Joffre Borgia (1482-1518), also known as Gioffre Borgia or Goffredo Borgia, was Prince of Squillace from 1494-1518 and Duke of Alvito from 1497-1506. He was the youngest son of Pope Alexander VI and his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, and he was married to Sancia of Naples as a young boy.
Biography[]
Joffre Borgia as a youth
Joffre Borgia was the son of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei, his mistress. His youngest son, he was married to Sancia of Naples in 1494 to form a diplomatic alliance between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. He was made Prince of Squillace, but he was sad, as he was 12 and his wife 16. Sancia had sex with his brothers Cesare Borgia and Juan Borgia the Younger, and Joffre had no children with her. Joffre was brought to Spoleto with his sister Lucrezia Borgia, who became Governor of Spoleto, and he defeated the renowned Ternian archer Sidonius Grimani in an archery duel. The next morning, he was shot in the rear by an arrow as he paced the ramparts of Spoleto, and Spoleto, Beroide, Camporoppolo, and San Brizio allied against Terni. Grimani's sister later told Lucrezia that her brother had shot Joffre, and Grimani was forced to publicly take responsibility for his crime, and he was then released on Lucrezia Borgia's orders.
In 1497, as Naples was thrown into chaos, he became the Duke of Alvito. He initially supported France, but after condottiero Prospero Colonna captured him, Borgia became a supporter of Spain. This caused a rebellion in Alvito, but it was crushed by Fabrizio Colonna, whom he paid with Papal money from his inheritance following his father's death. In 1506, however, he lost Alvito after his wife died, ceding it to Spain. He retained Squillace, and Borgias ruled Squillace until 1735.