Origins & Early Life

Giovanna "Vannozza" (dei) Cattanei (13 July 1442 – 24 November 1518) was an Italian woman who was the chief mistress of Cardinal Rodrigo de Borgia, later to become Pope Alexander VI, and mother of four of his children: Cesare, Giovanni, Lucrezia, and Goffredo, all publicly recognised by their father. Little is known about Vannozza's early life. What is certain is that she was born on 13 July 1442 to parents of Lombard origin (almost certainly from Mantua). From documents of the time it is understood that her mother was named Menica and that in 1483, already elderly, she was the widow of a certain Jacopo Cattanei, a painter by profession and of minor nobility, who was probably the brother or brother-in-law of Andrea da Brescia, a marble worker.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

According to some historians, she was born in Rome, even if some diarists of the time defined her as "the furrier of Mantua", as Vannozza probably grew up in a family of Lombard painters, marble workers, engineers and decorators who moved to Rome to work in the cardinals' palaces. In Rome, Vannozza worked as an innkeeper, managing some of the most famous and popular inns in the city, such as the Leone o dell'Angelo in the Borgo...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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