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Caterina was born in Milan, Italy in 1463 to Lucrezia Landriani and Galeazzo Maria Sforza, who was the Duke of Milan. During her childhood, Caterina was taught using a humanistic approach which focused on philosophy, literature and the arts at the time. She was educated in combat alongside her brothers, this included hunting as well. Bona of Savoy, who was her adoptive mother also educated Caterica in  botanical pharmaceuticals which would influence Caterina's studies in chemistry and medicine.

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Caterina Sforza's castle in Milan, Italy

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In 1473, at the age of ten, Caterina was betrothed to Girolamo Riario who was 30 at the time. Caterina officially got married in 1477 at the legal age of 14, Girolamo Riario was 34. upon marrying her husband inherited a Lordship of Imola from his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. In result of the marriage, Caterina was now part of the two wealthiest courts in Italy at the time.

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Caterina and her husband Girolamo Riario moved to Rome, Italy in 1477 so that he could serve under his uncle Pope Sixtus IV. Caterina had her first child on September 1, 1480, Caterina would birth five more children, which resulted in six children in total, five sons and one daughter. While in Rome, Caterina was highly revered and considered the most beautiful noblewoman.

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Caterina Sforzi circa 1485, tempura on poplar wood painted by Vittorio

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Pope Sixtus IV passed away in 1485 which left Rome in a state of unrest. Many did not like Caterina's husband, Girolamo, which led to mass looting and rioting. Their home in  the Orsini palace in Campo de' Fiori was looted and nearly destroyed amid the mass rioting. Caterina was faced with the task of traveling to the fortress Castel Sant'Angelo which was across the Tibur river on horseback. Caterina did this while in her third trimester of pregnancy all in order to occupy the Castel Sant'Angelo with her troops and demand a new Pope. Many of the Cardinals gathering at the Castel Sant'Angelo refused to enter due to the fear of Caterina's soldiers, however, she refused to back down until they agreed to choose a new Pope. The election of a new Pope would cease the rebellions and unrest in Rome.

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Caterina's husband Girolamo was assassinated on April 14th, 1488 as ordered by the Forlí family after he failed to appoint his cousin as the new Pope, their residence was robbed. Caterina and her children were taken prisoners, Caterina was ordered to turn the soldiers that supported her family over to the Forlí family. Once taken to the fortress, she convinced her captors to let her inside alone. Her captors threatened to kill Caterina's children if she failed to surrender herself in which she responded, “Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me,” she declared, lifting her skirts, “here I have what's needed to make others!” Her captors then fled, however she had her soldiers torture and murder them.

Due to the death of her husband and offenders, Caterina was now the Lady of Imola and Forlì and took over power in place of her husband. Society saw this as highly problematic considering the role as leader was thought to be too masculine for a woman. Her first act as regent was to get vengeance for her husband's assassination, she ordered all those involved to he held prisoner and their valuables distributed amongst the poor.

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This source taken from The Famous People website gives a basic and brief biography of Caterina Sforza's life in point form without going into deep details.

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Spouse/Ex-: Giovanni il Popolano, Girolamo Riario, Giacomo Feo (m. 1488-1495)

father: Galeazzo Maria Sforza

mother: Lucrezia Landriani

children: Bianca Riario, Cesare Riario, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Ottaviano Riario

place of death: Florence, Italy

Cause of Death: Pneumonia

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Who was Caterina Sforza? Everything You Need to Know

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Spouse/Ex-: Giovanni il Popolano, Girolamo Riario, Giacomo Feo (m. 1488-1495) father: Galeazzo Maria Sforza mother: Lucrezia Landriani children: Bianca Riario, Cesare Riario, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Ottaviano Riario place of death: Florence, Italy Cause of Death: Pneumonia

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This source by Britanica Kids focuses mainly on Caterina Sforza's life with her first husband, Girolamo. This period in her life was most influential as it opened doors for her to be in a position of power.

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(1462/63-1509). Italian noblewoman Caterina Sforza ruled Forlí (in present-day Italy) during the 15th century. She was known for her cunning yet brutal actions to keep her power and possessions. Caterina was part of the powerful Sforza family that ruled Milan for almost a century.

Sforza was born in Milan in either 1462 or 1463. She was the daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, a despotic yet capable ruler, and his mistress Lucrezia Landriani. Sforza was well educated. She was also trained in fighting, horse riding, and hunting, which was unusual for a noblewoman of that time. In 1477 she wed Girolamo Riario, the nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, in an arranged marriage. As pope, Sixtus spent his time enhancing the power and wealth of his family and of the Papal States. In order to solidify his control, in 1473 he had made Riario the ruler of Imola. In 1480 he gave Riario possession of Forlì.

When Sixtus died in 1484, Rome was left in turmoil, with various factions vying for control. In order to keep Riario's position secure, Sforza and her army seized control of Castel Sant'Angelo, a papal castle. After several days Riario and the cardinals brokered a deal, with Riario receiving money and assurances of retaining his power. Sforza was forced to back down, and she and Riario returned to Forlí. About this time Sforza began to take over the governing of the city. Riario had a weak character, and his subjects disliked him. Several assassination attempts had failed. Illnesses also plagued him.

In 1488 a noble family in Forlí successfully arranged Riario's assassination. They also took Sforza and her children hostage. Her captors ordered her to persuade the soldiers at Forlí's main fortress-who were still loyal to the Riario family-to surrender. They took her there to talk to the soldier in charge, but he refused to obey. Sforza had gotten word to him before she was captured that he should resist all pleadings for surrender. When the captors took her to the fortress to negotiate again, she tricked them into letting her enter the castle alone. Once inside, she refused to surrender the fortress.

The captors were angry with Sforza's trickery. When they threatened her children, Sforza replied that she had relatives who would avenge their deaths as well as another child growing in her womb. After persevering, Sforza received both military and popular support. The conspirators fled without harming her children. She had her guards capture, torture, and kill the offenders.

Sforza spent the next several years ruling for her young son Ottaviano. She put down rebellions and ensured that she retained firm control over Imola and Forlí. During this time she also wed twice more. Her second husband, Giacomo Feo, gained power in her court but also acquired enemies. Assassins killed him in 1495. Sforza had those involved, as well as their families, tortured and killed. Her third husband, Giovanni di Pierfrancesco de' Medici, died of natural causes in 1498. Their son, Giovanni de' Medici, was a noted soldier. His son, in turn, was Cosimo I, who became the first grand duke of Tuscany. ( See also Medici family.)

In 1499 Sforza's military might was tested once again. Cesare Borgia ( see Borgia family), as leader of the papal armies, launched military attacks on Italian cities that refused to acknowledge the pope's supremacy. A large contingent of French troops assisted him. That year his armies conquered Imola and marched to Forlì. Sforza barricaded herself and her troops in the main fortress to withstand a siege, but they were no match for Borgia's attacks. The fortress fell in January 1500, and Sforza was taken captive. She was held in Rome for more than a year before the pope released her. All her subsequent attempts to regain Imola and Forlí were thwarted. Sforza died in Florence on May 28, 1509.

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(1462/63-1509). Italian noblewoman Caterina Sforza ruled Forlí (in present-day Italy) during the 15th century. She was known for her cunning yet brutal actions to keep her power and possessions. Caterina was part of the powerful Sforza family that ruled Milan for almost a century. Sforza was born in Milan in either 1462 or 1463.

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This source is taken from a website dedicated to Caterina Sforza and is run by a tour guide who works at the Forlì-Cesena Guide Association. This site goes in depth to Caterina's life and accomplishments.

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This source is from the National Endowment of Humanities which highlights her work as a scientist and the books she wrote.

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The National Endowment for the Humanities

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Sforza is best known for her legendary response to an enemy's threat to kill her hostage children, words that Machiavelli preserved for posterity. "Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me," she declared, lifting her skirts, "here I have what's needed to make others!"

However, Sforza did care enough to will her highly guarded book called Experimenti, in which she recorded a lifetime of study in alchemy, to her son, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere. He would become the father of Cosimo I de Medici, a grand duke from the family that made its name in banking and governed Florence for centuries. Caterina's manuscript (there is only one copy now remaining in a private archive) contains a method for making false gold, among other chemical recipes, that was attributed to Cosimo the Elder, who had been a political ally of her grandfather.

Her Experimenti recorded 454 recipes, most for medicines, others for cosmetics or alchemical processes. Her son treasured the manuscript as much as she had. Giovanni wrote about it to a correspondent, "We find missing from the strongboxes in Rome a handwritten book of recipes for many and various things: we must find it, because one way or another, we want it."

Sforza's lifeblood for this work was her apothecary, Ludovico Albertini, to whom she owed 587 florins at the time of her death, in 1509. In later generations, she wouldn't have had that kind of bill for ingredients. In 1545, her grandson Cosimo I, who built a foundry for experiments in Palazzo Vecchio, also established a botanical garden in Florence-the third oldest botanical garden in Italy-to grow plants and herbs for medicinal purposes.

Amy Lifson is the assistant editor for Humanities.

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Caterina Sforza: Fearless Regent and Scientist of 15th-Century Italy

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Sforza is best known for her legendary response to an enemy's threat to kill her hostage children, words that Machiavelli preserved for posterity. "Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me," she declared, lifting her skirts, "here I have what's needed to make others!"