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Sforza Secondo Sforza (1433 - 1492/1493) was an Italian
Sforza Secondo Sforza (1433 - 1492/1493) was an Italian condottiero
Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...
.
Life
Born inGrottammare
Grottammare (Teramano ) is a town and ''comune'' on Italy's Adriatic coast, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche region. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
The town is crossed by the 43rd par ...
, he was the illegitimate son of Francesco Sforza
Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death.
In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'Aqui ...
by his lover Giovanna d'Acquapendente.
In 1442 his father was negotiating with Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous (Alfons el Magnànim in Catalan language, Catalan) (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfons V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfons I) from 1442 until his ...
to have Sforza Secundo marry Alfonsos illegitimate daughter Maria d´Aragona but these plans fell through and she was instead betrothed to Leonello d´Este.
Sforza Secondo and his two sisters Polissena and Drusiana were legitimized in 1448 by the pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V (; ; 15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV made him a cardinal in 1446 afte ...
.
In 1451 he married Antonia dal Verme (?–1487) the daughter of the condottiero Luigi dal Verme
Luigi dal Verme (c. 1390 – 1449), also known as Alvise dal Verme, was an Italian condottiero.
Dal Verme was the son of the condottiero and Seigneur of Sanguinetto Jacopo dal Verme and a member of the Verona branch of the noble family, initia ...
; and to mark the occasion Sforza's father granted him the county of Borgonovo. He and Tiberto Brandolini tried to come to the assistance of Giovanni d'Angiò in his battle against the kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon (; ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Monarchy, kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain. It became a part of the larger ...
, but in 1461 Sforza was captured and was only freed thanks to his wife's petition. He only had one legitimate child by her, Giovanna, who died in 1453.
After the death of his father in 1466 and on the accession of Galeazzo Maria as the new Duke of Milan, he defected and Borgonovo was then given to his legitimate brother Sforza Maria. Galeazzo Maria eventually managed to persuade him to come back to Milan.
He was reinstated in his lands by Ludovico il Moro
Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; 'the Moor'), and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini,
, who put him in charge of the war against the Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...
, which had rebelled against the Adorno family. However, Sforza was defeated and in 1482 he was sent to invade the territories of the county of San Secondo and besiege the Rocca dei Rossi during the Rossi War, forcing Pier Maria II de' Rossi
file:BERCETO_-_Ruderi_del_castello_04.JPG, 250px, Remains of the Castle of Berceto
Pier Maria Rossi or Pier Maria II de' Rossi (25 March 1413 – 1 September 1482) was an Italian condottiere and count of a region around present San Secondo Parmense ...
to flee to his castle at Torrechiara
Torrechiara Castle () is a 15th-century castle near Langhirano, in the province of Parma, northern Italy. It sits atop a terraced hill south of the city of Parma, in a strategic position overlooking the Parma River in the valley below. The c ...
. In 1483 he was promoted to captain general and fought against Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
, which had attempted to rebel against the Sforzas, and the following year he was made governor of Piacenza
Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
. When il Moro fell, Sforza Secondo fled to Naples, where he probably died between 1492 and 1493.
Illegitimate issue
* Jacopetto, later legitimated * Lucrezia, married Antonio Anguissola * Francesco (?–1491), later legitimated, married Franceschina Borromeo * Polissena * Leone, later legitimatedReferences