A Double Dynasty
Giulia Farnese, throughout her life, found herself in the company of Popes. Born to a noble family in what the world then knew as the Papal States, she got drawn into the political intrigue of the Catholic Church of the era, beginning an affair with one Pope and ensuring the rise of another. And while the holy men were the faces of these games of power, the cunning Giulia pulled the strings from the shadows…
1. She Was A Papal Subject
Giulia Farnese was born in 1474, in the town of Canino in modern-day Italy. At the time, however, Canino was a part of what were known as the Papal States, a conglomeration of territories under the sovereign rule of the Pope—sort of like Vatican City today, only much larger. Within the States, Giulia found herself in an advantageous position from the very start.
2. She Had Privilege
Giulia was born into the powerful Farnese family, who were Italian nobles that enjoyed great influence within the Church. The number of titles that her father alone held was illustrative of his sway: Pier Luigi I Farnese was Lord of Capodimonte, Musignano, Valentano, Gradoli, Piansano, Canino, and Abbazia al Ponte, Papal Vicar of Canino. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, her mother’s family had a few notable figures of their own…
3. She Had Holy Relatives
Giulia’s mother, Giovanna, also had powerful roots. Most knew her as Giovannella Caetani of the Dukes of Sermoneta and came from the well-connected Caetani family. The Caetanis were most notable for producing not one but two Popes from their family lineage, Popes Gelasius II and Boniface VIII. With so much holy bona fides, inevitably, the Farnese children would try to carry the flame.
4. She Had Ambitious Siblings
In total, the Farnese parents had five children, with Giulia landing in the middle. Her eldest brother was Angelo, who promptly busied himself with his lordly duties as heir when he came of age. Her second eldest brother, Alessandro, with no position to ascend to, embarked on an ecclesiastical career that would end up playing a huge role in Giulia’s story. There was another overlooked pious sibling too.
5. Her Sister Was A Sister
Giulia’s two remaining siblings were her sisters, Girolama and Beatrice. And while her brother Alessandro’s career would vastly overshadow hers, Beatrice rose to some ecclesiastical success herself: after becoming a Benedictine nun in 1480, she had risen, within ten years, to Abbess of the San Bernardino Monastery of Viterbo. The Farnese parents had bigger plans for their eldest daughter, however.
6. She Got Sent To The City
Giulia Farnese probably lived an idyllic childhood in the Italian countryside, but by the time she hit her teenage years, it was time to focus on her future. As soon as the young girl turned 14, her mother promptly shipped her off to Rome to complete her education. She studied more than books in the Eternal City.
7. She Needed An In
Education wasn’t the only thing Giulia’s parents wanted her to pursue in the Italian capital. They sent her with the express purpose of integrating herself with the Roman aristocracy, and her parents encouraged her to seek the privileges and concessions that came with upper class life in the big city. Giulia had one asset that would greatly assist with this.
8. She Got A Nickname
Even by the young age of 14, Giulia Farnese was becoming known for her stunning looks. Over the course of her lifetime, she became commonly referred to as Giulia la Bella, Italian for “Julia the Beautiful”. And beautiful, she was—the gushing words didn’t stop at her nickname.
9. She Inspired Poets
Giulia la Bella became synonymous with beauty in Roman society, and her looks inspired poets, writers, and cardinals alike to gush in their diaries of her resplendence. Prominent bishop Lorenzo Pucci swooned that she was “most lovely to behold”. So, what exactly was the appeal?
10. She Was A Beauty
Fortunately, because of the many paragraphs written about Giulia’s beauty, we have a good idea of what she looked like. One description came from Cardinal Cesare Borgia, who recounted that the young noblewoman had “dark coloring, black eyes, round face, and a particular ardor”. Others spoke of her flowing golden hair. Other writers, still, went beyond her looks and described her very essence.
11. She Had Poise
Some descriptions of Giulia Farnese hint at the political machinations that were likely brewing under the surface shortly after her arrival in Rome. One modern account described the vibe the young noblewoman gave off, noting her “determined gaze, and a grace that defied social convention”. And if words aren’t your thing, there may actually be a way you can look at Giulia’s face for yourself.
12. She May Have Modeled
From the years 1535—1540, late-Renaissance era painter Luca Longhi worked on a masterful portrait titled Lady with a Unicorn. Some historians believe the lady in question to be based on Guilia herself, who may have posed for the painting. She had certainly ingratiated herself with such big names as Longhi by the time of the painting’s completion, largely via connections made through marriage.
13. She Got Married
By 1489, Giulia Farnese had successfully integrated into Roman noble society, and that year would marry into another powerful Italian family. May 21 saw her wedding to Orsino Orsini, Lord of Bassanello, in Rome. The political significance of the marriage was evident in the high price paid by the Farnese family.
14. She Paid Big Bucks
Giulia was just 15 years old when she married Orsino and, given his family’s higher position than the Farnese family, the Orsinis demanded a high price for the match. Giulia’s family paid a whopping 3000 gold florins for the dowry, the equivalent today of about $500,000. And considering what she got in return, it wasn’t exactly a bargain.
15. They Weren’t A Match
Though the marriage was politically advantageous, Giulia Farnese did not exactly marry an Italian stallion. Contemporaries described Orsino as squint-eyed and devoid of any meaningful self-confidence. Indeed, of all the possible reasons for getting married, the union between Giulia and her new husband was certainly not for love.
16. She Had A Plan
Almost nothing got recorded about Giulia’s marriage to Orsino, and for good reason: it really wasn’t a marriage in any way we would recognize. The union was purely for appearance and served, for Giulia, as a stepping stone to greater heights—for her new husband, you see, had some powerful relatives.
17. She Made New Contacts
Giulia’s new mother-in-law was Adriana de Milà, a commanding matriarch who came from good stock herself. Her third cousin was Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, a rising star in papal circles. When Giulia met him, in fact, he was serving as Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic Church. Clergymen were a little different in those days, however, and it was with the Cardinal that Giulia found her in…
18. She Engaged In Cardinal Sin
Powerful clergymen in Giulia’s time were notorious for not paying any heed to their vows of celibacy, and Cardinal Borgia was no different. Though the timeline is unclear, Rodrigo at one point fell in love with Giulia and began a steamy affair, making her his mistress. If that wasn’t scandalous enough, a promotion for Borgia would turn the liaison into historical impropriety.
19. She Loved A Pope
On August 11, 1492, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia got elected to the papacy, becoming Pope Alexander VI. This did nothing to slow his promiscuity, of course, and Giulia Farnese found herself in the relatively unique position as a Pope’s mistress. As if that wasn’t odd enough, however, there was another strange aspect to her situation.
20. Her Mother-In-Law Chimed In
As mentioned, Giulia’s mother-in-law, Adriana de Milà, was the newly ordained Pope’s third cousin, and she was well aware of their ongoing affair. Bizarrely, Adriana gave her blessing for her daughter-in-law’s infidelity, and for reasons that were more bizarre still: she estimated that Giulia’s relationship with the Pope would afford Orsino, Adriana’s son and Giulia’s husband, higher status within the Vatican. Somehow, the family dynamics got weirder still.
21. She Had Odd Roommates
With her mother-in-law’s approval, Giulia Farnese moved into a recently built palace near the Vatican in November 1493. The new digs were easily accessible for the Pope to make clandestine visits to his mistress.
Giulia wasn’t alone there, however, and had two of the strangest roommates imaginable: her mother-in-law, Adriana, and Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter of the Pope, the man with whom Giulia was having an affair! More bizarrely still, Giulia and Lucrezia actually became great friends. And when the whispers started, the Pope’s mistress certainly needed a friend.
22. She Became The Subject Of Gossip
Rumors of Giulia’s affair with the Pope quickly spread among the gossips of Rome, and the consensus on his mistress was less-than-flattering. Among the many cruel nicknames given to Giulia was, sarcastically, “the bride of Christ”. To her credit, however, Giulia seemed unfazed, especially because she now found herself in an influential position.
23. She Was Sweet And Savvy
Despite the scandal it caused, Giulia Farnese fearlessly and passionately embraced her affair with the Pope, and he clearly felt similar. The two would share gushing letters with one another, where they spoke of their caressing meetings. The Pope clearly respected the young woman’s opinion too, and she often whispered political advice to her man. Indeed, Alexander was wise to take her counsel.
24. She Had A Knack For Politics
Giulia could charm the stoniest of political figures with her beauty, but she was far more than just a pretty face. The Pope respected her as a confidant because she was bold and intelligent, with a keen intuition and a mind for rule. Limited by her gender and time, however, she sought other advantages that her closeness to the papacy could afford.
25. She Enriched Herself
The Pope was madly in love with his savvy mistress, and this came with many material advantages for Giulia. The economic position afforded to her by Alexander made her one of Rome’s richest and most powerful women, and she wasn’t afraid to flaunt it. One cardinal reported how “she has an intent goldsmith that makes rings for one thousand ducati”. Her position meant benefits for her family too.
26. She Promoted Nepotism
As previously mentioned, Giulia’s brother Alessandro had embarked on an ecclesiastical career of his own, and his sister’s intimacy with Pope proved a literal blessing for his career. Giulia successfully appealed to her holy lover to raise Alessandro to this position of cardinal in 1492, setting him up for a significant career within the Church. His sister’s generosity did not stop at titles.
27. She Supported Family
Even after attaining the rank of Cardinal, Alessandro still struggled; his annual income of only 2,000 ducats made him one of the poorest members of the Sacred College. Strangely, however, the destitute cardinal somehow purchased a palace in Rome in early 1495 for 5,500 ducats—meaning Giulia was almost certainly supporting him financially too. This position as mistress and benefactor reflected her broader role in the Farnese family.
28. She Struck A Balance
The progression of Giulia’s controversial affair saw a concurrent rise in the political stature of the Farnese family. Alessandro’s appointment as cardinal was all part of the plan, and Giulia was the glue that held it all together, bridging the two worlds of the powerful Borgias and the politically ambitious Farneses. As one writer put it, “she navigated desire and diplomacy, passion and strategy”, and in the process, cemented her place in history.
29. She Was Etched In Art
One of the most well-known artistic depictions of Pope Alexander VI is the painting Pope Alexander VI kneeling in front of the Madonna by Pietro Facchetti, but this masterwork may have immortalized Giulia too: art historians believe the Madonna depicted in the painting to be based on her likeness. But art alone was not enough to cement Giulia’s papal connections, and soon she got blessed with a potential dynasty of her own.
30. She Became A Mother
Giulia Farnese gave birth to a baby girl on November 30, 1492, whom she named Laura. There was one problem, however: because of both her marriage and her ongoing papal affair, it was unclear which man was Laura’s true father. You didn’t have to be a genius to see that there was one clearly preferred candidate.
31. She Made A Safe Bet
According to historian Maria Bellonci, there is reason to believe Giulia did have a physical relationship with her husband, meaning her baby’s parentage is up for real debate. Not to Giulia herself, however—she insisted Laura was the Pope’s daughter, likely to raise the youngster’s future marriage prospects. This permanent connection was not enough to prevent a petty Pope tantrum, though…
32. She Angered Alexander
Tragedy struck the Farnese family in 1492 when Giulia’s eldest brother, Angelo, came down with an illness that he would never recover from. Giulia set off to Capodimonte to attend her brother’s bedside and say her goodbyes. The Pope, who had gotten used to having his mistress readily available whenever desire struck him, was petulant at her sudden absence. His anger was enough for Giulia’s husband to issue a warning.
33. She Stayed Away
So intense was the Pope’s rage at Giulia’s “crime” of attending to her dying brother that, even after Angelo had passed, the Orsino warned his wife to stay away from Rome for now so as to avoid the Pope’s wrath. Giulia complied for a while before her husband bowed to papal pressure and summoned her home. It turned out to be an eventful journey.
34. She Got Scooped
Giulia’s return journey to Rome coincided with a French invasion of Italy, and the Pope’s mistress got caught up in the conflict. She was captured on her way home by French captain Yves d’Allegre, who demanded a 3,000 scudi ransom from the Pope for her safe return, which he received. Luckily for Giulia, this incident seemed to be enough to abate her lover’s anger. But she wouldn’t remain in his good books forever.
35. She Fell From Grace
Things remained steady between Giulia Farnese and the Pope for the next seven or eight years, but by the turn of the century, Alexander’s mistress seemed to have fallen out of favor with the Holy Father. Giulia appears to have quietly retreated from her affair with her lover. In their decoupling, she received some help from an old ally.
36. Her In-Law Helped Again
The leading theory on why Giulia fell from the Pope’s favor is a shallow one: her age. The mistress was now in her mid-30s, far too old for a man of Alexander’s tastes. The split seems to have been amicable, however, with the negotiations assisted by Giulia’s trusty mother-in-law, Adriana de Mila. But it wasn’t long before Giulia found herself unshackled from yet another man in her life.
37. She Lost Another Lover
Unexpectedly, Giulia Farnese found herself completely single, not long after her affair ended. Tragically, her husband Orsino passed prematurely in 1500, around the year her liaison with the Pope is said to have ended as well. With no further ties to Rome, the noblewoman decided it was time to make a change.
38. She Moved
After the end of her affair and the demise of her husband, Giulia decided Rome was no longer for her, and moved to Carbognano, a small town not too far from the city. She settled into a quiet life there but still played politics from time to time.
In 1505, she briefly returned to Rome to witness a political marriage she had arranged: her daughter Laura married the nephew of the reigning Pope Giulio II Della Rovere, and Giulia received a handsome dowry in return. She enjoyed single life too, of course.
39. She Had Fun
Despite the Pope discarding her for her “advanced” age, Giulia had not finished with love yet. For the first few years of her marriage, she allegedly had a series of lovers whose names we have lost to time. She seems to have had a lot of fun, but eventually, she finally decided to settle down again.
40. She Got Locked Down Again
At some point between 1500 and 1506, Giulia tied the knot once again. This time she married the multi-titled Giovanni Capece-Bozzuto, Baron of Afragola and Lord of Balsorano, Patrician of Naples. Giovanni was a member of the lower ranking Neapolitan nobility, improving Giulia’s stature somewhat too. But soon she would gain power virtually unheard of for a woman of her era.
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41. She Was In Charge
Pope Alexander VI originally gifted the castle at Carbognano, in which Giulia Farnese resided, to her late husband, Orsino, likely in return for his wife’s “services”. In 1506, Giulia became governor of the property, giving her regional power that few women of her era ever enjoyed. Given her previously political experience in the shadows of the Vatican, she took to the job splendidly.
42. She Was A Girlboss
Giulia had clearly developed an aptitude for rule in her previous role as unofficial papal advisor. The chronicle of Carbognano castle gushes about her competence as ruler, praising her as a capable administrator who “governed in a firm and energetic manner”. As a token of gratitude, the property immortalized her name.
43. She Left Her Mark
In a fitting tribute to its trailblazing female ruler, subsequent administrators of Carbognano castle etched Giulia’s name permanently on the property by inscribing it on the ornate gate donning the entry to the grounds. Her stay at the castle, however, was not all sunshine and smiles.
44. She Became Widowed Again
Giulia’s second husband, Giovanni, had joined her residing at Carbognano, and it seems he was happy enough to allow his wife to do the day-to-day dirty work. After what was likely an enjoyable life of blissful leisure, Giovanni passed in the comfort of the castle in 1517. Widowed once again, Giulia’s next move suggests his loss devastated her.
45. She Went Home
Giulia Farnese stayed on another few years at Carbognano but her passion for rule seems to have abated somewhat, perhaps because of her grief at the loss of her husband. In 1522, she packed her bags and headed back to Rome, the city where it had all happened. She may have had grim motives.
46. She Had A Premonition
By early 1524, firmly secure back in Rome, Giulia reportedly began sensing that her demise was imminent. On March 14 of that year, in her lodgings in Rome’s Arenula district overlooking the San Girolamo church, the wizened noblewoman had her last will and testament written. It contained a touching acknowledgement of her role as a trailblazing force.
47. She Gave To The Girlies
Most women of Giulia’s era did not have any kind of economic independence and were largely dependent on men. Giulia was different, and she made sure to pass on that privilege to the women she loved most in her life. In her will, she bequeathed substantial amounts of money to her housekeeper, her carer, her daughter, and even some of the poorer female residents of Carbognano, ensuring all of their economic security.
The will was not the only thing she penned, however.
48. She Lamented Her Loves
Rumor has it that prior to her passing, Giulia penned a love letter to no one in particular, a sort of poetic goodbye to the world, within which she allegedly confessed to a partitioned heart.
Reports from people who claimed to have seen it allege that it read “I loved two men, two dynasties, two destinies. And I do not know which one was truly mine”, speaking to a sorrowful sense of tragedy in the noblewoman, despite her monumental achievements. With all this now recorded, Giulia was ready to leave this mortal plane.
49. She Passed On
Giulia Farnese drew her last breath on March 23, 1524. She was just 50 years old. Though the cause of her demise is unknown, she reportedly passed peacefully in the home of her brother, Alessandro. Given what she had done (and would still do) for his career, it was the least the cardinal could do.
50. Her Brother Ascended
Giulia’s political work on behalf of her brother and family paid off in the end. Ten years after her passing, her brother Alessandro ascended to the papal throne as Pope Paul III. It is a testament to her will and generosity both that everyone close to Giulia ended up better off.
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