Ramiro de Lorca facts for kids
Ramiro de Lorca (born in 1452, died in 1502) was a Spanish military leader. He worked for Cesare Borgia, a powerful Italian nobleman and son of Pope Alexander VI. Ramiro de Lorca was also known as Ramiro de Lorqua or Ramiro d'Orco.
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Ramiro's Life Story
It is not known exactly when Ramiro de Lorca moved from Spain to Italy. We also don't know when he started working for the Borgia family. However, by the time Cesare Borgia's father became Pope Alexander VI, Ramiro was already a trusted helper.
In 1498, Ramiro went with Cesare Borgia to France. He was a butler (a high-ranking servant) and witnessed Cesare's marriage to Charlotte of Albret.
Working for Cesare Borgia
In 1500, Cesare Borgia wanted to take control of a region in Italy called Romagna. He used the excuse that the local lords refused to pay money to the Pope. Ramiro de Lorca helped Cesare in this military campaign. He helped capture the cities of Cesena and Forlì.
After the cities were taken, Ramiro became the governor of Forlì. Later, he became the governor of Cesena, which was the main city of the new area Cesare Borgia controlled.
Governor of Romagna
In October 1501, Ramiro became the governor of the entire Romagna province. His job was to bring peace and order to the region. He was very strict in stopping any trouble. This made people fear and dislike him.
However, Ramiro also worked to end fights between different groups. He started projects to build things for the public, like roads or buildings.
Ramiro's Downfall
Around this time, a group of people planned to harm Cesare Borgia. This plot was called the La Magione conspiracy. Ramiro, who was the governor of Romagna, was not part of this plan.
However, Cesare Borgia became suspicious of Ramiro. On December 22, 1502, Cesare ordered Ramiro's arrest. After being questioned, Ramiro confessed to trying to harm Cesare.
He was quickly put on trial. He was accused of serious wrongdoing and sentenced to death.
Execution and Legacy
On December 26, 1502, Ramiro de Lorca was executed in the main square of Cesena.
Niccolò Machiavelli, a famous writer, later wrote about Ramiro in his book The Prince. Machiavelli suggested that Cesare Borgia had Ramiro executed because Ramiro's strict methods had made him unpopular. By executing Ramiro, Cesare wanted to show the public that he was not responsible for Ramiro's harsh actions.
