From Rome to Gandía: Family Networks in the Early Modern Mediterranean World

Pope Alexander VI worked to maintain and grow his connections in Valencia through strategic positioning of family members, including his son Joan Borgia. Joan was married into the elite De Luna family and became Duke of Gandía, but struggled throughout to live up to expectations for a young adult nobleman. By following the correspondence between Joan and his relatives held in the Archive of the Cathedral of Valencia, it is possible to trace the frustrations expressed by all members of this expanding family. Joan acted out in response to the stress of the move and his new responsibilities, and in doing so repeatedly threatened his family’s regional goals. The marriage demonstrates the strategies elite families, papal and otherwise, used to expand their reach and grow their shared resources. Joan’s experiences in Gandía also provide valuable insight into the expectations of youth in the transitional space between childhood and full maturity.