Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian ''

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...

''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the

Battle of Casalecchio The Battle of Casalecchio took place on 26 June 1402 near the town of Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, in northern Italy. A Bolognese army under Giovanni Bentivoglio opposed Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The city of Bologna was aide ...

. He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan for 16 years.

Biography

He was born as Giacomo or Jacopo Attendolo in

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 ...

(

Romagna Romagna ( rgn, Rumâgna) is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to t ...

) to a rich family of rural nobility, son of Giovanni Attendolo (d. 1385/1386) and Elisa, perhaps daughter of Ugolino Petraccini. Muzzo or Muzio was the short form of the nickname of Giacomuzzo, which was the name of his paternal grandfather.''Genealogy of the House of Sforza'' in: genmarenostrum.com
etrieved 8 January 2015 He had eight known siblings: Bosio (d. 1411), Margherita (by her first mariage de’ Ravignani and by her second Countess of Morcone), Francesco (d. 1412), Bartolo (d. 1412), Giorgio, Matteo (killed in 1388), Tonduzzo (killed with his brother in 1388) and Maria (d. 1412; by marriage Marchioness Pallavicino). According to tradition, young Giacomo was plowing a field when a platoon of mercenaries led by Boldrino da Panicale passed nearby in search of recruits. He then stole one of his father's horses and followed the soldiers to follow the same career. Later, together with his brothers Bosio, Francesco and Bartolo and two cousins, he joined the company of Alberico da Barbiano, who nicknamed him "Sforza" ("Strong") for his staunchness and his abilities to suddenly reverse the fortunes of battles. In 1398 he was at the service of Perugia against the Milanese troops of

Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Milan (1395) and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò. He was the foundi ...

, to whom Muzio soon switched his loyalty following the typical behavior of mercenary chieftains of the time. Later he fought for Florence against Visconti but in 1402, at the

battle of Casalecchio The Battle of Casalecchio took place on 26 June 1402 near the town of Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, in northern Italy. A Bolognese army under Giovanni Bentivoglio opposed Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The city of Bologna was aide ...

, was defeated by his former master Alberico da Barbiano. In 1406 he captured Pisa and was subsequently hired by Niccolò III d'Este of

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

, who was being menaced by Ottobono Terzi of Parma. King Ladislaus of Naples named him Gran Connestabile of his kingdom. Sforza's military qualities were mostly needed against Florence and the Pope. He remained for the rest of his life in the Kingdom of Naples, after the King's death (1414), at the service of queen Joan II. However, he attracted the jealousy of Joan's

favorite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated si ...

, Pandolfello Alopo, who had him arrested and imprisoned. However, when Sforza's troops intervened, Alopo freed him and Joan gave him the fiefdoms of

Benevento Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...

and

Manfredonia Manfredonia is a town and commune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and gives its name to the gulf to the east of i ...

. On this occasion Sforza married Caterina Alopo, Pandolfello's sister. A few months later Sforza was again arrested after a quarrel with James of Bourbon. He was freed only in 1416, after James' fall from power, and Joan gave him back the title of ''Conestabile''. Muzio_Attendoli_Sforza

In 1417 Sforza was sent by Joan to help the pope against Braccio da Montone, together with his son

Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

. Later he returned briefly to Naples, but here he was opposed by Giovanni (Sergianni) Caracciolo, Joan's new lover. In the following, confused, events that led to the arrival of Louis III of Anjou in Naples in opposition to

Alfonso V of Aragon Alfonso the Magnanimous (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfonso V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfonso I) from 1442 until his death. He was involved with struggles to the t ...

, Sforza helped Joan and Sergianni to flee to

Aversa Aversa () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Caserta in Campania, southern Italy, about 24 km north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the ''Agro Aversano'', producing wine and cheese (famous for the typical bu ...

. In 1423, the city of L'Aquila rebelled against Braccio da Montone and he was sent to support it. In an attempt to save one of his pages during the fording of the

Pescara River The Aterno-Pescara (ancient ''Aternus'' from the Greek ''Aternos'', ''Άτερνος'') is a river system in Abruzzo, eastern central Italy. The river is known as the Aterno near its source in the mountains, but takes the name Pescara, actually a ...

, Sforza drowned and his body was swept away by the waters.

Family

Sforza had sixteen known children born from three marriages and two mistresses: In 1409, Sforza married firstly with Antonia (d. 1411), widow of Francesco Casali, Lord of Cortona and daughter of Francesco Salimbeni, Patrician of Siena and Lord of Chiusi, Radicofani, Bagno Vignoni, Carsoli and Sarteano. They had one son: *Bosio (1410 - 1476), Count of Cotignola (1424), Lord of Castell’Arquato and Sovereign Count of Santa Fiora by virtue of his marriage (1439) with Cecilia Aldobrandeschi, Countess of Santa Fiora and Pitigliano.Their issue obtained successively the titles of Marchesi di Proceno, Conti e Duchi di Segni, Duchi di Onano and it is still existent with the surname "Sforza-Cesarini" and bears the titles of Duchi di Segni e Civita Lavinia. On 16 June 1413, Sforza married secondly with Caterina (also named ''Catella''; d. 1418 in childbirth), a sister of Pandolfello Piscopo "''Alopo''", Grand Chamberlain of the Kingdom of Naples and lover of Queen Joanna II. They had three children: *Leonardo (1415 - 1438). *Pietro (1417 - 1442), Bishop of Ascoli Piceno since 1438. *Giovanna (born and died 1418). In 1421, Sforza married thirdly with Maria (d. 1440), daughter of Giacomo da Marzano, 1st Duke of Sessa, and Sovereign Countess of Celano after inherited from her first husband Nicola de Berardi. They had two children: *Bartolomeo (1420 - 1435), Count of Celano (1430). * Carlo (15 June 1423 - 12 September 1457), later renamed ''Gabriele'' in his ordination, Archbishop of Milan since 1445. With his mistress Tamira di Cagli, Sforza had two children: *Mansueto (ca. 1400 - 1467), Abbot of San Lorenzo of Cremona (1425). *Onestina (1402 - 1422), a Benedictine nun. With his mistress Lucia Terzani da Marsciano (or ''Lucia da Torsano'' according to other sources; d. 1461), Sforza had eight children: *

(23 July 1401 - 8 March 1466), Duke of Milan in 1450. *Elisa (1402 - 1476), married in 1417 to Leonello of Sanseverino, Count of Cajazzo. *Alberico (1403 - 1423). *Antonia (16 January 1404 - 1471), married firstly in 1417 to Ardizzone da Carrara, Lord of Feltre, and secondly in 1442 to Manfredo da Barbiano. *Leone (May 1406 - September 1440), condottiero; married in 1435 to Marsobilia Trinci di Foligno (d. 1485). No issue. *Giovanni (1407 - December 1451), condottiero; married in 1419 to Lavinia Lavello di Toscanella. No issue. *

Gregorio Gregorio is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name * Gregorio Conrado Álvarez (1925–2016), Uruguayan army general and de facto President of Uruguay from 1981 until 1985 * Gregorio Álvarez (historian) (1889–1986), A ...

(29 October 1409 - April 1473), changed his name to ''Alessandro'' in honour to Pope Alexander V; Lord of Pesaro (1445). *Orsola (1411 - 1460), a Clarisse nun.

Other

The Italian Regia Marina launched a cruiser called ''Muzio Attendolo'' in 1935. See also

Condottieri class cruiser The Condottieri class was a sequence of five different light cruiser classes of the ''Regia Marina'' (Italian Navy), although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterrane ...

Notes

Sources

*Paolo Giovio, ''Vita di Muzio Attendolo'' *Caterina Santoro, ''Gli Sforza'', 1968 * *Claudio Rendina, ''I Capitani di ventura'', 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sforza, Muzio 1369 births 1424 deaths People from the Province of Ravenna 14th-century condottieri Muzio 15th-century condottieri Deaths by drowning