Calixtus III

Alfonso de Borja, future Pope Callixtus III, was born in the small town of Canals (Valencia) on December 31, 1378. His parents, Domingo de Borja, a local landowner without noble lineage, and Francisca de Borja, baptized him in nearby Xàtiva. Alfonso was the only male, and was followed by four sisters: Isabel, Juana, Catalina and Francisca.

At the age of fourteen, he began his studies in Lleida, where he obtained a doctorate in canon law (1411) and in civil law (1413).

The anecdote in which, in his youth, he had an encounter with the preacher Vicente Ferrer, who predicted that he would be pope and that thanks to his intermediation he would be canonized, is well known and notorious. These events ended up taking place.

In 1417 he entered the royal chancellery, becoming one of the closest advisers to the monarch Alfonso the Magnanimous, intervening in the affairs of the Western schism that still survived in Peñíscola, receiving in compensation the rectorate of the church of San Nicolás de Valencia ( 1419).

Alfonso the Magnanimous incorporated him into his entourage in Italy (1420) and he was granted the archdeaconship of Xàtiva and the rectory of L'Alghero (Sardinia).

Alfonso de Borja intervenes successfully in the definitive resolution of the schism of Peñíscola (1429), which continued in the person of Gil Sánchez Muñoz, successor of Benedict XIII with the name of Clement VIII, obtaining his resignation. In reward he receives the bishopric of Valencia (1429), a city in which he will have little presence due to his obligations to the crown.

On July 24, 1438, he set sail for Italy in the company of the royal bastard, Ferdinand (future Ferrante I of Naples), of whom he was tutor. After the conquest of the Neapolitan capital by Alfonso the Magnanimous in 1442, Alfonso de Borja collaborated in the legal organization of the new kingdom.

His ecclesiastical career took a qualitative leap when he was appointed cardinal (1444) with the title of the Four Crowned Saints, and moved his residence to Rome, a city where his surname was altered, becoming the latinized Borgia. From that moment on, the Latin form will be the one with which the part of the family settled in Italy is known, while those who remained in the Peninsula or returned to it would continue to be called Borja.

Away from pomp and circumstance, he will maintain a prudent and simple life, preserving his prestige as an eminent jurist. Around 1449 he claimed the help of his nephews Pedro Luis and Rodrigo de Borja, and Luis Juan del Milà, who would end up obtaining numerous ecclesiastical benefits.

On the death of Nicholas V, Alfonso de Borja was elected Pope on April 8, 1455 under the name of Callixtus III. An unexpected election of the neutral candidate, favored by the fights between the Orsini and the Colonna. A non-Italian Pope: Spanish and Catalan. His provenance rivalled that of the French in unpopularity. The Catalans dominated Sicily and Naples and harassed the galleys of various Italian republics and principalities.

His pontificate focused on three aspects: the fight against the Turks, which did not arouse great enthusiasm, the defense of the inherited political balance, and the consolidation of papal authority in the Papal States. From his new dignity, the process of canonization of Saint Vicente Ferrer concluded.

Callixtus III had several clashes with his former protector, Alfonso the Magnanimous. The most notorious: the refusal to grant him a divorce from Queen María and the ratification of Ferrante as successor to the monarch. The accusations and threats were a constant between the two.

The Pope used relatives and compatriots to limit the power of the powerful Roman families. His nephews Rodrigo and Luis Juan would end up being cardinals (1456) despite his youth, and Pedro Luis, captain general of the Church. This behavior earned him numerous criticisms for his excessive nepotism.

During the summer of 1458, the pope's state of health suffers. His legs are swollen and his pain forces him to remain prostrate. The end is expected. Borgia properties are raided and looted, but his nephew Rodrigo, in a display of cool self-control, remains by his side. The palace under construction in Rome is stormed and completely destroyed.

On August 6 Callixtus III expires and his remains are buried in the chapel of Santa Maria della Febbre, attached to the Vatican basilica. Later they will be transferred to their current resting place in the church of Montserrat in Rome.

His nephew Rodrigo will manage, decades later, to vindicate and increase the legacy of the Borgias.