House of Sforza
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The House of Sforza was a prominent and influential ruling family in the Italian city of Milan, which rose to power during the Renaissance and expanded its influence across Italy.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
The House was founded by Giacomo Attendolo, a condottiero from Romagna who would pass his nickname of Sforza to his descendants. His son Francesco would become Duke of Milani in 1450 after the Visconti line's extinction. Francesco's successor was his son Galeazzo Maria, who was assassinated on 26 December 1476 in a Templar plot orchestrated by Rodrigo Borgia despite the Italian Assassin Giovanni Auditore's best efforts to save the Duke.[2] Galeazzo's brother Ascanio instead pursued an ecclesiastical career and later became cardinal.[3][4] While Galeazzo was succeeded in Milan by his brother Ludovico, he had also sired an illegitimate daughter, Caterina, who would later become Countess of Forlì and Imola, and an important ally to Giovanni's son Ezio.
A cadet branch of the family, descending from Muzio's second son Alessandro, had also been ruling Pesaro and Gradara. Alessandro's grandson Giovanni Sforza was Lucrezia Borgia's first husband before their marriage was annulled by the Pope, much to Giovanni's scorn.[5]
Legacy[edit | edit source]
The House of Sforza would play a crucial role in the Assassin-Templar War as Caterina Sforza stood against the Templar order and there doctrine and mostly against the House of Borgia during there reign. She formed a strong bond with the Auditore and the Assassin Brotherhood by helping each other out when the time was needed. Eventually after the siege of Forli and Caterina being captured and rescued by Ezio Auditore, Caterina was convinced she had no value to the Brotherhood if she was not in charge of Forli.[6]
In September 2012, Desmond Miles relived the memories of Ezio Auditore's encounter with multiple family members of the House of Sforza, simuntounisly that same year four members of the family were included in a mnemonic set in Abstergo Industries' Project Legacy.[7]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Galeazzo Maria Sforza -
Caterina Sforza -
The Insignia of the House of Sforza from Assassin's Creed: Identity
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The character Rocco Tiepolo, who features in Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy and in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood as a multiplayer character, wears a cape with the coat of arms of the Sforza family, indicating that he is either related or otherwise affiliated to them.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
 This list is incomplete. You can help the Assassin's Creed Wiki by expanding it.
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- Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Lineage
- Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
- Assassin's Creed: Identity (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Forlì – A Crimson Sunset (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)