Rodrigo de Borja, born in 1431 in Spain, ascended to the papacy, adopting the name Pope Alexander VI after being elected in a highly factionalized and politically charged environment within the Catholic Church. The papacy of Alexander VI is characterized by a significant intertwining of politics and religion, reflecting the powerful influence of the Borgia family in the political landscape of Renaissance Italy. Alexander VI's election was backed by a coalition of cardinals, which was indicative of the widespread nepotism and corruption that plagued the Church at the time. His papacy would be marked by a commitment to the interests of his family and an aggressive pursuit of temporal power and wealth.During his time as pope, he engaged in various alliances and machinations to stabilize and expand the influence of the Borgia dynasty, including the marriage of his children to powerful political figures. His infamous reputation was solidified through scandals, including allegations of simony, the murder of political rivals, and an open acknowledgment of his children conceived from extramarital affairs. This era also saw Alexander VI's efforts to confront the Protestant Reformation, introductory decrees promoting the campaign of the Catholic Church to grapple with burgeoning dissent. The consequences of his papacy were significant in the context of Church history and the politics of Italy, as they stimulated debates about reform and the relationship between politics and theology. While he pushed the Borgia agenda forward, his controversial methods molded perceptions of the papacy as a position plagued by moral corruption, setting the stage for later criticisms and calls for reform that would manifest more dramatically in the ensuing centuries.