Duchy of Milan

One of the major Italian Renaissance states, the Duchy of Milan was created in 1395 when the Visconti family received the title from the Holy Roman Emperor. After the Visconti line died out in 1447, Francesco Sforza seized power in 1450, founding the Sforza dynasty. Under Ludovico il Moro the court became a brilliant centre of Renaissance art and hosted Leonardo da Vinci. Milan fell to France in 1499 and was incorporated into the Habsburg Empire in 1535, ending its independence.

MyHistorian
A causal knowledge graph of history