Juan de Vera was born in the castle at Alzira, Valencia.[1] He was a relative of Pope Alexander VI.[1] Juan de Vera was a doctor of both laws.[1]
After completing his education, he moved to Rome and entered the service of Cardinal Roderic Llançol i de Borja (the future Pope Alexander VI).[1] There, he was preceptor of the cardinal's son, Cesare Borgia.[1] He later served as the cardinal's vicar in Valencia.[1]
On 10 July 1500 he was elected Archbishop of Salerno.[1]
Pope Alexander VI made him a cardinal priest in the consistory of 28 September 1500.[1] He received the red hat on 2 October 1500 and the titular church of Santa Balbina on 5 October 1500.[1] In the consistory of 5 October 1500 he was named papal legate to the Kingdom of Aragon, the Kingdom of Castile, the Kingdom of Portugal, the Kingdom of France, and the Kingdom of England, in order to promote a crusade against the Ottoman Empire.[1] From 1501, he was also legate to the March of Ancona.[1] He returned to Rome on 13 November 1501.[1] He was made a canon of Burgos Cathedral in 1503.[1]
He participated in both the papal conclave of September 1503 that elected Pope Pius III and the papal conclave of October 1503 that elected Pope Julius II.[1] Before the first conclave, on 21 August 1503, the ambassador of Venice, A. Giustinian, wrote in a dispatch, "I am assured on the best authority that last Sunday no less than eleven cardinals swore to Caesar to have Cardinal Giovanni Vera elected, or else to bring about a schism...."[2]
He was Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from 1504 to 1505, chosen by seniority.[3] On 7 August 1504 he became prior of the cathedral church of San Pedro de Fraga in Leiria and pastor of Badieles, Zaragoza.[1] He served as governor of Piceno and of Emilia.[1]
He died in Rome on 4 May 1507.[1] He is buried in the Basilica di Sant'Agostino.[1]
