_{History meme: Giulia “la bella" Farnese (1474-1524)}

_{After becoming mistress of Pope Alexander VI in 1493, Giulia lived with Adriana de Mila and the Pope’s daughter Lucrezia Borgia in a palace built next to the Vatican, where the Pope could easily make his clandestine visits. The affair was widely known, and Giulia was referred to as “the Pope’s whore" and, (sarcastically) “the bride of Christ.“ Giulia and Lucrezia became close friends.}

_{Through her good favour with the Pope, Giulia influenced his decision to make her brother Alessandro a cardinal.}

_{Giulia had a daughter, Laura, who she claimed was the daughter of the Pope. In 1494 in the midst of a war between Italy and France, Giulia visited her brother, Angelo, as he lay dying outside Rome. While returning to Rome she was captured by a French general, who demanded a ransom for her safe return, which the Pope paid in full.}

_{Giulia remained the Pope’s mistress until 1500. In 1506, she became the governor of Carbognano, where she took up residence in the castle of the region. The chronicle of the castle states that Giulia was an “able administrator, who governed in a firm and energetic manner.”}

_{In 1522, she returned to Rome, and died in the house of her brother, Cardinal Alessandro – cause of death unknown. 10 years following her death, Alessandro ascended to the papal throne as Pope Paul III – a position he would never have gained without his sister’s aid.}