Music and Patronage in the Sforza Court. Paul A. Merkley , Lora L. M. Merkley
Ambrosian Republic, and the rise of Francesco Sforza to power. Here Francesco Barbara proved a cautious statesman, his attitude perhaps tempered by the horrors of the siege of Brescia. Against further ambitions in Lombardy during the succession crisis in the duchy of Milan, Barbaro consistently counseled moderation, insisting on no aspirations to Venetian dominion west of the Adda River. More than any humanist letter-book, Barbara's is die record of the career and values of a major Venetian diplomat, soldier, statesman and cultural leader. Thus, Claudio Griggio's superb edition should become an essential tool not only for the study of early Italian humanism, but also for all students of the history of Venice in the first half of the Quattrocento. BENJAMIN G. KOHL Vassar College