Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, and younger sister of Cesare Borgia. She was betrothed ruthlessly by her father twice before her thirteenth birthday to secure political alliances. She was also rumored to have been sexually abused by her father and brothers. After these incidents, she was taken care of by her brother Cesare.

Early years
Lucrezia Borgia was born in Subiaco, a little town near Rome, on 18 April 1480. Her mother was the Countess of Cattanei, Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of the numerous mistresses of Rodrigo Borgia.

At the young age of thirteen, she was engaged twice; but her father, Pope Alexander VI (better known as Rodrigo Borgia), called off the engagements and later forced her to marry Giovanni Sforza in order to establish an alliance with the powerful Milanese Ducal family.

However, the marriage was brief, as the Sforzas were eventually no longer useful to Alexander VI. Soon after, he gave the order to Cesare and Lucrezia to send Giovanni away from Rome. Alexander VI made an offer to Giovanni's uncle, the Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to persuade him to agree for the divorce. Instead, Giovanni accused Lucrezia of having an incestuous relationship with her father and brothers; thus, since the marriage was supposedly not consummated, the Pope said that the marriage was not valid.

Affair with Perotto
In the year 1498, Lucrezia fell in love with her father's messenger, Perotto Calderon. However, unbeknownst to them, Perotto was a member of the Assassin Order. As their relationship became more intimate, Lucrezia became pregnant with Perotto's child. Nine months later, a boy was born, but the baby was malformed and, according to a doctor, would pass away soon. After Lucrezia's father found out, Perotto was thrown in jail, but he later escaped with the child. Perotto knew that his Order was in the possession of the Shroud, an artifact that could surely heal his son. He traveled to Agnadello and, after taking down several other Assassins in his desperation, arrived at the Shroud's supposed location to take the artifact. He asked the artifact to heal his son, which it did, despite its protests that the baby was "flawed material." Though the child was evidently healed, Perotto never saw Lucrezia again.

Second marriage
Lucrezia second marriage was with the Alfonso de Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie). Before the marriage took place, Cesare was impressed by the Duke's good looks and nature, but this soon changed to jealousy and hatred. It was said that Cesare disliked Alfonso because Lucrezia was very happy with him and had, since her marriage to him, stopped giving Cesare as much attention. This might be the reason why, years later, Cesare sent his servants to kill him.

Third marriage
Lucrezia's third marriage was with Alfonso d'Este (Duke of Ferrara). After the death of her second husband, Alexander VI wanted to arrange a third marriage. This time, she birthed a number of children and proved at last to be a respectable Renaissance duchess, rising effectively above her questionable past and surviving the fall of the Borgias after Alexander VI's death.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Lucrezia Borgia will appear in the upcoming ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. ''Like her brother Cesare and her father Rodrigo she too was also be a member of the powerful Templar Order.

In 1499 she accompanied her brother to Monteriggioni where they besieged the town and Villa Auditore, and eventually breached the town's gates, Lucrezia, by her brothers side, witnessed the execution of Mario Auditore. Afterwards she returned to Rome with the others and with the Apple as their prize.

In Rome she continued to serve the Templar Order, alongside her brother and father.

Trivia

 * Lucrezia gave birth to seven or eight children. Giovanni Borgia (who may have been the child of her brother Cesare), Rodrigo Borgia de Aragon, Ercole II d'Este, Ippolito II d'Este, Alessandro d'Este, Leonora d'Este, Francesco d'Este. Isabella Maria d'Este was born sometime in 1519, but died later that same day. Sadly, complications of this birth caused the death of Lucrezia ten days later.
 * Lucrezia Borgia is an ancestor of the actress Brooke Shields, as well as most of the royal families of Europe.
 * In Brotherhood it is mentioned by Niccolo Machiavelli that Rodrigo had crafted Lucrezia into one of his most artley weapons, meaning that could be another great opponent for Ezio and the Assassin Order.