Who Runs The World? (Girls)
In a time when men relegated women to the sidelines, Caterina Sforza refused to let anyone silence her. Well-educated and descended from a line of powerful leaders, she utilized her strength, wit, and determination to wield a rare power. However, her beauty and cunning also hid just how terrifying she could be.
1. Her Birth Was Illegitimate
Life never did Caterina Sforza any favors. From the moment that she entered the world, she found herself at a disadvantage. Although her father was Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, her mother was Lucrezia Landriani—his mistress. As Galeazzo’s illegitimate daughter, Caterina may have had biological claims to his impressive legacy, but socially, her ability to access that prestige depended on her father's whims.
2. She Depended On Her Father
Thankfully for Caterina, her father appeared inclined to keep his children in his life. Galeazzo brought Caterina, along with her three siblings (all his illegitimate children via Landriani), to court when his father passed, and this elevated him to the title of Duke of Milan. However, it was there that they had to contend with some powerful forces: namely, the duke’s wives.
3. She Gained A Step Mother
Galeazzo married Dorotea Gonzaga the same year that he became the Duke of Milan. During this time, his mother, Bianca Maria Visconti, had charge of his children by another woman. However, Gonzaga had little time to complain about Galeazzo’s illegitimate children living in her household, as fate dealt her a tragic twist.
According to some sources, she succumbed to illness before the marriage took place. Others state that she passed slightly later. However, regardless of the date, Galeazzo quickly replaced her, leaving Caterina at the mercy of another woman.
4. She Was Accepted
Galeazzo married his second wife, Bona of Savoy, on May 9, 1458. Bona promptly adopted Caterina and all of her siblings, therefore legitimizing their births and allowing a whole world to open up to them. Caterina received a thorough education, which led her to take pride not just in her warrior ancestors but also in her savvy political skills.
Caterina’s childhood proved informative and useful; unfortunately, her brains and education couldn’t save her from the fate that awaited all women.
5. She Secured A Match
Although Caterina proved to be a strong student, both passionate and intelligent, she remained a woman in a time when women had one role within society: elevating their family's status by securing a favorable marriage. That meant she was only 10 years old when she pinned down a "desirable" match.
6. She Was Still A Child.
Caterina's future husband, Girolamo Riario, was a whopping 20 years older than her. But the backstory of how she snagged him is quite unnerving. You see, Girolamo was initially engaged to Caterina's 11-year-old cousin, Constanza. Reportedly, there was one awful reason why Caterina became the more desirable bride.
7. She Didn't Make Him Wait
At the time, the legal age was 14. Constanza's mother wanted her to come of age before consummating her marriage to Girolamo. As the story goes, there was no wait time for Caterina, who supposedly proved willing to submit to Girolamo's desires despite the fact that she was still a child. Other sources, however, suggest that Caterina did wait for four years to consummate the marriage.
Whatever the truth might be, the marriage was a powerful one—and Caterina took full advantage of it.
8. She Had A Life Of Luxury
In marrying Girolamo, Caterina now belonged to two of the most extravagant Italian courts. After all, her husband was Lord of Imola and her father was the Duke of Milan. In 1477, Caterina arrived in Rome—a city bustling with potential, passion, and culture. But though she was surrounded by powerful people, behind the scenes, her husband had some chilling expectations of her.
9. She Was A Charismatic Force
Girolamo didn't want his young wife sticking her nose into politics. However, he sorely underestimated her magnetism. Caterina certainly knew how to hold her own, wielding charismatic social skills and an extroverted personality. It wasn't long before Roman aristocrats welcomed her into their circles. But this was only the beginning.
10. She Was Beautiful
Caterina wasn't just a beloved noblewoman, she was also incredibly beautiful. She had society wrapped around her little finger—even the pope. And as she grew up in this world of intrigue, she shed the chrysalis of childhood, becoming an influential mediator in her own right, flitting between the Roman court and other Italian courts.
Then in 1479, she took on a brand new role.
11. She Became A Mother
In addition to being a dutiful wife, Caterina also became a dutiful mother, welcoming her first child, Ottaviano, in 1479. But she didn't stop there. Over the next decade, she would give birth to five more children. However, this wasn't a time of peace and relaxation for the noble family. Fate had a tumultuous plan in store for them all.
12. Her Life Was About To Change Forever
For a time, life was smooth-sailing for Caterina. After all, Pope Sixtus IV favored her husband, and elevated his power. Girolamo earned himself a reputation for being quite ruthless with his enemies, and was eventually given the lordship of Forlì in 1480. However, when the pope perished in 1484, Caterina and Girolamo's lives changed in a brutal and sudden way.
13. She Lost Her Protection
Pope Sixtus IV passed in August 1482—and his demise had an immediate effect on Caterina's life. Chaos and anarchy ensued as rebellions began to rumble across Rome. With no one to control them, looters rampaged through the city. They nearly destroyed Caterina’s own home in Compo de’Fiori.
However, in times of trouble, Caterina proved to be her most efficient. Instead of cowering, she took charge.
14. She Took Charge
No one would have blamed Caterina for cowering in the face of the chaos around her, should she have chosen to. Not only did her home almost go up in flames, but she was also seven months pregnant at this time. However, Caterina did not see that as a setback. Instead, while her husband took charge from within the city, she did something unbelievably brave.
15. She Captured A Castle
Heavily pregnant, Caterina crossed the dangerous waters of the Tiber via horseback to control the chaos from the edges, ultimately taking charge of Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. It was a highly strategic position, and she used it to wield her power and influence over one thing in particular.
16. She Took Control
At this time, the Pope used this building as a personal fortress. Therefore, from this position, Caterina could keep an eye on the Vatican and the creation of a new conclave. She monitored who entered the Castel Sant’Angelo, and had high demands about who was allowed entrance into the stronghold she claimed the Pope had given to her family to control. Caterina proved an obstacle too great to overcome.
17. She Bullied The Papacy
So mighty was Caterina’s hold on Castel Sant’Angelo that the cardinals feared they would catch artillery from Caterina should they attend Pope Sixtus IV's funeral or attempt to enter the conclave. Although they attempted to convince Caterina to leave her position within Castel Sant’Angelo, she would not budge—even as Rome seemed to burn around them.
18. She Couldn’t Be Stopped
The situation couldn’t have been more fraught. Rome needed the election of a new pope to calm the destruction that continued. However, Caterina would not budge from her position. Therefore, the Cardinals did what any man did when forced to deal with an “unreasonable woman”. They pleaded with her husband. After all, any good husband could control his wife—right?
19. Her Husband Was Called In
The cardinals felt that the obvious solution to their problems was the immediate removal of Girolamo and Caterina from Rome. Therefore, they bargained with Girolamo. In return for leaving Rome and taking his wife with him, he would retain his titles, receive money for the damages to his destroyed property, and gain the post of captain-general of the Church.
Girolamo considered this a fair deal and accepted—but Caterina didn’t agree.
20. She Didn’t Care About Her Husband
When they informed Caterina of her husband’s compromise, Caterina responded contrary to how they expected her to. Instead of ending her siege upon the papacy, she doubled down. She increased the number of men supporting her and prepared for engagement to force the Cardinals to discuss the matter with her.
Caterina could not be moved. At a loss for what else to do, they called in the only person they thought could oppose her: her husband.
21. Her Husband Took A Stand
The cardinals returned to Girolamo, informing him of the difficult situation Caterina had created. As a response, he stood against his wife. It’s unclear how strongly he opposed Caterina. However, in the end, she finally agreed to release the stronghold from her grasp and allowed her husband to take her and their family back to their place in Forlì... But even more problems awaited them there.
22. She Returned Home
As they returned to Forlì, the announcement of their new Pope reached them. The conclave elected Giovanni Battista Cybo as Pope Innocent VIII. But this posed an alarming problem. Bad blood existed between Caterina, her husband, and the newly christened Innocent VIII.
While he honored the agreement made in theory, allowing Girolamo to keep his titles and appointment, he effectively severed all of the family’s ties to the papacy. The financial consequences were devastating.
23. Her Husband Lost His Standing
While ensuring that Girolamo no longer had any control over the papal army in any way, Innocent also refused to pay Girolamo. In an attempt to gain favor in Forlì, Girolamo had removed all taxes within the state. Despite having no other source of income, he refused to reinstate the taxes. Although a seemingly generous position, Girolamo failed to create another source of income for the state.
Soon, Caterina found herself cleaning up her husband’s problems.
24. She Faced A Tax Problem
By the end of 1485, Caterina and her husband had a nightmare on their hands. The government no longer had any money, thus forcing Girolamo to reinstate the taxes. However, thanks to their now impoverished state, the people were crushed by the sheer weight of the ballooned taxes.
As a result, whispers of something troubling began to spread through Forlí. The people weren’t happy with their lord—and, as his wife, Caterina faced their wrath too.
25. She Had No Money
Girolamo had already made himself unpopular with the people of Forlì by persecuting anyone he viewed as an enemy harshly. The raised taxes turned even more citizens against him, and they began to wonder why they put up with this man at all. A conspiracy began to grow, designed to remove Girolamo and place Pope Innocent’s illegitimate son in control instead.
With tensions growing, something drastic needed to happen.
26. Her Husband Paid The Price
It took the citizens of Forlì at least six failed attempts before they succeeded in their goal. The noble family, Orsis, led a successful move against Caterina's husband in April 1488. Tragically. Girolamo lost his life, while Caterina and her children faced their own terrifying fate: prison.
However, Caterina was not one to sit by idly while people took advantage of her, and anyone who thought she would was sorely mistaken.
27. She Had One Last Hope
Although the Orsis rebellion succeeded in taking out Caterina's husband, the fortress of Ravaldio, a key part of the city's defenses, remained loyal to Caterina. The rebels couldn’t overcome it. This proved key to Caterina’s plan. Taking advantage of their desperation, she volunteered to persuade Tommaso Feo, who held the fortress, to let go of his hold.
They couldn’t possibly have realized the depth of their mistake until it was far too late.
28. She Tricked Her Captors
They believed Caterina to be genuine in her offer to help—or, at least, believed they could control her even if she was not—because they still had her children. However, as soon as Caterina had gotten within the fortress and away from capture, she began flinging insults and vows of vengeance against them.
They began to realize their mistake; however, even here, they underestimated the lengths Caterina would go to win.
29. She Took A Bold Stance
Once they realized Caterina’s betrayal, her former captors pulled out what they thought was their ace card. They threatened to kill Caterina’s children. However, as the infamous story goes, this didn’t bother Caterina one bit. Supposedly, Cateria replied by exposing herself and yelling, “Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me ... here I have what's needed to make others!”
They likely didn’t get the eyeful the stories claim, but Caterina proved to be smarter than her captors regardless.
30. She Played Her Cards
Though the story of Caterina's scandalous undressing is likely a historical tall tale, more reputable sources claim that she told the captors that she was pregnant. This undermined the conspirators' plans, for it meant even if they got rid of all of Caterina’s children, she still carried one more legitimate child of Girolamo's.
They’d never gain the power they coveted, not while Caterina and the unborn child lived. It proved to be the one move that changed everything—and Caterina orchestrated it all.
31. She Regained Control
Although the pregnancy was likely a lie to trick her enemies, it worked. They were too shocked to do anything to her children, and this enabled Caterina the time needed to gather support from her uncle and regain her family’s position within Forlì and Imola. As a result, Caterina gained another thing: a unique position of power.
32. She Became Regent
Once Caterina settled the matter of the rebellion, the administration and magistrates recognized her son, Ottaviano, as the new Lord of Forlì. However, as they also recognized that he was too young to rule, Caterina rose to the powerful position of his regent—much to the concern and displeasure of those around her.
33. She Was Irrational And Vulnerable
Although they granted Caterina the title of regent for her son, most of the men who held power expressed concern over it, as women were believed to be “irrational and vulnerable”. Therefore, they couldn’t possibly trust Caterina with so much power. They even went as far as sending Cardinal Raffaele Riario to watch Caterina under the guise of protecting his late cousin’s children. However, Caterina needed little to no monitoring.
She took control swiftly and far more efficiently than her husband ever had.
34. She Handled Things Quickly
Caterina got to work—and performed brilliantly. She lowered and controlled the taxes that had caused her late husband so many problems. She immediately took charge of training the militia. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Caterina's rule ushered in peace and order, and she had high expectations of her people.
However, she had no control over the forces revolving around her—despite her control, Caterina soon found herself at the center of conflict, quite literally.
35. She Wanted Order And Peace
As Caterina began exerting her power over Forlì, Italy faced a host of other changes. Namely, the appointment of a new Pope, who favored Caterina due to past friendships. Additionally, the passing of Lorenzo il Magnifico led to increasing conflicts between Milan and Naples. This astounding domino effect eventually led to King Charles VIII of France invading Italy, causing Caterina to consider the position of Imola and Forlì carefully.
One wrong move could undermine everything that she’d built.
36. She Was Betrayed
Caterina intended to remain neutral as she knew Forlì had a vulnerable position and she had connections to all feuding members. However, the Duke of Calabria persuaded her to involve herself in the conflict—and then abandoned her when it became clear that he did not have the forces to support her.
When the conflict rose again, Caterina remained neutral, succeeding in holding onto her ties to all important powers. While Caterina saw Forlì safely through conflict, there was still scandal on the horizon.
37. She Was Desirable
Only 25 when Girolamo Riario widowed her, Caterina remained a desirable marriage prospect—all the more so because of the power she held through her young son. Men quickly attempted to take advantage of this. None tried harder than Antonio Maria Ordelaffi.
Antonio felt so confident in his courtship of Caterina that he began telling people that Caterina had made promises that she’d never made—a mistake he soon wished he’d never made.
38. She Punished The Writer
Antonio wrote to a friend that Caterina would one day be his future bride. Caterina, having no intention of marrying a man who so clearly felt he could control her, swiftly handled the situation. She imprisoned anyone responsible for giving this rumor wings. As for Antonio, he ended up confined for 10 years as the Senate in Venice dealt with the matter.
With Antonio handled, Caterina’s heart remained open, if someone dared to try to take it—in fact, someone already had.
39. She Formed A Bond
Caterina fought hard alongside the Feo family to secure her family’s position when conspirators attempted to take it from her. She formed strong connections with those whom she fought alongside; however, none were as strong as her connection with Giacomo Feo. With Giacomo, Caterina finally found love. However, her position meant that she couldn’t indulge in it.
40. She Fell For The Wrong Man
Giacomo proved himself to be faithful and a strong fighter. However, he had no education nor any noble blood. Moreover, Caterina’s position as regent of her son proved precarious. Those around her already did not like that she was a woman. Another marriage surely would undermine her authority. That being said, Caterina did not enjoy being told what to do; she’d have her cake and eat it too.
41. She Married Him Anyway
Caterina married Giacomo. She just didn’t let anyone know about it. Instead, they kept their affair a secret. Over time, Giacomo began to gain more and more power. However, as he grew in power, his unkindness, particularly towards Caterina’s children, became more and more obvious. Giacomo undermined everything Caterina worked so hard for. Caterina, however, appeared enthralled by him.
42. Her Husband Was Cruel
Giacomo held no love for Caterina’s children by her first husband. In one instance, he reportedly slapped Ottaviano, the rightful lord of Forlì, yet by that point, Giacomo had gained enough power that all who witnessed this horror show feared speaking out. It seemed Giacomo couldn't care less if Caterina’s first set of children passed, and, according to some sources, neither did Caterina.
43. Her Children Didn’t Like Him
Some sources claim that Caterina was so enthralled by Giacomo that she would not care if he or anyone offed her first husband’s children. Even worse? She was reportedly prepared to end her children's lives herself rather than be separated from Giacomo. Caterina had lost all sense of reason. But this was only the calm before the storm.
44. Her Children Turned Against Her
It became apparent that Caterina would never harm Giacomo. Therefore, someone needed to do something about it. Even Caterina’s own children were willing to stand against their mother and her vile husband. If Caterina did not leave Giacomo, then they would have to step in... and so began an illicit conspiracy.
45. She Ruined Her Image
One dark night in 1498, when Caterina, Giacomo, and several of her children returned from a hunt, those involved in the plot surprised Giacomo with force and ended his life. In her grief, Caterina’s rage knew no bounds. She threw politics out the window. Executing those who'd set upon her great love wasn’t enough for Caterina. She wanted something even more brutal—and what she came up with was unspeakable.
She demanded to know the names of the men involved, and then went to their homes, getting her foot soldiers to drag their wives (some of whom were pregnant) and children from their beds and take their lives. She then put a bounty on each conspirator's head. 38 people died in the name of Caterina’s grief. Caterina became the villain in the story. However, as Giacomo proved, even villains could be loved.
46. She Met Another Man
Despite being widowed twice, Caterina was still young. She fell in love again, this time with Giovanni de’ Medici il Popolano, a member of the powerful Medici family. Although Caterina had the approval of her children and uncle this time, she still married Giovanni in secret, fearful of causing opposition from other powerful Italian families who did not approve of the union.
Caterina may have found happiness. However, she wouldn’t keep it—perhaps her past crimes proved too much for her to deserve happiness.
47. Her Love Was Doomed
Giovanni succumbed to an illness two years after their marriage. Now alone once more, Caterina had another dangerous and powerful family to contend with: the Borgias. In France, Louis XII came to the throne; thanks to his heritage, he had claims to Milan and Naples. This led to the appointment of Cesare Borgia as ruler of Romagna and sent him marching towards Forlì.
With no allies, Caterina found herself alone in Forlì as Cesare marched upon her. Fortunately, Caterina flourished under pressure.
48. She Stayed Behind
Having sent her children to Florence for safety, Caterina met Cesare by herself, supported only by her men and the belief that Ravaldino remained impenetrable. She’d absolved her people of their fealty, freeing them to flee, and prepared to face Cesare from Ravaldino alone.
Caterina refused to negotiate peace, and Cesare became incensed—he wanted her dead or alive, and even put a price of 10,000 ducats on her head. She welcomed the challenge, better to fall in glory than run in cowardice.
49. She Held The Line Alone
All across Italy, bards sang of Caterina’s determined and lonely resistance against Cesare’s persistent attack. Eventually, however, the walls fell and Cesare’s forces flooded in. Realizing that resistance was futile, Caterina made one last calculated move.
She surrendered to Antoine Bissey, aware that the French had a law against prisoners of war who were women. Caterina’s political savviness knew no bounds. Unfortunately, her reprieve from Cesare remained short-lived.
50. She Refused To Stay Caged
Cesare took Caterina from the French under the promise to treat her as a guest, not a prisoner. He held her briefly in Belvedere Palace in Rome until a failed escape attempt forced them to move Caterina. To justify imprisoning Caterina, they accused her of attempting to poison the pope—something she easily could have done.
History has a way of repeating itself; as Caterina neared the end of her life, she found herself in one of the places that had defined her youth.
51. She Was Indomitable
They held Caterina in Castel Sant’Angelo, the very place she’d held onto all those years ago by force. Eventually, they released her, sending her to Florence and her children. Although the eventual fall of Cesare meant that Forlì and Imola could return to her, she’d damaged her image too much. The people did not want her.
In the end, Caterina passed from pneumonia at the age of 46. In a time when women were viewed as weak, Caterina proved the opposite. She lived her life with fire and passion—they could take everything from her, but even in the afterlife, Caterina Sforza never relinquished her pride.
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