Rodrigo Borgia Elected Alexander VI

August 11, 1492

The Valencian cardinal, nephew of Callixtus III, bought the papal throne with cartloads of silver distributed to his fellow cardinals. Alexander VI would be remembered for his poisonings, his children Cesare and Lucrezia, his political ruthlessness, and a genuine, disconcerting administrative competence. The Borgia pontificate had begun. Despite his notorious life, Alexander proved an effective administrator whose division of the New World reshaped global geography.