Wojciech Olszowski

Katarzyna Sforza (born Caterina Sforza, born 1463, died 28 May 1509) is an Italian nobleman, Duchess of Forlì, illegitimate daughter of Galeazza Maria Sforza, duke of Milan and most likely of Lucrezia Landriani. At a very young age she married the nephew of Sixtus IV, Girolamo Riario. She was a strong woman, she knew politics and diplomacy and was better educated than her husband. In Italy, it was called the " A document from the city of Imola speaks of her as a "woman of bloodthirsty and tyranny", and cardinals led by Pope Alexander VI described it as an iniqutatis filia ("daughter of iniquity").

Family and childhood

Catherine's great-grandfather, Mendi Attendolo Sforza, was a simple soldier who adopted the name Sforza. Courage and happiness brought him to high places. When he married a widow after the king of Naples, he was already a famous military leader. His son Francesco was also a condotier (a mercenary commander). When he married the only daughter and heir of Visconti, Bianca Maria Visconti became a candidate for power in the duchy of Milan. His descendant in a straight line, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, was the father of Catherine and the grandfather of Queen Bona Sforza. Galeazzo Maria Sforza Probably Laurie Landriani by Domenico Veneziano Mother Catherine was a beautiful Lucrezia Landriani, who gave birth to a girl when Galeazzo Maria Sforza was only eighteen. The child was the result of one of the many grand duke romances and not the first and not the last descendant of two lovers. Catherine was in love with the loved ones around her. First she became a student of Bianca Maria Visconti and later of Sabaudy's wife, his father's wife. Thanks to them, they have been taught proper label and court behavior and also received proper education. In Milan, she was accustomed to exquisite company and easily found herself in unexpected moments and skilfully led conversations. As a child, she often traveled with her father to Florentine Court, which later formed her close relations with the Medici. Eventually, at a very young age, she became a victim of her father's policies. Way to take power A wedding with Girolamo Riario

Pope Sixtus IV in the 70s of the fifteenth century had a plan to buy Milan from Imola, a place very close to Forlì. This was assisted by his nephew, Cardinal Pietro Riario. In order to achieve the goal of the then major nepotism, he went to Milan in the summer of 1473 to Venice. It was a failure of the Milan prince to sell Imola to the Florentines, who in turn gave strategically important city and 100,000. ducats. The pope wanted to buy the city for one of his nephews - the nephew of Girolamo Riario, the brother of Cardinal Pietro. The skilful clergyman was able to break the Milanese ruler, Galileo Maria Sforza, and prompt him to leave the city for only 40,000. Duke, in addition to the future owner of Imola, was to merge the marriage knot with Costanza Fogliani, Francesca Sforza's niece. This relationship gave both sides the benefit: Sforza had a backing against the Venetians and Medics, and the Pope enjoyed the possession of the estate and the merging of the families. However, the marriage was not successful because the bride's mother, Gabriel Gonzaga, did not accept the bride. Girolamo Riario was an uncrowded man who until recently had been selling flour, raisins and oranges as a simple boomer in Savona. Pap

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