Duchy of Milan

The duchy of Milan was a state in the north of the Italy of 1395 with 1797. In theory stronghold of the Holy Germanic Roman Empire, it was de facto indépendant.
The borders of the duchy varied during the centuries, it covered especially the Lombardy including Milan and Pavia, the traditional centers of the old kingdom of Italy. It was located at the center of Italy of North, each side of the median part of the valley of the Po, bordered, in north, by the southernmost solid masses of the the Alps, the the Alps lépontines, and, in the south, by the Western heights of the the Apennines, the the Alps Apuanes.
The adjacent states were the Suisse in the north, évéché of the Trentin, feudatory of the Germanic Empire in the North-East, the République of Venice and the duchy of Mantoue in the east, the duchy of Modena and Reggio in south-east, the République of Genoa in the south, the marquisat of Montferrat in the west and the Duché of Savoy to the nord-ouest.
Parma, in the south-east of the duchy, formed of it part until it is divided by it with its own duchy in XVIe century.

History

Visconti (1395-1447)

The duchy was created in 1395 by Jean Galéas Visconti, already lord of Milan, which obtained the title of duke of the emperor Venceslas I {{er}}. The line Visconti died out without descendant legitimates in 1447, Milan proclaimed republic under the name of République Ambrosienne. Although Charles, Duc of Orleans was the legitimate heir since his/her mother was Valentine Visconti, girl of the duke Jean Galéas, it was the Condottiere Francesco Sforza, which had married Blanche Marie, natural girl of the last reigning Visconti, Philippe Marie Visconti), which seized the city in 1450 and proclaimed duke.

Sforza (1450-1535)

The descendants of François Sforza will reign on the duchy until in 1535.

In 1498, the son of the duke of Orleans became king de France under the name of Louis XII and immediately put forward its rights on the duchy of Milan, thus starting the Guerres of Italy. It invades it as of 1499 and Ludovic Sforza drove out some, known as Ludovic More . The French controlled the duchy until in 1513 when they were driven out by the Swiss ones which placed Maximilien, the son of Ludovic.

Under the reign of François I {{er}}, the French returned in 1515 and, after the Bataille of Marignan, made captive Maximilien. They remained until in 1521 where the Spanish installed the young brother of Maximilien, François II Sforza.

After the decisive French defeat with the Battle of Pavia, in 1525, which left the imperial forces of Charles V dominant in Italy, François II Sforza joined the Ligue of Cognac against the Emperor with the République of Venice, the République of Florence, the Pape Clément VII and the French. It was quickly expelled by the imperial forces, but managed to be maintained in the other cities of the duchy, and again reached the capacity with Milan by the peace of the Traité Cambric in 1529.

François died without heir in 1535 and the question of the succession re-appears.

Spanish domination

The Emperor and the king of France claim the duchy, driving with other wars. The Emperor kept the duchy, installing his son Philippe. The possession of the duchy by Spain was finally recognized by France with the Traité of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559.

The duchy of Milan remained between the Spanish hands until the War of succession of Spain at the beginning of the XVIIIe century, when it was conquered by the Autrichiens. Milan was then a center of the Counter-Reformation.

Austrian domination

The Treated of Bade which put an end to the War of succession of Spain yielded Milan to Austria. The duchy remained in Austrian hands until its conquest by the French Army of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796. In 1797, the duchy was yielded by Austria in the Traité of Campo-Formio and trained the central part of the news and transitory République cisalpine whose Milan was the capital.

See too

the family Visconti
the family Sforza
List of the sovereigns of Milan
List of the governors of the Milanese
Republic Ambrosienne

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