Beatrice d'Este

Beatrice d'Este
Miniature of Beatrice at the age of 18, by Giovanni Pietro Birago.
Born29 June 1475
Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara
Died3 January 1497(1497-01-03) (aged 21)
Milan, Duchy of Milan
Noble familyEste
Spouse(s)
(m. 1491)
IssueMassimiliano Sforza
Francesco II Sforza
FatherErcole I d'Este
MotherLeonora of Naples
Signature

Beatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497) a noblewoman from Ferrara, duchess of Bari and Milan by her marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "Ludovico il Moro"). She was known as a woman of culture, an important patron of arts and science and a leader in fashion: alongside her husband, she made Milan one of the greatest capitals of the European Renaissance. With her determination and bellicose nature, she led the Milanese resistance against the French during the first of the Italian Wars. Her interventions repelled the Duke of Orléans who was on the verge of conquering Milan.