Beschreibung:

MEDICI, Cosimo 'il Vecchio' de' (1389 - 1464). Unpublished letter, probably autograph and signed, addressed to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, Florence, 25 February 1453 [n.s. 1454] , giving his views on the political situation three months before the Treaty of Lodi brought to an end the general war in Italy; writing in reply to two letters of February 21 from Francesco who has expressed doubts, perhaps rightly, about the pope's intentions, 'per la prima inteso il sospetto havete di non essere tenuto a parole dal papa per torre tempo et che siamo trovati sproveduti che mi pare la Vostra Illustrissima Signoria dubiti regionevolmente'; but Cosimo thinks it right to inform the pope of the secret initiative between Milan and Venice, although his (i.e. the pope's) mediation seems to be without result. He finds the pope irresolute at the possibility of an imminent peace, as if it could threaten him, but if as he has said he intends to join the future league, he must not doubt them. 'Qual sia la chagione non so, ma si vede il papa ci sta su perplesso et va più adagio non n'à facto per lo passato. Non so se ne fosse cagione temere che la pace nostra non risultasse a lui guerra ma questo non mi pare lo dovesse indugiare, perchè volendo entrare nella lega, come disse di principio, debba essere sicuro che da nessuno sarà offeso'. Cosimo urges Sforza to proceed with the negotations with Venice: the proposals brought back from Venice are favourable to him if the Venetians are willing to recognise the legality of his rule and his right to pass it on to his sons. He does not know whether or not Venice intends to exclude the King of Naples from the negotiations - he also refers to the Marquises of Ferrara and Mantua, and in conclusion to matters concerning mercenary soldiers, and captains of fortune, 35 lines written on one page, 255 x 220 mm , addressed in a different hand in Latin on verso, ('Illustrissimi principi et excellentissimo domino, domino Francesco Sforza, vicecomiti, duci Mediolani, Papie, Anglerieque comiti ac Cremone domino'), the date annotated in a later hand in the upper margin, papered seal (traces of tape at inner edge on verso, slight wear in corner of lower margin, 2 tiny holes touching 2 words). The friendship between Cosimo 'il Vecchio' de' Medici and Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan from 1450 - 1466, began during the latter's visit to Florence in 1435. Cosimo's continued support assisted Francesco in securing control of Milan in 1450, concluding the period of strife which followed the death of Filippo Visconti, Duke of Milan, to whose only child, Bianca, Francesco was married. This reversed the earlier pattern of alliances in which Florence had joined Venice in opposition to Milan. The present letter refers to the complex negotiations to bring to an end the war which had engulfed most of Italy since 1452. The principal alliances were those of the Venetian Republic with Alfonso of Aragon, King of Naples, on the one hand, and of Florence and Milan on the other. Support had been promised by Cosimo to Francesco on the outbreak of the war, but his preoccupation with the Aragonese incursions into Florentine territory led him to overlook the frequent Milanese requests for aid. The fall of Constantinople on 29 May 1453, causing irreparable loss to the Venetian trading empire and to a lesser degree to the interests of Florence, gave greater impetus to the search for peace. Pope Nicholas V was to be the intermediary in the peace negotiations, but Sforza, intent on turning the crisis of Venice to his advantage, at first opposed this, although in the autumn his envoys joined those of Florence and Venice and Rome. In November he learned that the Florentines, without informing him, were in negotiation with the Venetians, and shortly afterwards he himself embarked upon the negotiations to which Cosimo refers in his letter. By the Treaty of Lodi, concluded in April 1454, Milan returned to Venice the districts she had captured in th