In the rest of the world… it happened…

CONSTANTINOPLE falls under the Turkish siege. The power of the Turkish weaponry and cannons dominate the weak and obsolete Byzantine defense.

1450-1500 The gunpowder and the new weaponry slowly but necessarily replace the late medieval weapons. Villages and towns are forced to replace their old defensive towers and boundary walls with strong fortresses. These feature thick walls in order to withstand the cannonades, embankments and ramparts. The military strategy change quickly, only the most powerful monarchies afford to arrange for a huge organized army with gunfire weapons and wheeled cannons, therefore the Italian States become aims of conquest by the European emperors who come down to Italy also taking advantage of the instability of the country being ruled by many litigious princes.

A falconet in the XV Century

1450 – 1550 the healing remedies of the Renaissance era are based upon the knowledge of the alchemists and apothecaries; remedies are prepared with herbs, stones and parts of animals and birds, but the main medicine throughout the XIII and XIV centuries is the bloodletting…
Many Renaissance princes are used to study alchemy and keep an apothecary in their courts, Caterina Sforza is one of them, she actually writes a collection of 471 beauty and medicine recipes.

An apothecary

Caterina Sforza is born in Milan, grows in the sophisticated and well cultured Ludovico the More’s court. She is beloved daughter to Galeazzo Maria Sforza and his favorite, the beautiful lady in waiting Lucrezia Landriani. go–>

The Sforza founder was Muzio Attendolo, a venture Captain from Cotignola of Ravenna (Romagna) who was thanks to his enterprises as fearless leader, nicknamed “Lo Sforza” (tr. – the tough man – Italian verb: sforzare – to struggle).

Muzio Attendolo

Niccolò Macchiavelli is born in Florence, he will become a writer, philosopher, humanist, politician, playwright, he will be the symbol of the Humanism thought.

Niccolo Macchiavelli

Lorenzo de’ Medici, writer, art patron and humanist, also called “the Magnificent” rules as Prince of Florence and his court in the ancient world becomes the finest and the most sophisticated one, symbol of the Italian Renaissance. This is the golden age of the city state.

Lorenzo the Magnificent

Isabella D’Este is born in Ferrara. She is to become the Duchess of Mantua, wife of Duke Francesco Gonzaga. During her reign Mantua will be one of the most beautiful and finest city states and courts.

Isabella d’Este

Maximilian I of Habsburg is the Emperor of Germany, Austria and Netherlands.

Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino and Gubbio dies, his son Guidobaldo succeeds him.

Duke of Urbino

Leonardo Da Vinci writes to Ludovico the More in order to ask him a job in his court as painter and scientist.

Leonardo Da Vinci is guest at the Milan court and paints the “Dama con l’ermellino”.

Dama con l’Ermellino

Henry VIII is born in London. He will be king of England and Ireland from 1509 to 1547, he will establish the Anglican Church through the Anglican Schism.

Discovery of America – Lorenzo the Magnificent dies – the French Emperor Charles VIII starts his Italian campaign.

The Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia is elected Pope Alexander VI – his son Cesare and his daughter Lucrezia are born.

Rodrigo Borgia

Cesare Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia

Giovanni dalle Bande Nere is born, son of Caterina Sforza and Giovanni de’ Medici.
He is considered as the ultimate venture Captain, he witnesses the end of the heavy cavalry while Macchiavelli reports him to be the only leader able to withstand the Emperor Charles V attacks to Italian city states.

Giovanni dalle Bande Nere

Cesare Borgia called also the Duke Valentine is appointed Duke of Romagna by the Pope his father.
The domains of Caterina Sforza become Cesare Borgia’s domains, who eventually achieves also the Malatesta family’s domains in Cesena and Rimini and Manfredi’s domains in Faenza.

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