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Sforza, Caterina

Born: 1463, Milan

Died: 1509, Florence

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Abstract

Caterina Sforza (1463–1509) was the daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza of Milan and Lucrezia Landriani. After her marriage to Girolamo Riario, a nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, she became countess of Imola and, later, Forlì; following her husband’s assassination in 1488, she continued to govern these territories as regent for her eldest son. Caterina Sforza gained widespread fame for her skill in political and military affairs and was known for her interest in collecting alchemical, medicinal, and cosmetic recipes. In 1499, she lost her territories to the forces of Cesare Borgia and Louis XII. After a period of imprisonment in Rome, she was forced to renounce her claims on Imola and Forlì, and spent the remainder of her life in Florence. Caterina Sforza was the mother of the condottiere Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (1498–1526), whose son Cosimo (1519–1574) became the first Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    Meredith K. Ray

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  1. Meredith K. Ray
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Correspondence to Meredith K. Ray .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Philosophy a. Cultural Heritage, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia Dept. of Philosophy a. Cultural Heritage, Venezia, Italy

    Marco Sgarbi

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  1. University Ca' Foscari Venice, Dorsoduro 3246, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Marco Sgarbi

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Ray, M.K. (2017). Sforza, Caterina. In: Sgarbi, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_1155-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_1155-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-02848-4

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