The Family - Mario Puzo [30]
6
LUDOVICO SFORZA, THE man known as Il Moro, was the power in the great city-state of Milan. Though he was the regent, not the duke, he ruled. He had claimed his authority by default of his weak and spiritless nephew.
Though the name Il Moro conjured up a swarthy darkness, he was a tall elegant man with the light blond good looks of the Italians of the north, intelligent and sensitive to the world of the mind and reason. It could be said that he was more enamored of ancient myth than of religion. He was confident and self-assured when things were going well, less confident during times of adversity. He commanded the respect of his citizens, and though he was sometimes unscrupulous and often devious in his political dealings, he was a merciful ruler whose compassion imposed a tax upon his wealthier citizens to support homes and hospitals for the poor.
The citizens of Milan, a city considered the home of discovery, embraced the new culture of humanism, and Il Moro and his wife, Beatrice d’Este, did many things to improve conditions. They renovated and decorated the castles, painted the drab houses of the city in the bright colors of the new art, and cleaned the streets to remove the stench so that the air could be breathed without lemon-scented gloves or half-cut oranges held under the noses of the nobility. Moreover, he paid the finest tutors to teach at the universities, for he appreciated the importance of education.
It was Il Moro’s wife—the beautiful and ambitious Beatrice d’Este of Ferrara—who, many years before, had encouraged him to claim the crown from his nephew, Gian. For once Beatrice had a son, she was troubled that her heirs would have no legal right to their kingdom.
For thirteen years, Ludovico ruled as regent without opposition from his nephew, the duke, and Milan grew to be a city filled with art and culture. But then Gian married a young woman of hot temper and resolve: Avia of Naples, the granddaughter of the dreaded King Ferrante.
Once Avia had two sons—who she swore were forced to live as commoners because of Il Moro—she complained to her husband, the duke. But he was quite content to have his uncle rule Milan and offered no resistance. Now Avia had no choice. She took the matter to her grandfather, King Ferrante. She wrote letter after letter and had them brought daily by messenger to Naples. Finally, Ferrante was outraged, both at the slight to his family, and by the annoying content and frequency of the letters. He was, after all, a king, and a king could not tolerate this insult to his granddaughter. And so he determined to exact vengeance on Milan and restore Avia to her rightful place on the throne.
Now, informed of the king’s anger by his secret advisors, and fearing Ferrante’s ruthless tactics, Il Moro re-examined his position. The military force of Naples was legendary—strong and skilled. Milan would have no chance to defend itself without help.
Then, as though sent from the heavens by benevolent forces, Il Moro received word that King Charles of France was preparing his army for an invasion to claim the crown of Naples. Taking drastic action, Il Moro broke with tradition and immediately sent an invitation to King Charles, offering him and his troops safe passage through Milan on his way south to conquer Naples.
At the Vatican, Pope Alexander was reassessing his political position in light of the news of the French invasion and Il Moro’s shortsightedness. He had called for Cesare early that morning to discuss new strategies when Duarte Brandao visited his chambers to inform him of the new threat to the papacy.
“It has come to my attention,” he explained, “that King Ferrante of Naples has sent a message to his cousin, King Ferdinand of Spain, stating his concerns about your allegiance to Il Moro, and the