Bona Sforza
| Bona Sforza | |
|---|---|
Queen Mother Bona by Lucas Cranach the Younger
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Queen consort of Poland Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania |
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| Tenure | 1518–1548 |
| Coronation | 18 April 1518 |
| Born |
2 February 1494 Vigevano, Italy |
| Died | 19 November 1557 (aged 63) Bari, Italy |
| Burial | Basilica di San Nicola, Bari |
| Spouse | Sigismund I of Poland |
| Issue more... |
Isabella, Queen of Hungary Sigismund II Augustus of Poland Sophia, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg Anna I of Poland Catherine, Queen of Sweden |
| House | Sforza |
| Father | Gian Galeazzo Sforza |
| Mother | Isabella of Naples |
Bona Sforza (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was a member of the powerful House of Sforza, which ruled the Duchy of Milan since 1447. In 1518, she became the second wife of Sigismund I the Old, the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Their marriage lasted 30 years until Sigismund's death in 1548. Ambitious and energetic, Bona became heavily involved in the political life of Poland–Lithuania. To increase state revenue, she implemented various economic and agricultural reforms, including the far-reaching Wallach Reform in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Her reforms made her the richest landowner in the Grand Duchy. In foreign policy, she opposed the Habsburgs and sought to secure her eldest daughter Isabella Jagiellon in the Kingdom of Hungary.
Bona was the third of the four children of Gian Galeazzo Sforza and his wife Isabella of Naples. Gian Galeazzo was the legal heir to the Duchy of Milan, but his uncle and regent Ludovico Sforza, known to history as "Il Moro", usurped the power. The couple was sent to live at the Castello Visconteo in Pavia, where Gian Galeazzo died in 1494. Rumors spread that he was poisoned by Ludovico. The family moved to the Sforza Castle in Milan, where they lived under the watchful eye of Ludovico. He was afraid that Milan residents would rebel and install Francesco Sforza, the popular son of Gian Galeazzo. To minimize the risk, Ludovico separated the boy from his family and granted Bari and Rossano to Isabella. The plans were interrupted by the Italian War of 1499–1504. King Louis XII of France deposed Ludovico (see Treason of Novara) and took Francesco with him to Paris.
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