Viana Forgives Valentino's Sins

Duke Valentino (Cesare Borgia) was killed on March 12, 1507 during the seige of Viana, a town in the Kingdom of Navarre, which is now part of northern Spain.

He was buried in Viana's Santa Maria Church. His remains were later exhumed by a bishop who thought Valentino did not deserve a Christian burial. Valentino's bones were re-interred beneath a city street, only to be dug up again by a roadwork crew in 1945.

His remains were shut away as a debate raged between the city fathers and the Catholic clergy on what to do next: the city fathers wanted Cesare reburied in the church, a move resisted by clergy horrified by his sins. The city fathers have won, and Cesare will again rest in the Santa Maria Church.

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