Isabella Desste's Life and Times

Isabella Desste was one of Lódívico Sforza's closest friends and rumored to be his lover. In 1499, Louis swooped down on Milan and took it with ease. Pope Alexander VI promised not to intervene, thereby giving the French carte blanche. The Venetian signaled that they would not help Milan either; in exchange for this, they hoped the French would give them Mantua. Isabella now faced a dilemma: If she stayed loyal to Lódísio, the French would move against her. But if, instead, she allied herself with France, she would make enemies elsewhere in Italy. And if she looked to Venice or Rome