The Prince!

ALL STATES, all powers, that have held and hold rule over men have been and are either republics or principalities.
Principalities are either hereditary, in which the family has been long established; or they are new.
The new are either entirely new, as was Milan to Francesco Sforza, or they are, as it were, members annexed to the hereditary state of the prince who has acquired them, as was the kingdom of Naples to that of the King of Spain.
Such dominions thus acquired are either accustomed to live under a prince, or to live in freedom; and are acquired either by the arms of the prince himself, or of others, or else by fortune or by ability.

Lucrezia Borgia

          Lucrezia Borgia was born on April 18, 1480, in Subiaco, near Rome. She was the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (c. 1431–1503), who would later become Pope Alexander VI, and one of his mistresses, Vannozza Cattanei, who was also the mother of Lucrezia's two older brothers, Cesare and Giovanni. Lucrezia reportedly spoke and wrote several languages, among them Italian, French, Latin, and Greek.She was engaged to one nobleman and then another before her father had the engagements dissolved so that he could arrange for her to be married to Giovanni Sforza, at age 13. Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, was named Pope Alexander VI in 1492, and Lucrezia was married a year later. Four years later, Lucrezia's marriage became less politically advantageous, and Pope Alexander VI sought to have it annulled under the pretense of the relationship never having been consummated. During their annulment Lucrezia rested in a nearby convent. She had clearly consummated a relationship with some individual, however, because when annulment was officially granted on December 27, 1497, Lucrezia was six months pregnant. In July 1498, Lucrezia married Alfonso of Aragon, the 17-year-old Duke of Bisceglie and son of the late king of Naples, and they had a child together. Unfortunately for Alfonso, by 1500, Pope Alexander and Lucrezia’s brother Cesare sought a new alliance with France, and Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso was a major obstacle.

               On July 15, 1500, Alfonso was stabbed several times, but he survived. On August 18, his luck ran out, when, as is generally believed, Cesare’s hired men to strangle Alfonso to death as he lay recovering from his previous stab wounds. After Alfonso’s death, Lucrezia's father arranged for her to be married to Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, in early 1502. Lucrezia's new husband was initially hesitant because of the Borgia reputation. The couple soon moved out of Rome to Ferrara, escaping the endless scheming of her father and brother, and the pair had several children (many of whom died young). With this marriage, Lucrezia managed to rise above her family’s reputation, and she thrived in her new surroundings.

                Lucrezia Borgia was a very interesting lady. Some people would say that she was a fine young lady and others would say that she was promiscuous. She really put herself out there when it came to men or so it seemed. People thought that she was incest but they proved the people wrong. Historians still don’t know if all the Borgia’s were incest. Also they would say that she was the most depraved women in Italy and the world. She was believed to poison people that she did not like or that did her family wrong.

               Lucrezia Borgia was born on April 18, 1480 in Subiaco, Italy. Her parents were Rodrigo Borgia and her mother was one of his mistresses Vanozza Catanei.  When she was young her father took her and her two older brothers Juan and Cesare from their mother to carry on the family name and traditions. Lucrezia was married three times and possibly a fourth. Rodrigo made her get married and they were all too influence the Borgia’s name.

                When she was 11 her dad decided to marry her off to Don Gasparo but soon after they announced that they were getting married her dad became Pope Alexander VI he cancelled they wedding plans. A few years later when she was 13 her father married her to Giovanni Sforza. He was twice her age and they never meet before their wedding. Four years into their marriage their relationship became less political advantageous so Pope Alexander VI sought to have it annulled. During the annulment she sought comfort in their stable hand Pedro Calderon. Which she became came pregnant. When their annulment was official she was 6 months pregnant. The child’s father was unknown but there were rumors that it was Cesare’s or her fathers which she denied. Pedro was later murdered by who they believe was Cesare.

                In July of 1498 Lucrezia married Alfonso of Aragon. He was the 17 year old Duke of Bisceglie. They fell in love with each other and then Lucrezia’s brother Cesare stabbed Alfonso several time, but he survived. Lucrezia doctored him and took care of him like a good wife would. A month went by and somebody snuck into his chamber (which they believed the Cesare hired) and strangled him to death. Lucrezia was heart broke and sick. They had a son together.

After Alfonso’s death her father arranged her to marry Alfonso d’Este. She wasn’t too happy because she loved the other Alfonso. Alfonso and her marriage was hard neither of them were fully committed. They both had affairs with different people Lucrezia had many different men during her marriage. Her father died in 1503 and it was very hard on Lucrezia but it made her life more stable. The Alfonso’s father died in 1505. They became very close and had children together and they stopped having affairs with other people.

Lucrezia never believed that Cesare killed her lovers. It’s hard to understand but I think that they were in love which is really weird because they are brother and sister but they are only half related. I watch a documentary on them and it said that they were in love and he would do anything to protect her so he killed her lover and husband because they weren’t right for her.

Botticelli

                                                                                           Only five years older than Lorenzo de'Medici by the late 1460s Botticelli had made a name for himself under the apprenticeship of Filippo Lippi, an infamous Medici artist. The teenager was originally spotted by Piero il Gottoso and offered his own studio space inside the Medici Palace. He quickly befriended the charismatic heirs to the dynasty, Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano.
Such intimacy with the most powerful family in Florence was critical to Botticelli's career. He didn't need to depend on his Medici friends for work. Their extended family and hangers-on fell over themselves to keep him busy. The most notorious example was the tax collector Guasparre dal Lama who, in an effort to impress the Medici, asked Botticelli to compose an “Adoration of the Magi"       Source:http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/renaissance/botticelli.html

 

 

Bottecelli was a great artist for his time. As a child he was poor and lived on the backstreets of Florence. He was very lucky when he was asked to go into the Medici Palace to be an artist as a teenager. It was told that he was a very handsome man that all the girls liked. He painted some very controversial pictures that were hidden for hundreds of years. He painted a painting called The Birth of Venus for one of the Medici's wedding gift, because Venus was the goddess of fertility and birth. They thought that it was very risque for the time period. Now a days people think that it is beautiful and deserves to get recognized as it is.