.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

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