How did Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia support Alessandro Farnese’s early church career?

Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI, served as a crucial patron for Alessandro Farnese, the future Pope Paul III. After Alessandro’s early career in Rome was briefly interrupted by a prison term under Pope Innocent VIII, his advancement was secured through Borgia’s support.1

Upon his election to the papacy, Alexander VI appointed Alessandro as treasurer of the Roman Church. Shortly thereafter, on September 20, 1493, he elevated Alessandro to the rank of cardinal deacon. This rapid rise was widely attributed by contemporaries to the intimate relationship between the pope and Alessandro’s sister, Giulia la Bella, which led to Alessandro being disparagingly referred to as the "petticoat cardinal".12