For the Medici were friendly to the House of Borgia, and we know that they welcomed the election, and that from Florence Manfredi--the Ferrarese ambassador--wrote home: "It is said he will be a glorious Pontiff" ("Dicesi che sara glorioso Pontefice").
Were Venice, Genoa, Mantua, Siena, or Lucca dismayed by this election?
Surely not, if the superlatively laudatory congratulations of their various ambassadors are of any account.
Venice confessed that "a better pastor could not have been found for the Church," since he had proved himself "a chief full of experience and an excellent cardinal." Genoa said that "his merit lay not in having been elected, but in having been desired." Mantua declared that it "had long awaited the pontificate of one who, during forty years, had rendered himself, by his wisdom and justice, capable of any office." Siena expressed its joy at seeing the summit of eminence attained by a Pope solely upon his merits--"Pervenuto alla dignita pontificale meramente per meriti proprii." Lucca praised the excellent choice made, and extolled the accomplishments, the wisdom, and experience of the Pontiff.
Not dismay, then, but actual rejoicing must have been almost universal in Italy on the election of Pope Alexander VI.

And very properly--always considering the Pontificate as the temporal State it was then being accounted; for Roderigo's influence was vast, his intelligence was renowned, and had again and again been proved, and his administrative talents and capacity for affairs were known to all.

He was well-born, cultured, of a fine and noble presence, and his wealth was colossal, comprising the archbishoprics of Valencia and Porto, the bishoprics of Majorca, Carthage, Agria, the abbeys of Subiaco, the Monastery of Our Lady of Bellefontaine, the deaconry of Sancta Maria in Via Lata, and his offices of Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Holy Church.
We are told that he gained his election by simony.

It is very probable that he did.

But the accusation has never been categorically established, and until that happens it would be well to moderate the vituperation hurled at him.