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 ("Strong") (Cotignola, 1369 - near Pescara, 1424) a condottiere from the Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples. He was the most successful dynast of the condottieri.

His son Francesco 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.

This family would later join with the Borgia Family, through the arranged marriage of Lucrezia Borgia to Giovanni Sforza (who was the illegitimate son of Costanzo Sforza).

Ludovico Sforza (a.k.a. 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.

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Sforza rulers of Duchy of Milan

(See also List of rulers of Milan)

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Sforza family tree

Giacomo (Muzio) Attendolo, nicknamed Sforza
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+-Francesco I (1401-1466), married Bianca Maria Visconti, daughter of Filippo Maria, 1450-66
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| +-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 
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| +-Ippolita Maria (1446-1484), married king of Alfonso II d'Aragon of Naples
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| +-Ludovico Maria il Moro (the Moor) (1451–1508) 1494-1500
|   |
|   +-Ercole Massimiliano (), 1512–15
|   |
|   +-Francesco II (III) Maria (), 1521–35
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+-Alessandro, first lord of Pesaro
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  +-Costanzo I
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    +-Giovanni (1466-1510), first husband of Lucrezia Borgia
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      +-(Giuseppe Maria) Costanzo II