Ippolita Maria Sforza, the second child of Bianca Maria Visconti (1425-1468) and Francesco Sforza (1401-1466), was born April 18th, 1445, in Pesaro, the Sforza family stronghold on the Adriatic coast. In 1441, Bianca Maria, the only legitimate heir of Filippo Maria Visconti, the duke of Milan, married Sforza, commander-in-chief of Duke Filippo’s army and perhaps the greatest condottiere of his time. When Duke Filippo died without a male heir in 1447, the Milanese citizens met and declared the duchy a republic, naming Sforza its military head of state. But in 1448, the city fell into chaos. Sforza first defected to Venice, but soon made plans to take Milan for himself. After a twelve-month siege in which the city was reduced to famine, on February 20th, 1450, Sforza broached the city…
2173 words
Citation: Robin, Diana, Lynn Lara Westwater. "Ippolita Maria Sforza". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 September 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14057, accessed 21 November 2024.]
