The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan ( it, Ducato di Milano; lmo, Ducaa de Milan) was a state in northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti family, which had been ruling the city sin ...

following the extinction of the

Visconti family Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last member of the family's main branch in 1535.

History

The first son of

Muzio Attendolo Sforza Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian ''condottiero''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio. He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan f ...

Francesco I Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L' ...

, married Bianca Maria (1425–1468) in 1441. She was the daughter and only heir of the last

Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elect ...

, (

Filippo Maria Visconti Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447)

). He thus acquired the title of

(1450–1466), ruled Milan for 16 years, and made the Sforzas the heirs of the house of Visconti. The family also held the seigniory of

Pesaro Pesaro () is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, ...

, starting with Muzio Attendolo's second son, Alessandro (1409–1473). The Sforza held Pesaro until 1512, after the death of

Costanzo II Sforza Giovanni Maria Sforza (Gradara, 24 February 1510 – 1512), also known as Costanzo II, was the Lord of Pesaro from his father's death in 1510 until his own death at a young age in 1512. He was the only son of Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro, and h ...

. Muzio's third son, Bosio (1411–1476), founded the branch of

Santa Fiora Santa Fiora is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto, in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about southeast of Florence and about east of Grosseto. Santa Fiora borders the following municipalities: Abbadia San Salvatore, Arc ...

, who held the title of count of

Cotignola Cotignola ( rgn, Cudgnôla) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ravenna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about west of Ravenna. Cotignola was the birthplace of the 15th century condottier ...

; the Sforza ruled the small

county of Santa Fiora The County of Santa Fiora ( it, Contea di Santa Fiora), also known as State of Santa Fiora ( it, Stato di Santa Fiora, links=no) was a small historical state of southern Tuscany, in central Italy. Together with the county of Sovana, it was one of ...

in southern Tuscany until 1624. Members of this family also held important ecclesiastical and political positions in the Papal States, and moved to Rome in 1674, taking the name of Sforza Cesarini. The Sforza became allied with the Borgia family through the

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...

(1493–1497) between

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Govern ...

and

Giovanni Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

(the illegitimate son of Costanzo I of Pesaro). This alliance failed, as the Borgia family annulled the marriage once the Sforza family were no longer needed. In 1499, in the course of the Italian Wars, the army of

Louis XII of France Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

took Milan from

Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; "the Moor"). "Arbiter of Italy", according to the expression used by Guicciardini,

(known as ''Ludovico il Moro'', famous for taking Leonardo da Vinci into his service). After Imperial

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

troops drove out the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, Maximilian Sforza, son of Ludovico, became Duke of Milan (1512–1515) until the French returned under Francis I of France and imprisoned him. In 1521 Charles V drove out the French and restored the younger son of Ludovico,

Francesco II Sforza Francesco II Sforza (February 4, 1495 – November 2, 1535) was Duke of Milan from 1521 until his death. He was the last member of the Sforza family to rule Milan. He was the second son of Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este. When Ludovico ...

to the duchy. Francesco remained the ruler of Milan until his death in 1535 and as he was childless the Duchy reverted to the Emperor, who passed it to his son Philip II in 1540, thus beginning the period of Spanish rule in Milan.

Sforza rulers of the Duchy of Milan

* Francesco I, 1450–1466 * Galeazzo Maria, 1466–1476 *

Gian Galeazzo Gian Galeazzo Sforza (20 June 1469 – 21 October 1494), also known as Giovan Galeazzo Sforza, was the sixth Duke of Milan. Early life Born in Abbiategrasso, he was only seven years old when in 1476 his father, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, was assa ...

, 1476–1494 * Ludovico, 1494–1499 *

Massimiliano Massimiliano is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: *Massimiliano Alajmo (born 1974), Italian chef *Massimiliano Allegri (born 1967), Italian footballer and manager *Massimiliano Ammendola (born 1990), Italian foo ...

, 1513–1515 *

Francesco II Francesco II may refer to: * Francesco II Ordelaffi (1300–1386) * Francesco II of Lesbos (c. 1365 – 1403/1404) * Francesco II Acciaioli (died 1460), last Duke of Athens * Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua (1466–1519), ruler of the Ita ...

, 1521–1535

Sforza rulers of Pesaro and Gradara

* Alessandro, 1445–1473 * Costanzo I, 1473–1483 *

, 1483–1500 and 1503–1510 * Costanzo II, 1510–1512 * , 1512

Sforza family tree

Muzio Sforza Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian ''condottiero''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio. He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan f ...

with mistress Lucia da Torsano had 7 illegitimate sons ** son

Gabriele Sforza Gabriele Sforza (born ''Carlo Sforza''; 1423–1457), was a member of the Augustinian Order who served as Archbishop of Milan from 1445 to his death in 1457. Family His father was Giacomo Muzio Attendolo, who had three marriages and sixteen c ...

archbishop of Milan ** son

married Bianca Maria Visconti *** son Galeazzo Maria Sforza married

Bona of Savoy Bona of Savoy, Duchess of Milan (10 August 1449 – 23 November 1503) was Duchess of Milan as the second spouse of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan. She served as regent of Milan during the minority of her son 1476–1481. Life Born in Avig ...

, mistress Lucrezia Landriani **** daughter Bianca Maria (1472–1510), second wife of

Holy Roman The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unti ...

Emperor

Maximilian I Maximilian I may refer to: *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1486/93–1519 *Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, reigned 1597–1651 *Maximilian I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636-1689) *Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, reigned 1795� ...

**** son

(1469–1494), married his cousin

Isabella of Naples Isabella of Aragon (2 October 1470 – 11 February 1524), also known as Isabella of Naples, was by marriage Duchess of Milan and ''suo jure'' Duchess of Bari. A member of the Neapolitan branch of the House of Trastamara, her life was characteri ...

***** son Francesco (II), nominally duke under the regency of Ludovico Maria ***** daughter Bona (1494–1557), second wife of King Sigismund I of Poland ***** daughter

Ippolita Maria Sforza Ippolita Maria Sforza (18 April 1445 – 20 August 1488) was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Sforza family which ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 until 1535. She was the first wife of the Duke of Calabria, who later reigned as King Alfo ...

(1493–1501) **** illegitimate daughter Caterina Sforza married

Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano Giovanni de' Medici, in full Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, later known as il Popolano (the commoner) (21 October 1467 – 14 September 1498) was an Italian nobleman of the Medici House of Florence. He was the son of Pierfrancesco di Loren ...

**** illegitimate son Ottaviano Maria Sforza bishop of Lodi *** son Ludovico il Moro (the Moor) (1451–1508) **** son Ercole Massimiliano **** son Francesco II (III) Maria **** illegitimate daughter Bianca Sforza (1483–1496) married to Galeazzo Sanseverino **** illegitimate son Giovanni Paolo I (1497–1535), marquess of

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...

*** son

Ascanio ''Ascanio'' is a grand opera in five acts and seven tableaux by composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The opera's French libretto, by Louis Gallet, is based on the 1852 play ''Benvenuto Cellini'' by French playwright Paul Meurice which was in turn based ...

(1444–1505), Cardinal *** daughter Ippolita Maria (1446–1484), married king of Alfonso II d'Aragon of Naples *** illegitimate daughter Polissena (1428-1449), married Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta ** son Alessandro, first lord of

*** son Costanzo I **** son

(1466–1510), first husband of

***** son Costanzo II (Giovanni Maria) last ruler of Pesaro ** Bosio (count of Cotignola, lord of

Castell'Arquato Castell'Arquato (; Piacentino: or ) is an Italian town located on the first hills of Val D’Arda in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna, approximately from Piacenza and from Parma. Places nearby include Bacedasco, Vigolo Marchese, ...

)

Notable members

Castellini Baldissera

While the House of Sforza has died out over the last century, it is closely related to the

Castellini Baldissera The House of Castellini Baldissera are an Italian family originating from Milan and Brescia. Notable Members The Castellini Baldissera family's ancestral seat is the 18th century Villa Castellini, on Lago Maggiore as well as the 14th century C ...

family, who inherited a number of their palazzos and estates.

In popular culture

* One of the cursed artefacts from '' Friday the 13th: The Series'' was the "Sforza Glove", attributed to the original family's possession. * Thomas Harris's character Hannibal Lecter is a descendant of the House of Sforza. * In the book, anime, and manga series '' Trinity Blood'', the Duchess of Milan, who is also one of the Cardinals, is named Caterina Sforza. * Caterina Sforza appears as a non-playable character in the video game '' Assassin's Creed 2'' and its sequel, '' Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''. * The Sforza figure prominently in the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series '' The Borgias''. * The house is mentioned in a song about the Borgia family in the British edutainment TV show '' Horrible Histories''. * There are notable members from the family in the television series '' Medici''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sforza, House Of Dukes of Milan Italian noble families Roman Catholic families