Nicola Ratti - Della famiglia Sforza - 1794-1795

The history of one of the most powerful ruling families of the Italian Renaissance: the Sforza governed Milan, patronized artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, and over generations shaped the politics of Northern Italy. Nicola Ratti’s extensive family history appeared in 1794–1795 in Rome and, in two volumes, covers the most significant members of the dynasty, including military leaders, dukes, cardinals, and numerous remarkable women.

First edition. Publisher: Rome, Stamperia Salomoni, 1794–1795. Two volumes in quarto. Volume I: 7 plates, 419 pages; Volume II: 3 plates, 393 pages, 1 plate. With engraved title vignettes after Vincenzo Camuccini and several folded genealogical family trees. Contemporary half-leather bindings with gold-ruled spine titles, rich spine gilding, and marbled endpapers. 28 x 21 cm
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The Italian historian and genealogist Nicola Ratti (1759–1833) traces the history of the House of Sforza from its origins to the later lineages. The first volume is dedicated especially to the male family members, including the famous condottiere Muzio Attendolo Sforza, his son Francesco Sforza, who became Duke of Milan in 1450, and Ludovico il Moro, under whose rule Milan rose to become a significant Renaissance center. The ecclesiastical dignitaries of the family and their widely branched dynastic connections are also discussed in detail.

The second volume offers a particularly interesting complement: under the title Donne illustri di Casa Sforza, the prominent women of the family are the focus. Ratti describes, among others, the life of Caterina Sforza, the energetic ruler of Forlì and Imola, Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Emperor Maximilian I, and Bona Sforza, who became Queen of Poland. Their life stories provide an enlightening view of the political and social standing of high-born women in the Renaissance.

In addition to biographical depictions, the work contains extensive genealogical investigations into the various branches and related noble families, including the Cesarini, Savelli, and Conti. The folded family trees illustrate the complex kinship relations. Ratti’s work is thus also an important historical source on the Italian Renaissance, the history of Milan, and the genealogy of European high nobility.
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Bindings rubbed and bumped, marbled endpapers sometimes more worn or with loss of the cover paper. Interior partially foxed, slightly browned and in places somewhat water-stained. Overall a solidly preserved, decoratively bound copy of this substantial and historically significant two-volume first edition."