House of Borgia

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/house-of-borgia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the family origin?Hails from Xàtiva, Kingdom of Valencia, Spain
2. What is the prominent period?Rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries)
3. Who were the Borgia family and where did they come from?The Borgia family was a powerful group from Spain, originally from Xàtiva in the Valencia region. They moved to Italy and became very influential during the Renaissance.
4. How did the Borgia family become popes?They used marriages, politics, and ambition to place two family members on the papal throne. Pope Callixtus III was the first, followed by Pope Alexander VI.

Toponymic Surname: A surname derived from the name of a place, indicating the family's geographical origin.
Italian Renaissance: A period of profound cultural, artistic, and intellectual rebirth in Italy, spanning roughly from the 14th to the 17th century.
Simony: The illicit act of buying or selling ecclesiastical privileges, offices, or roles within the Church hierarchy.
Papal Dynasty: A succession of Popes from the same family, wielding significant political and religious influence over an extended period.