Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian condottiero. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.
He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan for 16 years.
Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian condottiero. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.
He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan for 16 years.
Giacomuzzo was born in 1369 in Cotignola (Romagna) to a rich family of rural nobility, son of Giovanni Attendolo (d. 1385/1386)[1] and Elisa. Muzio was the short form of the nickname of Giacomuzzo, which was the name of his paternal grandfather.
According to tradition, young Giacomo was ploughing a field when mercenaries led by Boldrino da Panicale passed nearby in search of recruits. He then stole one of his father's horses and followed the soldiers to follow the same career.
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Later, together with his brothers Bosio, Francesco and Bartolo and two cousins, Muzio joined the company of Alberico da Barbiano, who nicknamed him "Sforza" ("Strong").[2] In 1398 he was at the service of Perugia against the Milanese troops of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, to whom Muzio soon switched his loyalty following the typical behaviour of mercenary chieftains of the time.[3] Later Muzio fought for Florence against Visconti but in 1402, at the battle of Casalecchio, was defeated by his former master Alberico da Barbiano.[4] By 1409, he was in the employ of Niccolò III d'Este of Ferrara, who was being menaced by Ottobono Terzi of Parma.[4]
King Ladislaus of Naples named him Gran Connestabile of his kingdom. Sforza's military qualities were mostly needed against Florence and the Pope. He remained for the rest of his life in the Kingdom of Naples, after the King's death (1414), at the service of queen Joan II. However, he attracted the jealousy of Joan's favourite, Pandolfello Alopo, who had him arrested and imprisoned. However, when Sforza's troops intervened, Alopo freed him and Joan gave him the fiefdoms of Benevento and Manfredonia. On this occasion, Sforza married Caterina Alopo, Pandolfello's sister. A few months later Sforza was again arrested after a quarrel with James of Bourbon. He was freed only in 1416, after James' fall from power, and Joan gave him back the title of Conestabile.
In 1417 Sforza was sent by Joan to help the pope against Braccio da Montone, together with his son Francesco. Later he returned briefly to Naples, but here he was opposed by Giovanni (Sergianni) Caracciolo, Joan's new lover. In the following, confused, events that led to the arrival of Louis III of Anjou in Naples in opposition to Alfonso V of Aragon, Sforza helped Joan and Sergianni to flee to Aversa.
In 1423, the city of L'Aquila rebelled against Braccio da Montone and he was sent to support it. In an attempt to save one of his pages during the fording of the Pescara River, Sforza drowned and his body was swept away by the waters.
Sforza had sixteen known children born from five marriages:
In 1409, Sforza married firstly with Antonia (d. 1411),[5] widow of Francesco Casali, Lord of Cortona and daughter of Francesco Salimbeni, Patrician of Siena and Lord of Chiusi, Radicofani, Bagno Vignoni, Carsoli and Sarteano. They had:
On 16 June 1413, Sforza married secondly with Caterina (also named Catella; d. 1418 in childbirth),[5] a sister of Pandolfello Piscopo "Alopo", Grand Chamberlain of the Kingdom of Naples and lover of Queen Joanna II. They had:
In 1421, Sforza married thirdly with Maria (d. 1440),[5] daughter of Giacomo da Marzano, 1st Duke of Sessa, and Sovereign Countess of Celano after inheriting from her first husband Nicola de Berardi. They had:
With Tamira di Cagli, Sforza had two children:
With Lucia Terzani de Martini (or Lucia Demartini according to other sources; d. 1461),[5] They had:
 Son: Francesco I Sforza Duke of Milan |
 Grandson: Galeazzo Maria Sforza 5th Duke of Milan |
.jpg) Grandson: Ludovico Sforza 7th Duke of Milan |
