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Jul 23, 2024 · Ludovico Sforza, Italian Renaissance regent (1480–94) and duke of Milan (1494–98) who was a ruthless prince and diplomatist and a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists. He also sponsored extensive work in civil and military engineering, such as canals and fortifications.
The attempt failed and Ludovico was exiled to Pisa, Sforza Maria to Bari, and Ascanio to Perugia. Octavian tried to wade across the Adda to escape and drowned. Roberto Sanseverino fled to France, Donato del Conte was imprisoned in Monza, and Ibletto Fieschi was imprisoned in the Castello Sforzesco.
Francesco Sforza became a prince by his own strength and kept his state. Cesare Borgia became a prince by his father's influence, and, despite his best efforts, could not maintain his state after his father's influence failed. This was not his fault, but was caused by extraordinary bad luck.
Machiavelli cites the highly skilled Sforza, himself a mercenary, to illustrate the danger of mercenaries. Through a combination of prowess and fortune, Sforza bridged the gap between the masses and the elite, using skill and opportunity to become the duke of Milan.
Naples was allied with Pope Alexander VI, who begrudged the Sforza its possession of the city of Forlì, situated in the Papal States. Ludovico tried to counteract the Neapolitan threat aiding Charles VIII of France to attack Naples. He allowed Charles in 1495 to move his army through Milan.
One of the people who paid Sforza to fight for him was Filippo Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan. Since Sforza married his daughter, he expected to become duke when Visconti died in 1447. Not so fast, Sforza.
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Aug 24, 2021 · Sforza’s political cunning and forceful rule fascinated many in early modern Italy, including Niccolò Machiavelli, who came to Forlì in 1499 to negotiate her son Ottaviano’s military contract with Florence. In The Prince, Machiavelli highlights Sforza’s use of fortresses for protection.
