SFORZA, Ippolita Maria, Duchess of Calabria (1445 - 1458). One unpublished autograph letter signed and one unpublished part-autograph letter signed, the first ('signed 'Hippolyta Maria ducissa calabriae') to her brother (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan), Naples, 1 August 1475, saying that his ambassador has informed her secretly of the decision to break off diplomatic relations with Naples, taking advantage of the King's absence from the city to depart, and showing her approval, 'Me pare facciate dignamente a levarlo per la conservatione de la dignità vostra', and praising the ambassador, 11 lines on one page, 195 x 220 mm, addressed on verso ('Illustrissimo patre et fratello signor duca de Milano etc'), papered seal; the second (signed 'Eiusdem Illustrissimae Dominationis Vestrae Soror Hippolyta Maria manu propria') to Bona di Savoia, Duchess of Milan (widow of Galeazzo Maria Sforza), Castelcapuano, 2 March 1478, warmly recommending Brusco, a loyal servant of the Sforzas, who wishes to return to the service of the court in Milan, and (in autograph) recalling that he was educated by her parents, 21 lines on one page, 290 x 210 mm, countersigned by Giovano Pontano, annotation in a later hand in upper margin, address panel on verso, papered seal (slight wear in margin). FILELFO, Francesco (1398 - 1481). Two unpublished autograph letters signed ('Franciscus Philelpus'), the first to an unidentified correspondent (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, 'Illustrissimo et unico Segnor mio'), Milan, 25 September 1475, declaring that if his verses on the duke's loves, '[i]l mio contino scrivere de la vostri amorosi refregerij', were not well received he would not venture to continue; but since it seems that they gave pleasure, he has written a new sonnet for the countess, 'ho scripto el presente nuovo sonetto a la magnificha vostra contessa', 8 lines on one page, 290 x 200 mm, address panel on verso, traces of seal (small hole in blank portion of leaf); the second to Ludovico Sforza - 'il Moro', Milan, 1 February 1478, referring to a recent letter which he had sent to Ludovico by the hand of Accerito Portinari, saying that nothing new has occurred and exhorting him to persevere in doing good; reassuring him of the good will of the Signori, and expressing his conviction that he will soon be free of anxiety, 10 lines on one page, 285 x 195 mm, address panel on verso.Ippolita Sforza, married to the heir to King Ferdinand of Naples, retained strong ties of loyalty to Milan. The complicated diplomatic play between Naples and Milan was interrupted when Galeazzo withdrew his ambassador, and dismissed Ferdinand's orator at Milan, persuading Lorenzo de' Medici to do likewise. The many works dedicated to Ippolita, celebrated for her learning, include Lascaris' Grammatica, the first Greek work printed in Italy (Milan, 1476). Francesco Filelfo learned Greek in his youth, while secretary to the Venetian ambassador to Constantinople. He then taught at Bologna before being invited by Filippo Maria Visconti to teach at Pavia, later joining the ducal court at Milan where in 1450 he offered his services to Francisco Sforza. After a period of absence spent mostly in Florence and Rome following the latter's death, he returned to the Sforza court at Pavia in July 1475. Always a prolific writer and correspondent, he died at Florence.The first of the present letters by him is dated three days after one also enclosing a sonnet for the beautiful Lucia Marliani, the favourite and last mistress of the duke, who conferred great riches upon her (G. Benaducci, Orose e Poesi volgari di Francesco Filelfo, 1901). Filelfo had been Ludovico Sforza's tutor, instilling in him his love of literature and art. On the failure of his attempt to deprive Cicco Simonetta, the ducal secretary, and Bona di Savoia, widow of Galeazzo Maria, of power, Ludovico fled first to Pisa, then to Florence where Filelfo's letter is addressed. Accerito Portinari, bearer of Filelfo's previous letter, was director of the Milan branch of the Medici bank. (4)

SFORZA, Ippolita Maria, Duchess of Calabria (1445 - 1458). One unpublished autograph letter signed and one unpublished part-autograph letter signed, the first ('signed 'Hippolyta Maria ducissa calabriae') to her brother (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan), Naples, 1 August 1475, saying that his ambassador has informed her secretly of the decision to break off diplomatic relations with Naples, taking advantage of the King's absence from the city to depart, and showing her approval, 'Me pare facciate dignamente a levarlo per la conservatione de la dignità vostra', and praising the ambassador, 11 lines on one page, 195 x 220 mm, addressed on verso ('Illustrissimo patre et fratello signor duca de Milano etc'), papered seal; the second (signed 'Eiusdem Illustrissimae Dominationis Vestrae Soror Hippolyta Maria manu propria') to Bona di Savoia, Duchess of Milan (widow of Galeazzo Maria Sforza), Castelcapuano, 2 March 1478, warmly recommending Brusco, a loyal servant of the Sforzas, who wishes to return to the service of the court in Milan, and (in autograph) recalling that he was educated by her parents, 21 lines on one page, 290 x 210 mm, countersigned by Giovano Pontano, annotation in a later hand in upper margin, address panel on verso, papered seal (slight wear in margin). FILELFO, Francesco (1398 - 1481). Two unpublished autograph letters signed ('Franciscus Philelpus'), the first to an unidentified correspondent (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, 'Illustrissimo et unico Segnor mio'), Milan, 25 September 1475, declaring that if his verses on the duke's loves, '[i]l mio contino scrivere de la vostri amorosi refregerij', were not well received he would not venture to continue; but since it seems that they gave pleasure, he has written a new sonnet for the countess, 'ho scripto el presente nuovo sonetto a la magnificha vostra contessa', 8 lines on one page, 290 x 200 mm, address panel on verso, traces of seal (small hole in blank portion of leaf); the second to Ludovico Sforza - 'il Moro', Milan, 1 February 1478, referring to a recent letter which he had sent to Ludovico by the hand of Accerito Portinari, saying that nothing new has occurred and exhorting him to persevere in doing good; reassuring him of the good will of the Signori, and expressing his conviction that he will soon be free of anxiety, 10 lines on one page, 285 x 195 mm, address panel on verso. Ippolita Sforza, married to the heir to King Ferdinand of Naples, retained strong ties of loyalty to Milan. The complicated diplomatic play between Naples and Milan was interrupted when Galeazzo withdrew his ambassador, and dismissed Ferdinand's orator at Milan, persuading Lorenzo de' Medici to do likewise. The many works dedicated to Ippolita, celebrated for her learning, include Lascaris' Grammatica, the first Greek work printed in Italy (Milan, 1476). Francesco Filelfo learned Greek in his youth, while secretary to the Venetian ambassador to Constantinople. He then taught at Bologna before being invited by Filippo Maria Visconti to teach at Pavia, later joining the ducal court at Milan where in 1450 he offered his services to Francisco Sforza. After a period of absence spent mostly in Florence and Rome following the latter's death, he returned to the Sforza court at Pavia in July 1475. Always a prolific writer and correspondent, he died at Florence. The first of the present letters by him is dated three days after one also enclosing a sonnet for the beautiful Lucia Marliani, the favourite and last mistress of the duke, who conferred great riches upon her (G. Benaducci, Orose e Poesi volgari di Francesco Filelfo, 1901). Filelfo had been Ludovico Sforza's tutor, instilling in him his love of literature and art. On the failure of his attempt to deprive Cicco Simonetta, the ducal secretary, and Bona di Savoia, widow of Galeazzo Maria, of power, Ludovico fled first to Pisa, then to Florence where Filelfo's letter is addressed. Accerito Portinari, bearer of Filelfo's previous letter, was director of the Milan branch of the Medici bank. (4)

細節

SFORZA, Ippolita Maria, Duchess of Calabria (1445 - 1458). One unpublished autograph letter signed and one unpublished part-autograph letter signed, the first ('signed 'Hippolyta Maria ducissa calabriae') to her brother (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan), Naples, 1 August 1475, saying that his ambassador has informed her secretly of the decision to break off diplomatic relations with Naples, taking advantage of the King's absence from the city to depart, and showing her approval, 'Me pare facciate dignamente a levarlo per la conservatione de la dignità vostra', and praising the ambassador, 11 lines on one page, 195 x 220 mm, addressed on verso ('Illustrissimo patre et fratello signor duca de Milano etc'), papered seal; the second (signed 'Eiusdem Illustrissimae Dominationis Vestrae Soror Hippolyta Maria manu propria') to Bona di Savoia, Duchess of Milan (widow of Galeazzo Maria Sforza), Castelcapuano, 2 March 1478, warmly recommending Brusco, a loyal servant of the Sforzas, who wishes to return to the service of the court in Milan, and (in autograph) recalling that he was educated by her parents, 21 lines on one page, 290 x 210 mm, countersigned by Giovano Pontano, annotation in a later hand in upper margin, address panel on verso, papered seal (slight wear in margin).

FILELFO, Francesco (1398 - 1481). Two unpublished autograph letters signed ('Franciscus Philelpus'), the first to an unidentified correspondent (Galeazzo Maria Sforza, 'Illustrissimo et unico Segnor mio'), Milan, 25 September 1475, declaring that if his verses on the duke's loves, '[i]l mio contino scrivere de la vostri amorosi refregerij', were not well received he would not venture to continue; but since it seems that they gave pleasure, he has written a new sonnet for the countess, 'ho scripto el presente nuovo sonetto a la magnificha vostra contessa', 8 lines on one page, 290 x 200 mm, address panel on verso, traces of seal (small hole in blank portion of leaf); the second to Ludovico Sforza - 'il Moro', Milan, 1 February 1478, referring to a recent letter which he had sent to Ludovico by the hand of Accerito Portinari, saying that nothing new has occurred and exhorting him to persevere in doing good; reassuring him of the good will of the Signori, and expressing his conviction that he will soon be free of anxiety, 10 lines on one page, 285 x 195 mm, address panel on verso.

Ippolita Sforza, married to the heir to King Ferdinand of Naples, retained strong ties of loyalty to Milan. The complicated diplomatic play between Naples and Milan was interrupted when Galeazzo withdrew his ambassador, and dismissed Ferdinand's orator at Milan, persuading Lorenzo de' Medici to do likewise. The many works dedicated to Ippolita, celebrated for her learning, include Lascaris' Grammatica, the first Greek work printed in Italy (Milan, 1476).
Francesco Filelfo learned Greek in his youth, while secretary to the Venetian ambassador to Constantinople. He then taught at Bologna before being invited by Filippo Maria Visconti to teach at Pavia, later joining the ducal court at Milan where in 1450 he offered his services to Francisco Sforza. After a period of absence spent mostly in Florence and Rome following the latter's death, he returned to the Sforza court at Pavia in July 1475. Always a prolific writer and correspondent, he died at Florence.

The first of the present letters by him is dated three days after one also enclosing a sonnet for the beautiful Lucia Marliani, the favourite and last mistress of the duke, who conferred great riches upon her (G. Benaducci, Orose e Poesi volgari di Francesco Filelfo, 1901). Filelfo had been Ludovico Sforza's tutor, instilling in him his love of literature and art. On the failure of his attempt to deprive Cicco Simonetta, the ducal secretary, and Bona di Savoia, widow of Galeazzo Maria, of power, Ludovico fled first to Pisa, then to Florence where Filelfo's letter is addressed. Accerito Portinari, bearer of Filelfo's previous letter, was director of the Milan branch of the Medici bank. (4)