House of Sforza

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Map of Italy in 1494. Insert shows the Duchy of Milan ruled by the Visconti family and inherited by the Sforzas.

Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan.

The dynasty was founded by Muzio Attendolo, called Sforza (from sforzare, to exert or force, 1369-1424) a condottiero from Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples. He was the most successful dynast of the condottieri.

His son Francesco I Sforza ruled Milan for the first half of the Renaissance era, acquiring the title of Duke of Milan from the extinct Visconti family in 1447. While there were many good rulers in the family, there were also a number of despots, many of which were mentally unstable.

The family also held the seigniory of Pesaro, starting from Muzio Attendolo's second son, Alessandro (1409-1473). The Sforza held Pesaro until 1519, with the death of Galeazzo. Muzio's third son, Bosio (1411-1476), founded the branch of Santa Fiora, who held the title of count of Cotignola. Members of this family held important ecclesiastical and political position in the Papal States, and moved to Rome in 1674.

The Sforza would later join with the Borgia Family, through the arranged marriage of Lucrezia Borgia to Giovanni (the illegitimate son of Costanzo I of Pesaro [1]).

Ludovico Sforza (also known as Ludovico il Moro, famous also for taking Leonardo da Vinci at his service) was defeated in 1500 by the French army of Louis XII of France - see also Italian Wars.

After the French were driven out by Imperial Swiss troops Maximilian Sforza, son of Ludovico, became Duke of Milan, until the French returned under Francis I of France and imprisoned him.

1 Sforza rulers of Duchy of Milan
2 Sforza rulers of Pesaro and Gradara
3 Sforza family tree
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Sforza rulers of Duchy of Milan

Francesco I 1450-1466
Galeazzo Maria 1466-1476
Gian Galeazzo 1476-1494
Ludovico 1494-1499
Ludovico Sforza|Ludovico (restored) 1500
Massimiliano 1512-1515
Caterina 1515-1535
Francesco II 1521-1535

[edit] Sforza rulers of Pesaro and Gradara

Alessandro
Costanzo I
Giovanni
Costanzo II
Galeazzo

[edit] Sforza family tree

Giacomo (Muzio) Attendolo, nicknamed Sforza
|
+-Francesco I (1401-1466), married Bianca Maria Visconti, daughter of Filippo Maria, 1450-66
| |
| +-Galeazzo Maria (1443–1476), 1466-76
| | |
| | +-Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) (Model for Mona Lisa?)
| | |
| | +-Bianca Maria (1472–1510), second wife of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I
| | |
| | +-Gian Galeazzo(1469-1494), married Isabella of Naples, 1476-94
| |   |
| |   +-Francesco (II), nominally duke under the regency of Ludovico Maria
| |   |
| |   +-Bona (1494-1557), second wife of king Sigismund I of Poland
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| +-Ascanio (1444-1505), Cardinal 
| |
| +-Ippolita Maria (1446-1484), married king of Alfonso II d'Aragon of Naples
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| +-Ludovico il Moro (the Moor) (1451–1508) 1494-1500
|   |
|   +-Ercole Massimiliano (1493-1530), 1512–15
|   |
|   +-Francesco II (III) Maria (), 1521–35
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+-Alessandro, first lord of Pesaro
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| +-Costanzo I
|   |
|   + Galeazzo, last Sforza ruler of Pesaro
|   |
|   +-Giovanni (1466-1510), first husband of Lucrezia Borgia
|     |
|     +-Costanzo II (Giovanni Maria)
+-Bosio (count of Cotignola, lord of Castell'Arquato)