Naples Wanted To Find Agreement With Rome: January 10, 1493

The King of Naples sent his son Don Federigo to visit the new pope in December 1492. This came less than four months after Rodrigo Borja was elected to the papacy in Rome, where he took the name of Alexander VI, that previous August. Relations were strained between the two, as the previous pope Innocent III had tried to extract loaned funds from the aging king for some years. This new pope, despite his attempts to appear friendly toward this offer of homage by the King's son, Federigo, knew he could not show signs of any excess favoritism in this mostly perfunctory offer. It was a complex issue with so many people involved and  thereby, the possibilities for feeling slighted, greatly increased.

The college of cardinals that year to elect this new pope was full of the gifts received from Cardinal Borja, the longtime vice-chancellor, a post he had kept in Rome for thirty-six years. Yes, he was rich, yes, he was well-liked. Yes he kept a number of mistresses and children at his palace.  But it was easier to accept Borja with so much money flowing and he seemed a good manager of people. Even so, there were a few who did not want to particpate in what some would call bribery. Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (later pope Julius II) was first on that list. Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, the brother to the duke of Milan would accede to Borja's vote but not accept his gift. The cardinal of Naples was not one to take the money that had helped elect cardinal Borja either. But even without such benefices from the Borja candidate, that the wags reported was a sufficient financial coercion overall in the college of cardinals that year, it was hoped the King might still expect a warm welcome for his son, Federigo.

Relations had been strained between Rome and Naples even prior to the salt wars concerning Ferrara, a dozen years before. The present King Ferdinand I of Naples had been at the throne since 1458, when he inherited the seat at the death of his father, as listed in the will. But now the King was nearing seventy years of age and despite the problems and slights occuring between Naples and Rome during his reign, he still hoped for better relations for his successors. There were factions aplenty, in Naples, from Rome, Milan, Venice, from Spain and France. Culturally, Rome and most of Italy looked on Naples as a backwater, though her armies were respected with a wary caution. Such a fearsome army had to be contained or better, controlled, if any of the powers wanted to extend their sway in Italy. And everyone seemed to want that.

Less than ten years before, Naples effectively had attacked Rome and her armies. Girolamo Riario was captain-general then, and Sixtus IV was pope. There was also a time, many years before, Ferdinand had married a princess of the House of Aragon with, then Cardinal Rodrigo Borja, officiating as vice-chancellor of the city (1476). But since then, the last two popes had tried to effect greater control over Naples, ultimately toward the purpose of trying to secure the historical papal lands. Innocent III, the pope who had just died was particularly unhappy the King had not payed his dues the last several years. But he wasn't judged a very good leader in these things.
So it is little surprise that with a new pope, especially one who was seen as so friendly as Cardinal Borja, who had married him after all and, whose uncle (the previous pope Calixtus III) had before that, been the secretary to King Ferdinand's father for so many years, that old king Ferdinand might hope for a new understanding.   It is here where we can turn to Johann Burchard, the pope's Master of Ceremonies to learn just how the chances for such an agreement, amidst official ceremonies, failed to materialize.

Burchard had received word that the King wanted to send an emissary in early December. The new pope had asked his opinion on how to go about receiving such an honored guest seeking to pay homage. Burchard reports that as the pope had recived the Duke of Ferrara earlier that year, so could he receive the emissary from Naples. The King's son could come and kiss the pope's foot and then go to his lodgings. After a few days it could be scheduled for him to come and fulfill the requirements of the official homage ceremonies. But this pope did not want to allow the King's son to come at once upon entering the city by sending a number of cardinals to lead the prince, not to the Vatican, but instead to his lodgings and thus make him wait. But as it turned out, despite being led all through town with this and that entourage, Don Federigo did get to the Vatican and kiss the pope's foot and secure a later audience with him. But this was not enough.

Burchard spends some time on the subject and by his account, the prince left Rome empty-handed. A small group of cardinals, those friendly to Naples were at first denied, and then given permission by the pope to go with Don Federigo. But even they insisted that his entourage should lead the column, the procession of notables through the sometimes narrow and violent streets of Rome, dressed in their finery and jewelery. When they reached the riverside where a galley waited to take the prince back to Naples, the escorting cardinals said goodbye and left without getting off their horses. Burchard said this was on a Thursday, January 10, 1493.
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from Johann Burchard: At The Court of the Borgia translated for english, with introduction by Geoffrey Parker, The Folio Society, Ltd, 1963