Everything about Ascanio Sforza totally explained
Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti (
march 3,
1455-
may 28,
1505) was an Italian
Cardinal 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.
Biography
Early years
Ascanio Sforza was born in
Cremona,
Lombardy. His parents were
Francesco Sforza,
Duke of
Milan, and
Bianca Maria Visconti. He was also the brother of two Milanese dukes,
Galeazzo Maria Sforza and
Ludovico Sforza. His teacher was
Filelfo who introduced him to government and literature.Other cardinals of the family were
Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora (
1534),
Alessandro Sforza (
1565),
Francesco Sforza (
1583) and
Federico Sforza (
1645).
At age of 10 he was named
commendatory abbot of
Chiaravalle. 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 was finally given to Francesco della Rovere (
Sixtus IV) and Ascanio’s promotion to cardinal was delayed. Hoping to pacify the
Holy See 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 Sforza at the Congress of Cremona, the participants of which demanded his accession to the Sacred College.
Cardinalate
Pope Sixtus IV created him
cardinal deacon of
Ss. Vito e Modesto on
March 17,
1484. He entered
Rome on
August 23 the same year - just few days after Sixtus’s death. The formal nomination ceremony hadn't taken place and some cardinals voiced objections to his participation in the forthcoming
conclave. 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. 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 with the Sforzas. In March
1486, Ascanio had a dispute with Cardinal
Jean Balue, the French ambassador to Rome. The ambassador had suggested that the
Pope should summon
Rene d'Anjou to retrieve his rights over the
Neapolitan throne. Their quarrel became so violent that
Pope Innocent VIII, 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 with
Milan, Ascanio received Ferdinand of Capua, Ferrante’s grandson, in his palace in
Trastevere in May
1492. The banquet organised in honour of the Neapolitan prince was so extravagant and magnificent that, according to
Stefano Infessura,
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 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
French invaded
Italy 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, 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, the Pope’s son, was stabbed in
1497, Ascanio didn't 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, 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
conclave of September 1503, he made futile efforts to succeed Alexander VI, fighting against Cardinal della Rovere and
Georges d'Amboise, the formal nominee of France. When
Pius III (Francesco Piccolomini) died the same month of his coronation, Cardinal Sforza took part in the
conclave of October 1503 and was defeated by Giuliano della Rovere (
Julius II) . Vanquished by disappointments, the fifty year old Ascanio passed away 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 (External Link
).
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, the most famous musician of the
Renaissance, 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.
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