Francesco Sforza

Francesco Sforza (Parma, 6 November 1562 – Rome, 5 February 1624) was an Italian cardinal and bishop. He was very influential in a number of conclaves.

Biography

Background and early career in the military A member of the House of Sforza, Francesco Sforza was born in Parma on 6 November 1562, the son of Sforza Sforza of Santa Fiora, 1st Marquess of Castell'Arquato, 11th Count of Santa Fiora (1520 - Castell'Arquato, 21 October 1555), by his second wife Caterina de' Nobili (? - 12 December 1605), a grandniece of Pope Julius III. He was the 2nd Marquess of Castell'Arquato, 1st Marquess of Varzi and 12th Count of Santa Fiora. He was the nephew of Cardinals Guido Ascanio Sforza di Santa Fiora, Roberto de' Nobili, and Alessandro Sforza, and paternal grandson of Costanza Farnese (daughter of Alessandro Farnese, later Pope Paul III.

He received a military education under Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma and later at the court of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. He also studied Latin, rhetoric, mathematics, philosophy, and politics. He married a sister of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. At age 18, he served in Flanders under his cousin Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma; he commanded Italian troops.

In the second papal conclave of 1590 he was a member of the Gregorian faction and threw his support to Niccolò Sfondrati, who was elected Pope Gregory XIV. He also participated in the papal conclave of 1591 that elected Pope Innocent IX. In the papal conclave of 1592, Sforza opposed Philip II of Spain's candidate, Giulio Antonio Santorio. Sforza'a brother-in-law and French ally, Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany secretly engineered the election of Ippolito Aldobrandini as Pope Clement VIII.

From 20 July 1591 until 1597 he was papal legate in Romagna, where he was charged with ridding the province of bandits, which he accomplished. He represented Pope Clement VIII at the baptism of his nephew Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. He accompanied the pope to Ferrara in 1598. He participated in the first papal conclave of 1605, where he had been angered by Spain's exclusion of Caesar Baronius. The conclave chose Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, who had also been excluded after the fact, as Pope Leo XI. He was also present at the second papal conclave of 1605 that elected Pope Paul V. Sforza crowned Pope Paul V in the papal coronation held on 29 May 1605.

Issue By an unknown mistress he had: Caterina Sforza (1587 - 1609), legitimized by Pope Paul V on 5 July 1599, married firstly on 19 November 1601 Fabrizio Savelli of the Lords of Ariccia (? - 16 September 1605), 1st Prince of Albano, without issue, and married secondly on 2 August 1606 as his second wife Federico I de' Rossi (18 May 1580 - 22 March 1632), 5th Marquess of San Secondo, without issue

By Cecilia Pariseni-Mezangola he had: Sforza called Sforzino Sforza (1593 - Castell'Arquato, 5 February 1644), legitimized by Pope Paul V on 5 July 1599, 2nd Marquess of Varzi in 1604, 1st Duke of Fiano in 1607 with Papal Bull of Pope Paul V until 1621, 3rd Marquess of Castell'Arquato in 1624, married in 1606 Maria di Rodolfo Pio di Carpi, already Lady of Meldola, separated, without issue