The Duchy of Milan

The Duchy of Milan, governed first by the Visconti family (since 1395) and then, from 1450, by the Sforza, included a large part of Lombardy and certain lands in Emilia. During the so-called Italian Wars, between 1499 and 1529, the Sforza lost and regained the State of Milan which was occupied several times by the French, until, in 1535, Charles V (1500-1558) incorporated it into his domains. During Spanish domination, the leadership of the city of Milan claimed by the archbishop which was often in conflict with the interests of the Crown and, in some cases, with directives from Rome. At first, Charles (1538-1584) and then Federico (1564-1631) Borromeo were representatives of the prestigious patronage and ecclesiastical policies of the Counter Reformation, which saw a massive reorganization of the diocesan structure. The Spanish King Philip II (1527-1598) tried in vain to introduce the Inquisition in the State of Milan (1563-1564), causing the fierce opposition of local institutions. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), the State of Milan was a Spanish military and political nerve centre: its central location on the European chessboard made of it an area of ?vital importance for the passage of troops and supplies. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713), the Austrians conquered the duchy in 1706. From 1714, with the treaty of Rastadt, Milan officially passed under the dominion of the imperial dynasty of the Habsburgs of Austria.

Read more:

• D. Sella, Lo Stato di Milano in età spagnola, Torino 1987.
• G. Signorotto, Milano spagnola. Guerra, istituzioni, uomini di governo, 1635-1660, Milano 2001.