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Alexander VI

pope of the Catholic Church 1492–1503 from the Borgia family (1430/32-1503)

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Alexander VI was a pope of the Catholic Church from 1492 to 1503 who came from the prominent Borgia family and is one of the most controversial figures in Church history. His papacy matters because it exemplifies a period when the Church's leadership was deeply involved in Renaissance politics and power struggles, raising questions about the institution's spiritual authority and moral integrity.

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Pope Alexander VI (Italian: Alessandro VI, Valencian: Alexandre VI, Spanish: Alejandro VI; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: Valentinus ("The Valencian"); c. 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.

Born into the prominent Borja family in Xàtiva in the Kingdom of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon (in present-day Spain), he was known as Roderic de Borja, and he is commonly referred to by the Italianized form as Rodrigo Borgia. He studied law at the University of Bologna. He was ordained deacon and made a cardinal in 1456 after the election of his uncle as Pope Callixtus III, and a year later he became vice-chancellor of the Catholic Church. He proceeded to serve in the Roman Curia under the next four popes, acquiring significant influence and wealth in the process. In 1492, Rodrigo was elected pope, taking the name Alexander VI.