Person

Ludovico Sforza

1452–1508 · 15th century · Also known as Ludovico il Moro

Ludovico Sforza, called il Moro, ruled the Duchy of Milan as regent from 1480 and as duke from 1494 to 1499. A great patron of the Renaissance, he employed Leonardo da Vinci, who painted the Last Supper and planned an equestrian monument for him. His encouragement of the French invasion of Italy in 1494 backfired: Louis XII took Milan in 1499, and Ludovico died a prisoner in France.

Ludovico Sforza
Image: Unknown Master, Italian (active 1490-1520 in Lombardy) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Duchy of MilanMilitary, Governance, Impact

Mentioned in 1 state history

Duchy of Milan

See also

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻