When Charles Gonzaga deserted the Sforza’s field with 1200 horses and 5oo soldiers and became captain general of the civic militias, the great condottiere did his best to come to an agreement with Venice which only to keep Ghiara of Adda and districts, accepted to clear the Dukedom andto pay the Sforza a salary of 1300 florins a month. 

 

The news filled , with consternation the republicans chiefs who threw their mistakes and. faults on one another face about the event. The aristocratical government collapsed. and a demagogic one was formed Land headed by the Gonzaga who realizing the Sforza’s successes turned into the old banner. 

Milan driven to despair tried an agreement with Venice allowing all its wants: among that the towns of Brescia and Bergamo (treaty of Spt.1449). 

The Sforza naturally went on fighting but on two fronts: being careful not to attack straight Milan and make people hostile to him he preferred to starve them into surrender (Feb.1450).

People rose and on Feb. 27th the new Count could triumphantly enter the town: waggons of bread happily sacked by the people preceeded him. A few days later a bargain was stroken defining rights and duties between the prince and his subjects, Francesco Sforza was once again ready for a war against Venice. 

It was a long and hard war because if the Sforza had Charles VII of France and Florence as allied, The Serenissima had in his turn formed a league with the Aragonese people of Naples and the Savoia Family. 

To stop it , Four years later, it was the Peace of Lodi by which the Duke of Milan renounced his pretensions to the towns of Brescia, Bergamo, Verona and Vicenza, obtaining instead free hand to get back again all lands taken to him from the Savoia and the Marquis of Monferrato. 

Ten years later, in 1464, the place was stipulated and the Duke, without striking a blow, occupied the to of Genoa which spoiled by opposite parties voluntarily submitted with Savona. Shortly afterwards the careful Prince decreed the Peace for the Kingdom of Naples letting his daughter Ippolita marry Alphonse, the Aragorese King’s son. Since long he was already close friend of Louis XI King of France andwhen the war of the "public welfare" blew he sent a troop in his support leaded by his son Galeazzo Maria who was still in France when his father died after a short illness. 

 

Titles of merits to the first Duke of the Sforza Family were for his daring on battle—fields, his skilfulness in the public money management, his great care not only of letters and arts but of industry(in 1461 it was due to him the first corporative organization of silkmen whom arrived in Milan by his ancestor) and a remarkable activity in the building industry field)(the Hospital Maggiore was built, the Channel of Martesana deriving from the Adda River was opened).

What concerned’ his tendentiously equilibrating political share, it was applied by Francesco even into the town, he well knowin4the traditional feudal hostilities and willingly forgetting the so many noble—men’s hostile acts to him before his entering in Milan (ST Miniato July 23rd, 1401 –MI- March 8th, 1466).

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