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Questions about Pope Alexander VI

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Who was Pope Alexander VI and when did he serve as pope?

Pope Alexander VI was born Roderic de Borja around 1431 in Xàtiva, in the Kingdom of Valencia, and served as head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from the 11th of August 1492 until his death on the 18th of August 1503. He was the first member of the prominent Spanish Borja family to become pope, and he is commonly referred to by the Italianized form of his name, Rodrigo Borgia.

What did Pope Alexander VI's papal bull Inter caetera do?

Inter caetera, issued on the 4th of May 1493, divided the rights to the newly discovered lands of the Americas between Spain and Portugal along a demarcation line. The bull became the basis of the Treaty of Tordesillas. Historians have debated for centuries whether it gave Spain the power to enslave indigenous peoples, with some scholars arguing it did and others strongly disputing that interpretation.

Who were Pope Alexander VI's children?

Alexander VI acknowledged several children, the most prominent being Cesare, Giovanni (known as Juan), Lucrezia, and Gioffre, all born to his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei between 1475 and 1482. He had previously fathered a son named Pedro Luis in 1462, and he also had daughters named Isabella and Girolama by an unknown mistress. He pretended for years that his children by Vannozza were his niece and nephews.

What was Pope Alexander VI's role in founding the holy door tradition?

Pope Alexander VI opened the first holy door in St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve 1499, inaugurating the Jubilee year of 1500 and establishing a rite that the Catholic Church still observes. He knocked on the door three times, had it moved from the inside, and processed through it with candles while the choir chanted Psalm 118:19-20. He also established the closing ritual, which took place on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1501 and involved sealing the door with silver and gold bricks.

How did Pope Alexander VI treat Jews expelled from Spain in 1492?

After the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, approximately 9,000 impoverished Iberian Jews arrived at the borders of the Papal States. Alexander welcomed them into Rome, declaring that they were permitted to lead their lives free from Christian interference, to practice their own rites, and to gain wealth. He similarly accepted Jews expelled from Portugal in 1497 and from Provence in 1498.

What universities did Pope Alexander VI found or approve?

Alexander VI issued a papal bull in 1495 founding King's College, Aberdeen, at the request of William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen, and King James IV of Scotland; King's College now forms part of the University of Aberdeen. In 1501 he approved the University of Valencia.