Connection #14 - Francesco Sforza to Cosimo de' Medici

Fransesco Sforza was the son of a mercenary, Muzeo Attendola Sforza, who was the founder of the Sforza House. The family nickname aptly meant ‘strength or force’. Attendola came from a peasant family and was born in 1369 at Cotignola at Romagna. He chose to train as a condottiere – a soldier who could be hired for money to fight on behalf of some kingdom or duchy – by training and taking command over the very band of adventurers who happened to kidnap him for ransom. Attendola later served under Joanna II of Naples and also fought bravely for Pope Martin V in a battle against the Spaniards. The Viscontis too employed his services whenever they felt the need. He was drowned when on a military expedition in 1424.
His son Fransesco Sforza carried on the family name from then onwards, even followed his father’s footsteps in the profession and took charge of the troops Attendola commanded. He continued to be in the employ of the Viscontis but at one point mutual distrust between the two soured the relationship and made them part, when Fransesco who was in the employ of Queen Giovanna of Naples, was thought to be betraying his masters in a war against the Venetians. Then Filippo Visconti, the last duke of the dynasty sorely needed the services of Fransesco Sforza, so recalled him with the promise that Filippo would even reward the soldier with the hand of his only child Bianca Maria, in marriage. The game plan worked to lure Fransesco but it took many more years for the marriage to take place since the two men, still viewed each other with deep suspicion and distrust.
Ultimate Italy

During Sforza's reign, Florence was under the command of Cosimo de' Medici and the two rulers became close friends. This friendship eventually manifested in first the Peace of Lodi and then the Italian League, a multi-polar defensive alliance of Italian states that succeeded in stabilising almost all of Italy for its duration.
Wikipedia

Ley Lines #1

The concept of "ley lines" is generally thought of in relation to Alfred Watkins, but the stimulus and background for the concept is attributed to the English astronomer Norman Lockyer . [3] [4] [5] On 30 June 1921, Watkins visited Blackwardine in Herefordshire , and went riding a horse near some hills in the vicinity of Bredwardine , when he noted that many of the footpaths there seemed to connect one hilltop to another in a straight line. [6] He was studying a map when he noticed places in alignment. "The whole thing came to me in a flash", he later told his son. [7] It has been suggested that Watkin's experience stemmed from faint memories of an account in September 1870 by William Henry Black given to the British Archaeological Association in Hereford titled Boundaries and Landmarks , in which he speculated that "Monuments exist marking grand geometrical lines which cover the whole of Western Europe". [8] Watkins believed that, in ancie...

Journal of an Airman

I. three signs of an airman: practical jokes nervousness before taking off rapid healing after injury three kinds of enemy walk: the grandious stunt the melancholic stagger the paranoic sidle three kinds of enemy bearing: the condor's stoop the toad's stupor the robin's stance three kinds of enemy face: the fucked hen the favorite puss the stone-in-the-rain three terms of enemy speech: I mean quite frankly speaking as a scientist etcetera three enemy questions: am I boring you? could you tell me the time? are you sure you're fit enough? three results of an enemy victory: impotence cancer paralysis three counterattacks complete mastery of the air lastly but ten it's moving again lastly but nine I forgot the sign lastly but eight it's getting late lastly but seven why aren't there eleven? lastly but six I dont like its ...tricks the maid is just dribbling tea and I shall not be disturbed until supper...

fallslikesnow

Search This Blog