Duchy of Milan

The Duchy of Milan was a state in Northern Italy, founded on May 11, 1395, by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan. It was created by the important Visconti family, who had ruled Milan since 1277. At its largest in the early 15th century, it included much of what is now Lombardy and parts of Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna. Under the House of Sforza, Milan prospered, becoming wealthy during the Renaissance. From the late 15th century, it was contested by the Habsburg Monarchy and France, ruled by Habsburg Spain from 1556, and passed to Habsburg Austria in 1707. The duchy was captured by Napoleon in 1796 and dissolved on October 17, 1797, becoming part of the Cisalpine Republic.