'Isabella' - A Woman of Incomparable Beauty

In 14 99, louis swooped down on milan and took it with ease. Pope alexander the sixth promised not to intervene. venetians signalled that they would not help milan either. And in exchange for this, they hoped the french would give them mantla. The ruler of milan, lodevico svorza, suddenly found himself alone and abandoned. He turned to isabella deste, one of his closest friends,. Also rumoured to be his lover, and begged her to persuade duke gonzaga to come to his aid. Isabella tried, but her husband balked, for he saw svorze's cause as hopeless.