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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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