"Ten papacies would not be sufficient to satisfy this swarm of relatives," wrote Gianandrea Boccaccio in November, 1492, to the Duke of Ferrara.

Of the close friends of Alexander, Juan Lopez was made his chancellor; Pedro Caranza and Juan Marades his privy chamberlains; Rodrigo Borgia, a nephew of the Pope, was made captain of the palace guard, which hitherto had been commanded by a Doria.
Alexander immediately began to lay the plans for a more brilliant future for his daughter.

He would no longer listen to her marrying a Spanish nobleman; nothing less than a prince should receive her hand.

Ludovico and Ascanio suggested their kinsman, Giovanni Sforza.

The Pope accepted him as son-in-law, for, although he was only Count of Cotognola and vicar of Pesaro, he was an independent sovereign, and he belonged to the illustrious house of Sforza.