Galahad Sanseverino & Milan’s Sovereign Polycule-Threesome

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History, Inventing the Renaissance, Italy
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Time to meet one of my favorite Renaissance friends: Galeazzo Sanseverino, a mercenary whom contemporary sources describe as the sexiest thing in pants in Italy, part of the badass polycule threesome that ruled Milan in the early 1490s.

(This is part of my series counting down to the release of my new book Inventing the Renaissance!)

Photograph of a stone statue, probably depicting Galeazzo Sanseverino as the model forSaint Victor the Martyr (statue in Milan cathedr al museum). Extremely handsome with shoulder - length curly hair, he wears a cloak over decorated Roman armor, and has his arms bound behind him in a sexy pose, giving him a homoerotic look similar to depictions of Saint Sebastian but more military.
Photograph of a stone statue, probably depicting Galeazzo Sanseverino as the model for
Saint Victor the Martyr (statue in Milan cathedral museum).

Galeazzo was the third son of Roberto Sanseverino d’Aragona, one of the most celebrated mercenary generals of the 1400s, who had fathered 25 children before dying heroically in the Battle of Calliano at the age of 69!

Relief sculpture in speckled orange marble from the tomb slab of a knight, Roberto Sanseverino. He is carved wearing full plate male, with a sword at his side and a spear in his hand, standing with great confidence.
Relief sculpture, tomb slab of Roberto Sanseverino.

Suit of silvery plate armor, standing erect. It is undecorated and practical, with very hefty protection on the shoulders. The different and inferior time - pocked quality of the helmet displayed with it shows that it is a substitute, not part of the original surviving suit.

The armor Roberto died in (captured as a trophy) still survives.Roberto’s eldest son Gianfrancesco became a general in the French king’s armies, the second Fracasso the most famous jouster in Europe and a favorite of Emperor Maximilian, and practically all his sons were soldiers, so as #3 Galeazzo had to do a *lot* to stand out. Boy did he succeed!

Miniature painting of Galeazzo Sanseverino in the midst of a procession in Milan. He wears red robes and a red cap, and carries a banner with the black eagle on gold of the emperor, which is part of the Sforza crest.
Miniature painting of Galeazzo Sanseverino in the midst of a procession in Milan.

Galeazzo became the favorite lover of Ludovico Visconti-Sforza, who ruled Milan, first as regent then as duke, until his capture by the French in 1499. He made Galeazzo leader of his armies, and trusted him with so much power & sway in the city that people called him “The Second Duke”.

Detail portrait of Ludovico Sforza from the "Pala Sforzesca." Ludovico has black hair down to the nape of his neck, a slightly chubby build, and wears a garment of costly pomegranate pattern light blue silk brocade with gold edging and a huge gold chain around his neck. The background shows the lavish garments of the saints who surround the duke in the complete painting, which shows him and his wife amid religious figures kneeling in prayer.
Detail portrait of Ludovico Sforza from the “Pala Sforzesca.
Portrait possibly of Galeazzo Sanseverino. A man with auburn shoulder - length curly hair stands looking at the viewer. He wears a black cap, a costly black velvet overgarment lined with leopard fur, a red doublet partly unbuttoned down the front, and gray gloves.
Portrait possibly of Galeazzo Sanseverino.

Galeazzo was *also* a beloved favorite of Ludovico’s young wife, Beatrice d’Este–one of the noblest princesses in Italy, sister of the Duke of Ferrara–whom sources say gave Galeazzo access to her private rooms at all hours, reveled in his company, and played croquet with him every afternoon.

Sketch of Beatrice d'Este by someone in the circle of Leonardo da Vinci. She wears anelegant gown on her sloping shoulders, and has her long hair pulled back in the Neapolitan or Spanish style favored at the court of Milan, with a circlet around the top of her head and a hair net over the back of it above a long bundled braid.
Sketch of Beatrice d’Este by someone in the circle of Leonardo da Vinci.

Beatrice had *loathed* her husband’s female lovers, like Cecilia Gallerani immortalized in Leonardo’s famous painting “Lady with an Ermine” but loved Galeazzo, and happily welcomed him as family.

Leonardo's portrait of Cecilia Galleraniknown as "Lady with an Ermine." Wearing the same hairstyle as Beatrice d'Este in her portrait, Cecilia gazes to the right while holding a snow white ermine, representing purity and virtue. She wears a blue overgown lined with gold over a red gown, and a long necklace of black beads.
Leonardo’s portrait of Cecilia Gallerani known as “Lady with an Ermine.”

While contemporary sources are very explicit about the openly sexual relationship between Ludovico and Galahad, no sources (even written by enemies) ever suggested any sexual relationship between Galahad and Beatrice despite their intimate friendship and close contact.

Portrait probably of Beatrice d'Este by Bernardino de' Conti called "The Rothschild Lady." She wears the same hairstyle with a circlet cord around her forehead and a golden hairnet over the back of her head, above a long braid wrapped in blue fabric. A large red brooch with a drop pearl and a feather pins the circlet at the side of her head. Her gown is blue and gold spiral brocade with green sleeves attached with pink ribbons. She wears a necklace of large pearls, and holds a letter in her hand.
Portrait probably of Beatrice d’Este by Bernardino de’ Conti called “The Rothschild Lady.”

The young duchess *was* very close with her husband’s illegitimate daughter Bianca Giovanna Visconti-Sforza, who was nine when the sixteen-year-old duchess came to Milan in 1491, & became her dear companion/playmate.

Probable portrait drawing of Bianca Giovanna by Leonardo da Vinci. She too is depicted in profile with her hair in the Spanish style, a golden circlet holding a golden hair net in place above her long gold-bound braid. She wears a greenish gown over red and yellow underlayers.
Probable portrait drawing of Bianca Giovanna by Leonardo da Vinci.

To tie the family together, Ludovico had Galeazzo marry young Bianca Giovanna, making his lover his son-in-law (which is what most histories call him). Accounts describe the very young princess enjoying playing chastely with the husband who treated her more as a stepdaughter than a wife.

Portrait of Beatrice d'Este, a detail from the same painting of the ducal couple kneeling among their patron saints. She wears pearls in her hair, a costly brooch, and a gown of bold gold and black striped silk.
Portrait of Beatrice d’Este, a detail from the same painting as the earlier portrait of Ludovico.

Two sons born to the ducal couple (and doted on by Galeazzo & Bianca) seemed to secure the family’s future, and even when the French invaded in 1494 Duchess Beatrice (shown here as a girl with her sister Isabella d’Este) visited and charmed the French king, securing a (brief) alliance.

Painting detail of two teenaged girls in Renaissance gowns, leaning near each other as if one is embracing the other. Both have their hair semi-loose, with ribbons or snoodsholding it with loose netting, and wear necklaces of black beads and gowns of dark blue with many decorative ribbons showing from the edges of the white chemises underneath. The one in the foreground (probably Isabella) holds a lute.
Painting detail of two teenaged girls in Renaissance gowns, leaning near each other as if one is embracing the other.
Portrait of Massimiliano Sforza, eldest son of Beatrice and Ludovico, shown as a little boy with shoulder-length auburn hear wearing a red cap and child-sized armor.
Portrait of Massimiliano Sforza, eldest son of Beatrice and Ludovico.
Portrait of the ducal couple's second son Francesco as an infant, wearing a red doublet with green sleeves.
Portrait of the ducal couple’s second son Francesco as an infant.

Alas, the joy was not to last. Relations with the French soured, and Bianca died of illness in 1496 (age 14), then Beatrice in childbed the year after (age 22). Ludovico’s mourning was so extreme he locked himself away for 2 weeks, shaved his head, & started wearing only black & a ragged cloak.

Beatrice d'Este's tomb. She is carved in white marble, lying as if sleeping serently on a bed. She wears a gown elaborately patterned with diamond stripes, and her hair is curled in a halo around her forehead.
Beatrice d’Este’s tomb.
Detail of her face in profile in the carved tomb. She appears to be asleep, and the detail of her eyelashes in the marble is exquisite.
Detail of her face in profile in the carved tomb.

Soon after, amid the wars egged on by many including the ambitious Borgias, the French seized Milan and captured Ludovico, keeping him in an iron cage in which he used to display his high-status prisoners. For a great account of this see John Gangé’s book “Milan Undone“.

 

Book cover of Milan Undone

Galeazzo too was captured but charmed the French who let his brothers ransom him be. He went to emperor’s court where, not to be outdone in drama, he wore all black and *dyed his hair black* letting it grow unkempt down to his waist as a token of his grief for Ludovico’s continued imprisonment. It was in this phase that he challenged the ferocious Francesco Gonzaga to a duel (a story for another day), but eventually he entered the service of the French King Louis and was still so charming he became the only non-Frenchman to ever receive the title of Royal Chamberlain of France. Ludovico died in his imprisonment in 1508. Galeazzo, long outliving all his dear ones from Milan, died heroically in battle defending France’s next king Francis I in the Battle of Pavia 1525, aged 65.

Tapestry probably showing Galeazzo Sanseverino as a mature man in his final battle, wearing armor and wielding a sword as he sits atop a finely-arrayed brown horse. He is still wearing a black garment over his armor.
Tapestry probably showing Galeazzo Sanseverino as a mature man in his final battle.

Queer & complex families like this usually get erased in histories, but I love to remember them through this painting by pre-Raphaelite artist Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale, imagining a happy alternate Milan where Beatrice survives & hosts visiting Leonardo da Vinci and (inexplicably) Savonarola.

A painting of the court at Milan. Standing on a checkerboard floor in front of a frescoed colonnade, Leonardo da Vinci shows a model of his flying machine to thoughtful Duke Ludovico and his son Massimiliano, who appears to be six or seven years old (older than he was when his mother died and father was captured). To the left, his mother Duchess Beatrice sits in one of a pair of fancy red chairs, while the other stands empty but a man who could easily be Galeazzo Sanseverino stands behind it, leaning close to the duchess whispering in her ear. Standing behind them are Cecilia Galerani, Elizabetta Gonzaga, and Savonarola, all recognizable from their famous portraits. A page boy behind holds a pet monkey. To the right, behind the Duke, three gentleman courtiers in gorgeous court finery watch, two looking at the model while one veils his mouth with his hat as he whispers to his companions
An imaginative 19th century painting of the court at Milan by the fantastic Pre-Raphaelite artist Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale: Leonardo da Vinci shows a model of his flying machine to thoughtful Duke Ludovico and his son Massimiliano, who appears to be six or seven years old (older than he was when his mother died and his father was captured, making this painting alternate history!). To the left, the boy’s mother Duchess Beatrice sits in one of a pair of fancy red chairs, while the other stands empty but a man who could easily be Galeazzo Sanseverino stands behind it, leaning close to the duchess whispering in her ear. Standing behind them are Cecilia Galerani, Elizabetta Gonzaga, and (inexplicably?!) Savonarola, all recognizable from their famous portraits. A page boy behind holds a pet monkey. To the right, behind the Duke, three gentleman courtiers in gorgeous court finery watch, two looking at the model while one veils his mouth with his hat as he whispers to his companions. So fantastic to see actual alternate history represented, yet another proof how linked the Pre-Raphaelite art movement was to the roots of modern fantastic, historical, and speculative fiction!

Link to the Gonzaga duel story to come!

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