Juan Borgia the Younger

This article is about the brother of Cesare Borgia. You may be looking for his cousin or the Assassin Giovanni Borgia.

Juan Borgia (1474 – 1497), also known as Giovanni Borgia, was the second Duke of Gandia, and the eldest son of Rodrigo Borgia – the Grand Master of the Italian Templars – and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was also the older brother of Cesare, Lucrezia and Jofré Borgia, and the grandfather of Francis Borgia.

Biography

Since Juan was his firstborn and favorite son, Rodrigo made him the Captain-General of the Papal armies soon after he became Pope in 1492. Around this time, Juan's younger brother, Cesare, became a Cardinal.

In 1496, Juan fought Bartolomeo d'Alviano at the Siege of Bracciano, wherein Bartolomeo sent a donkey out of the city, with a sign around its neck reading "Let me go for I am an ambassador to the Duke of Gandia." Bartolomeo had also tied a letter for Juan to the donkey's tail, which contained further insults.

By 1497, Cesare had realized that his life as a Cardinal would lead nowhere, and that if he wanted to gain power, he would need to get rid of his brother. Upon enticing Juan into a night spent in the company of courtesans, Cesare introduced him to Fiora Cavazza, a close ally of his. On the night of 14 June, Cesare watched as Fiora engaged Juan in a moment of passion, before she slit his throat with a dagger. Juan's body was later thrown into the Tiber.

Subsequent to the discovery of Juan's death, Cesare became Captain-General in his stead, and was never identified as his brother's killer.

Behind the scenes

The appearance of Juan Borgia the Younger in Assassin's Creed: Ascendance is based off the way Juan Borgia the Elder looks like in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. However, this brings about a series of discrepancies. Juan looks much older than his real age; historically, he died when he was 23. Juan, despite being Captain-General, wore a cardinal's attire. The two cousins are also voiced by the same actor, Harry Standjofski.

Historically, there was a Cardinal Juan Borgia the Younger who lived around the same time, but as Alexander VI's great-nephew and not his son, he was a separate person from the Duke of Gandia, who is usually referred to as Giovanni instead.

In reality, although there are many suspects, it remains unknown who actually murdered Juan. His well-dressed body was recovered from the Tiber with his coinpurse apparently untouched, and while the Pope ordered an investigation into the murder, he abruptly called it off a week later despite his known grief for his son's death. With no culprits named, it is traditionally assumed that the Pope had identified those responsible but was either unwilling or unable to punish them.

Although there is some uncertainty regarding where Juan was killed, there was no suggestion it happened on Tiber Island. Traditionally it was assumed he was killed in or near the Roman Ghetto, just to the east, where he told a servant (who was also slain) to wait for him. However, Ascanio Sforza claimed in a letter that he was last seen alive on a street that ran along the east bank of the Tiber in front of the Mausoleum of Augustus before it turned inland towards the Piazza del Popolo and Porta Flaminia just beyond the city walls. Notably, it would be confirmed that his body was disposed of nearby.

Gallery

• 
  Juan, with Rodrigo beside him and Cesare behind
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  Juan's death at the hands of Fiora Cavazza

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Ascendance (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only, as Giovanni)

References

de:Juan Borgia der Jüngere es:Juan Borgia el Menor fr:Juan Borgia le Jeune hu:Juan Borgia, az ifjabb it:Juan Borgia il Minore nl:Juan Borgia de Jongere pl:Juan Borgia Młodszy ru:Хуан Борджиа Младший zh:胡安·博吉亚（年少的）