Fall of the Duchy of Milan to France
In 1499, French forces under Louis XII invaded the Duchy of Milan, rapidly capturing the city and forcing Ludovico Sforza to flee. Ludovico returned briefly in early 1500 with a Swiss mercenary army, but his troops surrendered without significant resistance when a portion of his Swiss forces — bribed by the French — refused to fight. Ludovico was captured and spent the rest of his life as a prisoner in France, dying in the château of Loches in 1508. The fall of Milan removed the Este's principal north Italian patron and ended the Sforza dynasty's first period of rule, placing the Duchy under French control for most of the following three decades.
- Year: 1499 CE
