Ascanio Sforza
Encyclopedia
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Catholic Church, generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
.
Early years
Ascanio Sforza was born in CremonaCremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. His parents were Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Bianca Maria Visconti
Bianca Maria Visconti
Bianca Maria Visconti was Duchess of Milan from 1450 to 1468.-Early years:Born near Settimo Pavese, Bianca Maria was the illegitimate daughter of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan and last of the Visconti rulers, and Agnese del Maino, the only person the shy, secluded Filippo ever loved...
. He was also the brother of two Milanese dukes, Galeazzo Maria Sforza
Galeazzo Maria Sforza
Galeazzo Maria Sforza was Duke of Milan from 1466 until his death. He was famous for being lustful, cruel and tyrannical....
and Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
. His teacher was Filelfo who introduced him to government and literature.Other cardinals of the family were Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora
Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora
Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora was an Italian cardinal, known also as The cardinal of Santa Fiora....
(1534), Alessandro Sforza (1565), Francesco Sforza (1583) and Federico Sforza (1645).
At age of 10 he was named commendatory abbot
Commendatory abbot
A commendatory abbot is an ecclesiastic, or sometimes a layman, who holds an abbey in commendam, drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline...
of Chiaravalle
Chiaravalle
Chiaravalle may refer to:* Chiaravalle , a district of Milan, Italy* Chiaravalle Abbey: Cistercian abbey in the eponymous district of Milan* Chiaravalle , a town in the province of Ancona...
. While still an adolescent, Ascanio was promised the red hat by Guillaume d'Estouteville, who wanted to gain Galeazzo Maria Sforza’s support for his candidacy for the papal throne in 1471. The tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
was finally given to Francesco della Rovere (Sixtus IV) and Ascanio’s promotion to cardinal was delayed. Hoping to pacify the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in Milan, Sixtus IV planned to make him a cardinal in 1477 but the Sacred College refused to accept him into its ranks.
Episcopate
Ascanio rose to Bishop of Pavia in the September of 1479 and retained the diocese until his death.In 1484 Ascanio represented Ludovico SforzaLudovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
at the Congress of Cremona, the participants of which demanded his accession to the Sacred College.
Cardinalate
Pope Sixtus IVPope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
created him cardinal deacon of Ss. Vito e Modesto on March 17, 1484. He entered Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on August 23 the same year - just few days after Sixtus’s death. The formal nomination ceremony had not taken place and some cardinals voiced objections to his participation in the forthcoming conclave
Papal conclave, 1484
The papal conclave from August 26–29, 1484 elected Pope Innocent VIII after the death of Pope Sixtus IV.-The election:At the death of Sixtus IV, the conclave of cardinals that met to elect his successor numbered thirty-two surviving cardinals, a greater number than at any time since the close of...
. Due to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia’s intervention however, Ascanio was received with full cardinalitial rights and contributed to the election of Giovanni Cybo as Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
. Named administrator of Novara (October 25, 1484 - April 18, 1485 and occupied the post again in May 1505, a few days before his death.
His main purpose was to reconcile Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
with the Sforzas. In March 1486, Ascanio had a dispute with Cardinal Jean Balue
Jean Balue
Jean Balue was a French cardinal and minister of Louis XI.He was born of very humble parentage at Angle in Poitou, and was first patronized by the bishop of Poitiers. In 1461 he became vicar-general of the bishop of Angers. His activity, cunning and mastery of intrigue gained him the appreciation...
, the French ambassador to Rome. The ambassador had suggested that the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
should summon Rene d'Anjou to retrieve his rights over the Neapolitan
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
throne. Their quarrel became so violent that Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:Giovanni Battista Cybo was born at Genoa of Greek extraction...
, generally hesitant to interfere with his inferiors, ordered them to stop.
He was appointed administrator of the See of Cremona on July 28, 1486 and occupied the post until his death. He became also administrator of the See of Pesaro in 1487 until May 1491.
In his effort to ally Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
with Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Ascanio received Ferdinand of Capua, Ferrante’s grandson, in his palace in Trastevere
Trastevere
Trastevere is rione XIII of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning literally "beyond the Tiber". The correct pronunciation is "tras-TEH-ve-ray", with the accent on the second syllable. Its logo is a golden head of a lion on a...
in May 1492. The banquet organised in honour of the Neapolitan prince was so extravagant and magnificent that, according to Stefano Infessura
Stefano Infessura
Stefano Infessura was an Italian humanist historian and lawyer. He is remembered through his municipalist Diary of the City of Rome, a partisan chronicle of events at Rome by the Colonna family's point of view. He was in a position to hear everything that circulated in informed Roman circles, for...
, if I were to give an account, no one would believe me.
Vice-chancellor
In the Conclave of August 1492, after having failed to obtain the tiara for himself, Ascanio promised his vote to Rodrigo Borgia, Vice-Chancellor of the Roman Curia in exchange for Rodrigo’s prestigious association. The latter was elected to the papal throne partly due to Sforza’s persuasive manner, becoming Alexander VI and appointed Ascanio his Vice Chancellor, making him the virtual prime minister of the Holy See. Resigned his deaconry of S. Vito e Modesto on August 26, 1492 and opted for it again on January 31, 1495 and occupied it until his death. Named administrator of the metropolitan see of Eger on August 31, 1492 until June 1497. In order to strengthen the relationship between his family and the papal house, Ascanio arranged the marriage of Giovanni Sforza, his cousin and governor of Pesaro, to Lucrezia BorgiaLucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
, the Pope’s illegitimate daughter in 1493.
French invasion
Cardinal Sforza was named administrator of Elne in January 1494 until May 1495. The friendship between Ascanio and Alexander VI came to a deadlock when the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
invaded Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in September of 1494. Aware of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere’s machinations against him, Alexander decided to resist the French. Ludovico Sforza having secretly allied himself with King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, Ascanio betrayed the Pope together with several cardinals and clamoured for his deposition under della Rovere. After the papal triumph over the King, Milan abandoned the French and Ascanio was received once again in the Vatican. He never managed however to regain his former influence over the Pope. When Giovanni Borgia
Giovanni Borgia (1474)
Giovanni Borgia, 2nd duke of Gandía was the son of Pope Alexander VI and the brother of Cesare Borgia, Gioffre Borgia, and Lucrezia Borgia. Giovanni, also known as Juan or Joan, was the second of the Pope's four children by Vanozza de' Catanei...
, the Pope’s son, was stabbed in 1497, Ascanio did not attend the following consistory and was accused of the murder. He was immediately absolved however by the Pope.
When the French again invaded Italy with the support of the Holy See, Ascanio watched Ludovico Sforza’s downfall and imprisonment (1500) unable to act. On June 15, 1500 he was taken to France and imprisoned in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, later at the Tour de Bourges. He was freed on January 3, 1502 with the promise of not leaving France without royal permission. He participated in the Papal conclave, September 1503
Papal conclave, September 1503
The papal conclave, September 1503 elected Pope Pius III to succeed Pope Alexander VI. Due to the Italian Wars, the College of Cardinals was surrounded by three potentially hostile armies, loyal to Louis XII of France, Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Cesare Borgia .The participation of thirty-nine...
, he made futile efforts to succeed Alexander VI, fighting against Cardinal della Rovere and Georges d'Amboise
Georges d'Amboise
Georges d'Amboise was a French Roman Catholic cardinal and minister of state. He belonged to the house of Amboise, a noble family possessed of considerable influence: of his nine brothers, four were bishops. His father, Pierre d'Amboise, seigneur de Chaumont, was chamberlain to Charles VII and...
, the formal nominee of France. When Pius III (Francesco Piccolomini) died the same month of his coronation, Cardinal Sforza took part in the Papal conclave, October 1503
Papal conclave, October 1503
The papal conclave, October 1503 elected Giuliano della Rovere as Pope Julius II to succeed Pope Pius III. The conclave took place during the Italian Wars barely a month after the papal conclave, September 1503, and none of the electors had travelled far enough from Rome to miss the conclave...
and was defeated by Giuliano della Rovere (Julius II) . Vanquished by disappointments, the fifty year old Ascanio died in Rome, on the May 25, 1505. Julius II commissioned the erection of the Cardinal’s tomb in the Cappella Maggiore of Santa Maria del Popolo
Santa Maria del Popolo
Santa Maria del Popolo is an Augustinian church located in Rome, Italy.It stands to the north side of the Piazza del Popolo, one of the most famous squares in the city. The Piazza is situated between the ancient Porta Flaminia and the park of the Pincio...
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/popolo/pics/0005/P530.JPG.
Ascanio Sforza life-long focus on public affairs prevented him from being a patron of the arts. However, he was the one to introduce Josquin des Prez
Josquin Des Prez
Josquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] , often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance...
, the most famous musician of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, to the papal court in 1486. Strenuous and hard-skinned as a politician, Ascanio preferred gambling rather than studying. He was undoubtedly Machiavellian, but also clear-sighted and intelligent, with haughty spirit and unfinished courage. His political morals were typical of his era and he remained dedicated to his love for Milan and for his family.