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Visconti Succession Crisis in Milan (1440s)

Type Event Region Europe Time 1440–1450

In the 1440s Duke Filippo Maria Visconti had no legitimate male heir, and after his death in 1447 a succession crisis produced the Ambrosian Republic…

Timeline

  1. 1440–1447Milan · LombardyFilippo Maria Visconti, childless in his later years, married his daughter Bianca Maria Visconti to Francesco Sforza to maintain the alliance, but the duchy's succession remained unclear. Foreign wars such as the Battle of Anghiari in 1440 also drained Milan's strength.
  2. 1447–1450Milan · LombardyAfter Filippo died in 1447, the citizens of Milan declared the Ambrosian Republic, refusing to recognize Sforza succession. Neighboring states such as Venice seized the opportunity to intervene, and the Italian states formed complex alliances and rivalries over the Milanese succession.
  3. 1450Milan · LombardyAfter a three-year siege, Francesco Sforza entered Milan and was recognized as duke, ending the Visconti dynasty and beginning the Sforza dynasty. The succession crisis concluded, and Milan once again became a major military power on the Italian peninsula.

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