1. Quotes
  2. Authors
  3. Cesare Borgia

Cesare Borgia Quotes

Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal with Aragonese origin, whose fight for power was a major inspiration for The Prince by Machiavelli. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace. He was half-brother to Don Pedro Luis de Borja and Girolama de Borja, children of unknown mothers.After initially entering the church and becoming a cardinal on his father's election to the Papacy, he became, after the death of his brother in 1498, the first person to resign a cardinalcy. His father set him up as a prince with territory carved from the Papal States, but after his father's death he was unable to retain power for long. According to Machiavelli this was not due to a lack of foresight but to his own illness.

✵ 13. September 1475 – 12. March 1507
Cesare Borgia photo
Cesare Borgia: 12   quotes 3   likes

Famous Cesare Borgia Quotes

“However much Rome may be in the habit of speaking and writing, for my own part, I shall give these libellers a lesson in good manners.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare to his father, Pope Alexander VI, (November, 1501), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XI: The Letter to Silvio Savelli.

“The constellations this year seem unfavourable to rebels.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare to Macchiavelli (October, 1502), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XV: Macchiavelli's Legation

“Without any sign of alteration.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare, in reply to Macchiavelli, on not having a reputation similar to that of other lords (December, 1502) as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XVI: Ramiro De Lorqua

“This government of yours does not please me, and I cannot trust it; you must change it and give me a pledge that you will observe everything you promised; otherwise you will soon realize that I do not want to live this way; and I will not …my friend …my enemy.”

Cesare Borgia

as quoted by Roberto Ridolfi, 'The Life of Niccolo Machiavelli', page 74.

“Diet of bankrupts… To-day, Messer Paolo is to visit me, and to-morrow there will be the cardinal; and thus they think to befool me, at their pleasure. But I, on my side, am only dallying with them. I listen to all they have to say and bide my own time.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare to Macchiavelli about his contempt for the Orsini (October, 1502), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XV: Macchiavelli's Legation

“There is no city, country-side, or castle, nor any place in all Romagna, nor officer or minister of the duke's, who does not know of these abuses; and, amongst others, the famine of wheat occasioned by the traffic which he held against our express prohibition, sending out such quantities as would abundantly have sufficed for the people and the army.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare's publication on the corrupt practices of Ramiro de Lorqua (December, 1502) as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XVI: Ramiro De Lorqua

Cesare Borgia Quotes

“This is what I wanted to tell Monsignor di Volterra [Soderini] when he came to Urbino, but I could not entrust him with the secret. Now that my opportunity has come, I have known very well how to make use of it, and I have done a great service to your masters.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare to Macchiavelli, after telling him why he ordered his men to attack the soldiers of Vitelli and Orsini (December, 1502) as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XVII: The Beautiful Stratagem

Secret

“To all our Lieutenants, Castellains, Captains, Condottieri, Officers, Soldiers and Subjects, to whom these presents may be known, we commit and command that to our Most Excellent and Most Beloved Private Architect and General Engineer Leonardo Vinci, bearer of the same, and who has our Commission to survey the holds and fortresses of our States, in order that according to their exigencies and his judgment we may equip them, they are to give free pass, exempt from all public toll to himself and his company, and friendly reception; and to allow him to see, measure and estimate all he may wish. And to this effect they shall order men on his requisition and lend him all the help, assistance and favours he may request, it being our wish that for all works to be done in our Dominions any engineer be compelled to consult him and to conform to his opinion; and to this may none presume to act in opposition, if it be his pleasure not to incur our indignation.”

Cesare Borgia

Vellum folded as letter describing Leonardo da Vinci as Borgia's Military Engineer, bears the seal of Cesare as Duke and the seal of Alessandro Borgia on the back (July 1502). (The vellum was recently made available to the public by the Duchess Josephine Melzi d'Eril Barbo) Source: http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/italy-35.shtml

Men , Pleasure , Help

“A matter which would be easily accomplished, as the best men of that State have already offered themselves to me.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare threatening Vitelli that he will deprive him of his state, of Citta di Castello, if he is disobedient. (July, 1502), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XIV: The Revolt of the Condottieri

Men

“[I] had not forgotten the way to reconquer it”

Cesare Borgia

Urbino
Cesare to Macchiavelli, after the loss of Urbino (October, 1502), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XV: Macchiavelli's Legation

Way

“Your brother, Cesar de Borgia, Elect of Valencia”

Cesare Borgia

Signature of Cesare's letter to Piero de'Medici, showing the good relations prevailing between them and Cesare's full consciousness of the importance of his position (August, 1492), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter IV: Borgia Alliances

“Most Illustrious and most Excellent Lady, our very dear Sister,- Confident of the circumstance that there can be no more efficacious and salutary medicine for the indisposition from which you are at present suffering than the announcement of good and happy news, we advise you that at this very moment we have received sure tidings of the capture of Camerino. We beg that you will do honour to this message by an immediate improvement, and inform us of it, because, tormented as we are to know you so ill, nothing, not even this felicitous event, can suffice to afford us pleasure. We beg you also kindly to convey the present to the Illustrious Lord Don Alfonso, your husband and our beloved Brother-in-law, to whom we are not writing to-day.”

Cesare Borgia

Cesare's letter to Lucrezia (July, 1502), as quoted by Rafael Sabatini, 'The Life of Cesare Borgia', Chapter XIII: Urbino and Camerino.

Pleasure , Law , Confidence , Sister

Similar authors

Teresa of Ávila photo
Teresa of Ávila 55
Roman Catholic saint
François Fénelon photo
François Fénelon 43
Catholic bishop
Desiderius Erasmus photo
Desiderius Erasmus 36
Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian
John of the Cross photo
John of the Cross 48
Spanish mystic and Roman Catholic saint
Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori photo
Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori 2
Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musici…
Ignatius of Loyola photo
Ignatius of Loyola 9
Catholic Saint, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit…
Vincent de Paul photo
Vincent de Paul 4
French priest, founder and saint
Miguel de Cervantes photo
Miguel de Cervantes 178
Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright
Molière photo
Molière 72
French playwright and actor
Marguerite Bourgeoys photo
Marguerite Bourgeoys 6
French colonist and foundress