Ludovico Maria Sforza (Italian: [ludoˈviːko maˈriːa ˈsfɔrtsa]; 3 August 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (Italian: [il ˈmɔːro]; 'the Moor'), and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini, 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.
Ludovico was considered fearful and of a fickle nature. 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. When she died, he went into a depression and the state of his court fell from jubilance to despair. He finally succumbed to King of France Louis XII, who imprisoned him in France where he died.
Ludovico Sforza was born on 3 August 1452 at Milan, in what is now Lombardy. His position as the fourth son of Francesco I Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti meant that he was not expected to become ruler of Milan, but his mother still encouraged a broad education.
Despite being a fourth-born son and therefore unlikely to rise to the position of duke, his mother, Bianca, wanted him to be well-educated. In the style of the Renaissance spirit, Ludovico received a varied education, especially in the field of classical readings. Under the tutelage of many teachers, including the humanist Francesco Filelfo and the poet Giorgio Valagussa, Ludovico received lessons in Greek, Latin, theology, painting, sculpture, as well as being instructed in matters of government and administration of the state. His tutelage also included physical exercise in the form of fencing, hunting, wrestling, horseback riding, jumping, dancing, and the game of ropeball.
Cicco Simonetta described him as the most well-versed and rapid learner among the children of Francesco Sforza, his father. His father and mother showed him particular attention, as evidenced by the extensive correspondence between them. At the age of seven, together with his mother and brothers, he welcomed Pope Pius II to Mantua on a visit to the city, marking Ludovico's first public outing on an official occasion. At the age of eleven, he dedicated an oration in Latin to his father. Ludovico spent his childhood with his brothers and sisters in the Broletto Vecchio palace in Milan and in the Visconti Castle in Pavia.
Under the rule of Galeazzo Maria
When their father Francesco died in 1466, the family titles passed to Galeazzo Maria, the eldest brother. Ludovico was conferred the courtesy title of Count of Mortara.
Within ten days, Ludovico was in Cremona to keep the lands of the duchy united and encourage the inhabitants of the city to pay tributes of loyalty to the new duke.
He continued to deal with diplomatic missives, remaining in Cremona until the following year, when he went to Genoa to welcome his sister Ippolita, wife of Alfonso of Aragon. On 6 June 1468 he was again in Genoa to welcome Bona of Savoy and escorted her together with his brother Tristan to Milan where, on 7 July, her wedding with Duke Galeazzo Maria took place. He was later appointed as the ambassador to the King of France and then to Bologna. In January 1471 he went to Venice on behalf of the duke. He was able to improve diplomatic relations between the Duchy of Milan and the Republic of Venice by giving a speech which was well received by the doge. In March 1471 he accompanied Duke Galeazzo Maria on his journey to Florence, and in August of the same year to Rome for the coronation of Pope Sixtus IV. In September 1471 he journeyed to the court of Turin.
Duke Galeazzo Maria seemed to have a particular fondness for Ludovico. In 1471, the Duke established in his will that should he die without grandchildren, the Duchy of Milan would pass to Ludovico even before the other brothers. Ludovico hid the Duke's well-known relationship with Lucia Marliani. A clear change occurred in 1476 when Ludovico was sent to France together with his brother Tristan in a sort of disguised exile. The Duke's wife, Bona, accused the two of having plotted to assassinate the duke, only to deny the accusation once she had made peace with Ludovico. It is unknown whether this was the reason for that exile, because according to the official version of Galeazzo Maria, it was his own brothers who asked him for permission to "go and see the world".
Duke Galeazzo Maria was assassinated on 26 December 1476, at the hands of several high-ranking officials in the Milanese court. He was succeeded by his son Gian Galeazzo Maria, then only seven years old. Upon hearing the news, Ludovico hastily returned from France. Together with two other brothers, Ascanio and Ottaviano, as well as the condottieri Roberto Sanseverino, Donato del Conte, and Ibletto Fieschi, Ludovico tried to oppose the regency of Bona, believing the duchy was in fact in the hands of the ducal councilor Cicco Simonetta. The attempt failed and Ludovico was exiled to Pisa, Sforza Maria to Bari, and Ascanio to Perugia. Ottaviano 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.
In February 1479, Ludovico and Sforza Maria, supported by Ferrante of Aragon, entered the Republic of Genora with an army, where they joined Roberto Sanseverino and Ibletto Fieschi. The Duchess Bona and Cicco Simonetta convinced Federico Gonzaga and Ercole d'Este to gather a rival army and come to their rescue.
On 1 March 1479, Ludovico and his brother were declared rebels and enemies of the Duchy, and were denied the income they received by virtue of their mother's dowry. After carrying out looting in Pisa, the two returned to La Spezia. In mid-May, peace negotiations began between the two sides.
On 29 July, Sforza Maria died near Varese Ligure, allegedly poisoned on the order of Cicco Simonetta. Ferrante appointed Ludovica as the Duke of Bari, succeeding his brother. Following Roberto Sanseverino, on 20 August Ludovico resumed the march to Milan at the head of an army of 8,000 men, crossing the Passo di Centocroci and going up the Sturla Valley. On 23 August he took the citadel of Tortona after having convinced the Castellan Rafagnino Donati to join his cause. He then marched through to Sale, Castelnuovo Scrivia, Bassignana and Valenza.
After these successes, Simonetta sent Ercole d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, to stop the rebels. Many nobles close to the duchess pushed for reconciliation. Bona finally allowed herself to be persuaded by her lover, Antonio Tassino, who was probably in league with Ludovico, to forgive her brother-in-law. On 7 September, Ludovico entered the castle of Milan. Simonetta was untrusting of Ludovico, and firmly opposed reconciliation. He reportedly said to the Duchess Bona "I will lose my head and you, in time, will lose the state".
The Milanese Ghibelline nobility, which included Pietro Pusterla, took advantage of Ludovico's presence in Milan to try to convince him to get rid of Simonetta, reminding him of all the sufferings that he and his brothers had suffered because of Simonetta. Ludovico, however, did not consider Simonetta a danger and judged it unnecessary to condemn to death a man now quite old and sick with gout. Pietro Pusterla planned an armed revolt against the Simonetta and sought the support of the Marquis of Mantua and Monferrato as well as Giovanni Bentivoglio and Alberto Visconti.
Ludovico, fearing a popular uprising, was forced to imprison Simonetta and his brother Giovanni, who were held in the prisons of the castle of Pavia.