Francesco I Sforza

Francesco I Sforza ( Italian: [franˈtʃesko ˈpriːmo ˈsfɔrtsa]; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiere who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. Renowned for his military skill and political acumen, he was among the few condottieri to successfully transform battlefield success into stable dynastic rule.

In the 1420s, he took part in the War of L'Aquila, and during the 1430s he served both the Papal States and the Duchy of Milan in their conflicts against Venice. Following the Peace of Cremona (1441), which he helped broker, Sforza married Bianca Maria Visconti, daughter of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, thus strengthening his claim to Milan. After a brief military campaign in southern Italy with René of Anjou, he returned to Milan and seized control following the extinction of the Visconti line.