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The Borgia Fortress in Subiaco: the stronghold where Lucrezia Borgia was born
The Borgia Fortress is located in Subiaco, in the province of Rome. On one side it looks like a noble palace; on the other, it bears the face of a fortress. For centuries it was the symbol of the temporal power of the abbots of Santa Scolastica — and the place where Lucrezia Borgia was born.
The cardinal who strengthened it
The fortress dates back to the 11th century, and owes its name and current appearance to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, commendatory abbot of the Abbey and future Pope Alexander VI. In 1476 he ordered a radical restoration, adding a massive quadrangular tower connected to the old medieval castle by a narrow corridor with a defensive trapdoor, complete with battlements, arrow slits and dungeons. Rodrigo lived there with his mistress Vannozza Cattanei, who gave birth to Lucrezia there.
From fortress to palace
In 1492, as soon as he was elected pope, Rodrigo handed the Abbey over to the Colonna family — in exchange for their electoral vote. The Colonna had the apartments decorated with allegorical frescoes. In the second half of the 18th century, Pius VI abolished the Abbey's temporal power, and transformed the fortress from a military stronghold into a residential palace. The tower was halved, the trapdoor and dungeons were removed, and on the western side the clock that still characterises it today was installed. The interiors were adorned with frescoes by Liborio Coccetti and the Zuccari Brothers.
What can be seen in the underground rooms today
The underground rooms house the Museum of Paper-Making Activities and Printing, a multimedia journey through the history of written communication and printing.
