斯福尔札家族

1450~1535年统治米兰的义大利家族。原为富裕农民,家族名称源自雇佣兵队长穆齐奥.阿滕多洛(Muzio Attendolo, 1369~1424)的诨名「斯福尔札」(力量)。其私生子弗朗切斯科.斯福尔札於1450年成为米兰公爵。弗朗切斯科的儿子加莱亚佐.马里亚.斯福尔札(1444~1476)於1466年继承父位,他虽然是一位专制的统治者,但他引种了水稻、修建运河、鼓励发展商业,同时还是各类艺术的赞助人。後被反叛者暗杀,他们希望藉此挑起人们起义,但未能如愿。其子吉安.加莱亚佐.斯福尔札(1469~1494)於1476年继位,由他的母亲和叔父卢多维科.斯福尔札摄政。後者在1481年篡夺政权,将米兰建设为最强大的城市。卢多维科於1499年被法国的路易十二世赶下台後,其子马西米利亚诺.斯福尔札(1493~1530)返回米兰,进行统治,但时间不长(1513~1516),他後来将公国让给法国。在法国战败後,他的另一个儿子弗朗切斯科.马里亚.斯福尔札(1495~1535)回到米兰,自1522年起实行统治。由於他死後无嗣,公爵头衔自1535年消亡,公国转归查理五世和哈布斯堡王室。斯福尔札.塞孔多(弗朗切斯科.斯福尔札的私生子)的後代成为斯福尔札伯爵,包括外交官卡洛.斯福尔札。

Sforza family

Italian family that ruled Milan 1450-1535. The family began with the prosperous farmer and later condottiere leader Muzio Attendolo (1369-1424), who was given the nickname Sforza (“Force”). His illegitimate son Francesco Sforza became duke of Milan in 1450. Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1444-1476) succeeded his father in 1466 and, though a despotic ruler, he introduced the cultivation of rice, built canals and encouraged commerce, and was a patron of the arts; he was assassinated by conspirators who vainly hoped to provoke a popular uprising. Gian Galeazzo Sforza (1469-1494) succeeded his father in 1476 under the regency of his mother and uncle, Ludovico Sforza, who usurped the government in 1481 and established Milan's supremacy. After Ludovico was driven from power by Louis XII of France in 1499, his son Massimiliano Sforza (1493-1530) returned to rule briefly (1513-16) before yielding the duchy to France. Another son, Francesco Maria Sforza (1495-1535), returned after the French defeat to rule from 1522, until his death without heirs ended the ducal line in 1535. The duchy then passed to Charles V and the Habsburgs. Descendants of Sforza Secondo (an illegitimate son of Francesco Sforza) became the counts Sforza and included the diplomat Carlo, Conte Sforza.