Giovanni Sforza

Sforza tried to wield his proximity to the Borgias to Milan's advantage by acting as a spy, and was found out by Alexander VI.

He left Rome to continue with a military campaign, and upon his return in February 1497 quickly fled the city in disguise.

Giovanni refused to do so on at least two grounds: first, he would have to return Lucrezia's sizable dowry, and second, doing so would require signing a paper stating he was impotent.

Some sources state that Giovanni had married and even fathered illegitimate children before his union with Lucrezia, which is reasonable given his age.

This claim, first made solely against the Pope and later extended to all of Lucrezia's brothers, still continues to shade the family's history.

The Sforza family had by then threatened to withhold protection to Giovanni if he did not comply with the offer, which allowed him to keep the dowry but still required signing the confirmation of impotence.

He was also attacked by Cesare Borgia, who aimed to gain Sforza's lands, and was forced to abandon Pesaro.

Giovanni Sforza could return to Pesaro only after the death of Alexander VI and the illness of Cesare Borgia (1503).