Alfonso of Aragon (1481–1500) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alfonso De Colabria |
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| Duke of Bisceglie, Prince of Salerno | |
Alfonso of Aragon (age 7) by Pinturicchio
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| Born | 1481 Kingdom of Naples |
| Died | 18 August 1500 (aged 18–19) Rome, Papal States |
| Burial | Santa Maria della Febbre? |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Rodrigo of Aragon |
| House | Trastámara |
| Father | Alfonso II of Naples |
| Mother | Trogia Gazzella |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Alfonso of Aragon (born 1481 – died August 18, 1500) was a young prince from the House of Trastámara. He held the titles of Duke of Bisceglie and Prince of Salerno. Alfonso was the son of King Alfonso II of Naples and Trogia Gazzella. His father was a cousin to King Ferdinand II of Aragon. King Alfonso II later gave up his throne to his son, Ferdinand II of Naples.
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Alfonso's Early Life and Education
Alfonso received a very good education. He studied subjects like history, literature, and art. His first teacher was Giuniano Maio. Later, a blind poet from Florence named Raffaele Brandolini taught him.
From a young age, Alfonso was involved in the political problems of the royal family in Naples. In 1495, when the French army took over, his father had to leave the country. His father later died in Sicily. Alfonso was only 14 years old at this time. He helped his half-brother, Ferdinand, get the throne back. Ferdinand became king of Naples in 1495 but sadly died a year later.
In 1497, Alfonso's uncle, Frederick IV of Naples, became king. Alfonso was given an important job. He became the Lieutenant general of Abruzzo, a region in Italy.
His Marriage to Lucrezia Borgia
"He was the most beautiful youth that I have ever seen in Rome" – The chronicler Talini
To make their ties stronger with the Kingdom of Naples, Pope Alexander VI arranged marriages. He wanted to connect his family, the House of Borgia, with the royal family of Aragon. Alfonso's sister, Sancha of Aragon, had already married the Pope's youngest son, Gioffre Borgia, in 1494.
Pope Alexander VI wanted his son, Cesare Borgia, to marry Carlotta of Naples. She was the daughter of the new King Frederick IV of Naples. But Carlotta did not want to marry Cesare. To make the Pope happy, King Frederick agreed to another marriage. He agreed that the Pope's daughter, Lucrezia Borgia, would marry Alfonso. Lucrezia was 18 and Alfonso was 17.
On July 15, 1498, Alfonso secretly arrived in Rome. Alfonso and Lucrezia were married in the Vatican on July 21. The celebrations were private. Alfonso brought the cities of Salerno, Quadrata, and Bisceglie with him as part of the marriage. Lucrezia brought a large sum of money, 40,000 ducats. They agreed to live in Rome for at least one year. They would not have to move to the Kingdom of Naples until Lucrezia's father died. People said Alfonso was very handsome and kind. Lucrezia seemed to truly like him.
In February 1499, Lucrezia lost her first baby. But she soon became pregnant again.
As politics changed, Pope Alexander VI wanted to be friends with France. France was an enemy of Alfonso's family. The Pope arranged for Cesare Borgia to marry Charlotte of Albret, who was the sister of King John III of Navarre. Alfonso felt betrayed when France planned to attack Naples. On August 2, 1499, he left Rome without his wife. Lucrezia was six months pregnant.
The Pope was very angry that Alfonso left. He sent soldiers to find him, but they could not. Meanwhile, Lucrezia was given control of the cities of Spoleto and Foligno. This meant Alfonso had no official role. Alfonso was eventually found because of letters he sent to his wife. He was trying to convince her to join him in Genazzano. When his family found out, they told Lucrezia to bring Alfonso back to Rome. Lucrezia met her husband in Nepi. They returned to the Vatican in September 1499. On the night of October 31, Lucrezia gave birth to their son. They named him Rodrigo, after her father.
Alfonso's Death
On the evening of July 15, 1500, Alfonso was attacked. This happened at the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. Hired attackers stabbed him in the head, right arm, and leg. When the attackers tried to take Alfonso away, his own guards made them run off.
Alfonso was taken to a room in the Borgia Tower. His doctors from Naples, his sister Sancha, and his wife Lucrezia cared for him. On the night of August 18, Alfonso was still getting better from his wounds. But then, Micheletto Corella and a group of armed men entered his room. They killed him in his bed. After he died, his body was taken to St. Peter's Basilica. He was placed in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary of the Fever.
Many people believed that Cesare Borgia was behind the killing. This was because France was planning a war against Naples. However, the exact reasons for Alfonso's death are still a mystery.
Two years later, Lucrezia married Alfonso I d'Este. Lucrezia had to leave her only child with Alfonso, Rodrigo, behind forever. Rodrigo Borgia of Aragon died from an illness in Bari when he was 12 years old.
Alfonso in Movies and Plays
Alfonso of Aragon has been shown in many movies, TV shows, and operas. Here are some of them:
- Alfons Fryland in Lucrezia Borgia (Film, US, 1922)
- Max Michel in Lucrèce Borgia (Film by director Abel Gance, France, 1935)
- John Sutton in Bride of Vengeance (Film, US, 1949)
- Massimo Serato in Lucrèce Borgia (Film, France, 1953)
- Fred Robsahm in Lucrezia Giovane (Film, Italy, 1974)
- Robert Allman (singer) in Lucrezia Borgia (Opera by Donizetti, La Scala, 1977)
- Ryan Michael in The Borgias (BBC Two and RAI Series, England-Italy, 1981)
- Alexander Katsapov (dancer) in Lucrezia Borgia (Opera at the National Theatre Ballet, Prague, 2003)
- Giorgio Marchesi in Los Borgia (Film by director Antonio Hernández, Spain, 2006)
- Alejandro Albarracín in Borgia (Canal+ Series, France, 2011)
- Sebastian de Souza in The Borgias (Showtime Series, US, 2013)
See also
In Spanish: Alfonso de Aragón y Gazela, príncipe de Salerno para niños
