Galeazzo Maria Sforza

Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1444 – 1476) was the fifth Duke of Milan, husband to Bona of Savoy, and partner of Lucrezia Landriani. Through his relationship with the latter, Galeazzo was the father of Caterina Sforza, who would later become the countess of Forlì and Imola.

Biography

In 1476, the cities of Milan and Florence declared an alliance, thereby strengthening each other culturally, economically, and militarily. The alliance had a negative impact on the Templars as they were conspiring to take over Florence. Knowing that Sforza's death would weaken, at least temporarily, Lorenzo de' Medici's hold on his city, they devised a plan to murder him.

At the same time in Florence, Lorenzo and Giovanni Auditore da Firenze were hearing rumors about an upheaval in Milan; Lorenzo then sent the Assassin to investigate. One night in a Florentine alley, Giovanni attacked a group of Templars led by Rodrigo Borgia. While Borgia inevitably fled, Giovanni kept one of the Templars alive for information. As a result, Lorenzo's men tortured him while Uberto Alberti conducted the interrogation, and under the pressure of pain, the Templar finally revealed the Order's plan to kill Sforza.

On the 26th of December, Saint Stephen's Day, Sforza would go to the Basilica di Santo Stefano Maggiore to attend Mass. Three Templars, Carlo Visconti, Gerolamo Olgiati, and Giovanni Andrea Lampugnani, were chosen to murder the duke. On the day of the assassination, Giovanni traveled to Milan and entered the church during Mass, where he saw Lampugnani kneeling before Sforza and kissing his hand.

Realizing the danger, Giovanni tried to cross the crowd to reach them but was too late to save the duke, as Lampugnani suddenly rose and stabbed Sforza in the chest. The two other conspirators then joined Lampugnani as a dozen of their armed allies fought Sforza's bodyguards and Giovanni; Visconti and Olgiati, having stabbed their enemy to death, soon fled. Lampugnani also began to run as Sforza's Moorish bodyguard Ali came after him, but ended up trapped in a cul-de-sac and killed, despite Giovanni's attempts to dissuade the bodyguard. In the end, Giovanni had failed to save the duke, leaving Milan and, by extension, Florence more vulnerable to a Templar takeover.

Behind the scenes

Galeazzo Maria Sforza is a historical figure appearing in the 2009 film Assassin's Creed: Lineage, where he was portrayed by Canadian actor Peter Miller.

Gallery

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  Sforza and Giovanni Lampugnani
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  Sforza assassinated

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Lineage