Raffaello Pallavicini da Genova was a patrician of the Republic of Genoa. In 1497, he had an affair with Lucrezia Borgia, who was briefly betrothed to his brother, Calvino Pallavicini da Genova.
Biography[]
Raffaello Pallavicini da Genova was the son of Agostino Pallavicini da Genova and his Spanish wife, and he was the younger brother of Calvino Pallavicini da Genova. In 1497, he accompanied his brother to Rome, where Calvino was to be betrothed to Pope Alexander VI's son Lucrezia Borgia. Raffaello fell in love with Lucrezia at first sight, and the two became lovers due to their shared passion for art; Lucrezia agreed to marry Calvino so that she could be close to Raffaello. Eventually, Calvino found out about their affair and sought for her to marry his brother instead. However, the Pope refused to have his daughter marry the second-born son of a nobleman, and the betrothal was cancelled altogether.