25. The Mercenary Who Made Himself a Duke
Francesco Sforza (1401 – 1466) was probably Italy’s most successful condottiero, or soldier of fortune. During a lifetime filled with twists and turns, Sforza became a mercenary general, turned on his employers and switched sides multiple times, and finally made himself duke of Milan, founding the Sforza Dynasty which ruled that city and strongly influenced northern Italy and Italian politics for a century. Sforza was the illegitimate son of a mercenary commander and accompanied his father on campaigns starting at age 17. He quickly developed a reputation for toughness and strength and became famous for his ability to bend metal bars with his bare hands.
Following his father’s drowning during a battle against a rival in 1424, Sforza took command of his father’s men. He then proved himself a brilliant tactician and battlefield commander, and went on to win the battle, killing his father’s rival in the process. Sforza then signed on to fight for multiple Italian rulers, including the Pope, the Neapolitans, and duke Visconti of Milan, whom Sforza fought alternately for and against during the next two decades. During one of the intervals when he got along well with Milan’s duke, Sforza betrothed Visconti’s illegitimate daughter and only child in 1433.