People / group

House of Sforza

Also known as Sforza family, Sforza dynasty

The Sforza were an Italian family of condottieri who ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 to 1535, with interruptions. Founded by Muzio Attendolo, called Sforza, the dynasty rose when his son Francesco Sforza married the last Visconti heiress and became duke. Branches also ruled Pesaro and other towns, and under Ludovico Sforza the Milanese court was among the most brilliant of Renaissance Italy.

House of Sforza
Image: Heralder, Eagle by Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Lordship of PesaroDuchy of MilanGolden Ambrosian Republic

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). House of Sforza. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/house-of-sforza
MLA
“House of Sforza.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/house-of-sforza. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “House of Sforza.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/house-of-sforza.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘House of Sforza’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/house-of-sforza (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻