Ludovico Maria Sforza, also known as Ludovico il Moro, and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini, was an Italian nobleman who ruled as the Duke of Milan from 1494 to 1499.
Although he was the fourth son and excluded from his family's succession, Ludovico was ambitious and managed to obtain dominion over Milan. He first assumed the regency from his sister-in-law Bona, then took over from his deceased nephew Gian Galeazzo, whom some say he poisoned. Considered enlightened, generous, and peaceful, he became a patron of artists and writers. His court in Milan became one of the most important in Europe during the Italian Renaissance.
Somewhat contrarily, Ludovico was also considered fearful and of a fickle nature. To face the threats of King Alfonso II of Naples, Ludovico called the French to Italy; when threatened by the French, he could not face the danger, and was saved only thanks to the intervention of his wife, Beatrice. When she died, he went into a depression and the state of his court fell from jubilance to despair. He finally succumbed to King of France Louis XII, who imprisoned him in France where he died.