Ludovico Sforza

Timeline

1. 1452–1460Vigevano; Milan · Duchy of MilanLudovico was born on July 27, 1452, in Vigevano (some sources say Milan), the third son of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti. His eldest brother Galeazzo (born 1444) was about eight years older, and his second brother Filippo Maria (born c. 1448) was also among his elder siblings. Between 1451 and 1460, Ludovico was only about 0 to 8 years old, spending his earliest years in the environment of the Sforza court in Milan. As the duke's third son he was not first in line for succession, but he still received the basic courtly education befitting his noble status. During this period his father Francesco was in a key phase of consolidating the new Sforza dynasty, promoting the Peace of Lodi in 1454, and the court displayed the cultural vitality of the early Renaissance. Ludovico's nickname il Moro is said to derive from his dark skin or hair, or from a pun on his family emblem, the mulberry (moro); the exact origin remains disputed among historians.
2. 1476–1494Milan · Duchy of MilanAfter Galeazzo's assassination in 1476, Ludovico was first exiled from Milan, then returned by force in 1480, driving his nephew Gian Galeazzo's mother Bona di Savoia from the regency and taking power himself. He promptly invited Leonardo da Vinci (arriving in Milan c. 1482) into his court, opening a golden age of art patronage lasting nearly twenty years. Works completed under his patronage include the Virgin of the Rocks (c. 1483–1486), Portrait of a Musician (c. 1490), The Last Supper (c. 1495–1498), and the dome of Santa Maria delle Grazie designed by Donato Bramante (c. 1492). In 1494 Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I formally recognized his title as Duke of Milan.
3. 1499–1508Château de Loches (France) · Kingdom of FranceIn 1499 French King Louis XII invaded Milan on the basis of Visconti inheritance claims; Ludovico fled to Germany seeking support. After briefly recovering Milan in 1500 he fled again when his mercenaries switched sides, and was captured that April. He was subsequently captured at Novara in France and taken to be imprisoned at Romorantin and the Château de Loches, where he died unjustly on January 27, 1508, aged fifty-five. During his imprisonment he reportedly continued to paint on the walls of his cell — one of the most tragic endings of the Renaissance era.