Back Ludovico Sforza Afrikaans لودوفيكو سفورزا Arabic Lüdoviko Mariya Sforza (Milan hersoqu) Azerbaijani Ладавіка Сфорца Byelorussian Лядавіка Сфорца BE-X-OLD Лудовико Мария Сфорца Bulgarian Ludovico Sforza Breton Lluís Maria Sforza Catalan Lodovico Sforza Czech Ludovico Sforza German

Ludovico Sforza

Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico's portrait in the Pala Sforzesca, 1494–1495 (Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan)[a]
Duke of Milan
Reign21 October 1494 – 6 September 1499
PredecessorGian Galeazzo Sforza
SuccessorLouis XII of France
Regent of Milan
Regency7 October 1480 – 21 October 1494
MonarchGian Galeazzo Sforza
Born3 August 1452
Milan, Duchy of Milan
Died27 May 1508 (aged 55)
Château de Loches, Kingdom of France
SpouseBeatrice d'Este
Issue
Detail
HouseSforza
FatherFrancesco I Sforza
MotherBianca Maria Visconti

Ludovico Maria Sforza (Italian: [ludoˈviːko maˈriːa ˈsfɔrtsa]; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (Italian: [il ˈmɔːro]; 'the Moor'),[b] and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini,[3] was an Italian nobleman who ruled as the Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1499.

Although he was the fourth son and excluded from his family's succession, Ludovico was ambitious and managed to obtain dominion over Milan. He first assumed the regency from his sister-in-law Bona, then took over from his deceased nephew Gian Galeazzo, whom some say he poisoned. Considered enlightened, generous, and peaceful, he became a patron of artists and writers. His court in Milan became one of the most important in Europe during the Italian Renaissance.[4]

Somewhat contrarily, Ludovico was also considered fearful and of a fickle nature.[5] To face the threats of King Alfonso II of Naples, Ludovico called the French to Italy; when threatened by the French, he could not face the danger, and was saved only thanks to the intervention of his wife, Beatrice.[6] When she died, he went into a depression[7] and the state of his court fell from jubilance to despair.[8] He finally succumbed to King of France Louis XII, who imprisoned him in France where he died.[9]

  1. ^ Vezzosi, Alessandro (1997). Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Man. New Horizons. Translated by Bonfante-Warren, Alexandra (English translation ed.). London, UK: Thames & Hudson. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-500-30081-7.
  2. ^ Cf. John E. Morby (1978). "The Sobriquets of Medieval European Princes". Canadian Journal of History. 13 (1): 13.
  3. ^ Opere inedite di Francesco Guicciardini etc, Storia fiorentina, dai tempi di Cosimo de' Medici a quelli del gonfaloniere Soderini, 3, 1859, p. 217
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Silvio Biancardi, La chimera di Carlo VIII, 1492–1495, Interlinea, 2009, p. 57.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference più fonti 12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Gaspare Visconti, Rodolfo Renier, Tip. Bortolotti di Giuseppe Prato, 1886, pp. 6–7.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Calmeta, p. 25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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